Czech Republic Issues Ban on Polymarket… EU Tightens Predictive Market Regulations

The Czech Republic has added Polymarket to an unlicensed internet gaming list, ordering internet service providers to block access within 15 days. The Czech Gambling Regulation Research Institute disclosed the listing, which includes Polymarket among over 3,300 domains classified as illegal gambling by the Ministry of Finance. Authorities view predictive market platforms as gambling, not contracts, due to financial risk exposure from uncertain outcomes. Regulatory concerns also focus on settlement mechanisms that could enable insider trading. The EU is intensifying regulatory pressure, with nine regulatory bodies set to share information on predictive market operations during the World Cup.