A court in Buenos Aires has instructed Argentina's telecommunications regulator ENACOM to block Polymarket nationwide, citing its alleged unauthorized gambling activities.
A court in Argentina has ordered the nationwide blocking of Polymarket, a prediction market platform primarily based on cryptocurrency, due to suspected unauthorized gambling activities.
Argentina's national communications and media regulator Ente Nacional de Comunicaciones (ENACOM) received a court order requiring the nationwide blocking of access to Polymarket and its various versions of the website, according to the March 11 ruling document.
The order was issued by the Buenos Aires Court of First Instance in Criminal, Contravention and Minor Offenses No. 31, which is currently investigating Polymarket under Argentine criminal law for allegedly providing gambling services without authorization.
The judge ordered ENACOM to implement this measure directly or through internet service providers (ISPs), and to immediately inform the court or the professional gambling prosecutor's office in case of technical or other obstacles that prevent full implementation.
The Buenos Aires regulator initiated this case
According to local media reports, this case was brought by the Buenos Aires City Lottery Company (LOTBA), a state-owned enterprise responsible for regulating gambling activities in the city.
After LOTBA filed a complaint regarding Polymarket's alleged unlicensed operations, the Buenos Aires City Prosecutor for gambling, Juan Rozas, initiated an investigation that ultimately led to the court order.
Regulators believe that Polymarket allows users to place bets without sufficient identity and age verification, raising concerns about potential access by minors to the platform.
"In fact, this means that anyone—including children and teenagers—can access and start betting without any control." Authorities stated.
Inflation betting intensifies scrutiny
Reports indicate that, in addition to directing ENACOM to block access to Polymarket, the court also requested Google and Apple to remove and restrict the platform's Android and iOS mobile applications throughout Argentina, including for already installed users.
Social media messages show that users are discussing ways to bypass the block using VPNs and other methods; observers point out that this order was issued by the Buenos Aires City Court rather than the national court of Argentina.
Source: ImpuestosyE (translated by Grok)
According to local media reports, following the high consistency between Polymarket's inflation prediction market and the official statistical data from Argentina, which raised concerns about potential insider trading, this move has intensified scrutiny on Polymarket.
Polymarket has not yet responded to Cointelegraph's request for comment.
Argentina's actions are the latest case of tightening regulations on prediction markets globally, with similar measures taken by countries such as the Netherlands, Hungary, Portugal, and Ukraine to restrict access.
In Latin America, Colombia is one of the first countries to take action, with its gambling regulatory agency reportedly warning Polymarket against unauthorized operations in September 2025.