March 17, 2026 — A court in Buenos Aires has ordered Argentina’s national telecom regulator to block access to the cryptocurrency-based prediction market Polymarket across the entire country. The ruling cites concerns over unauthorized gambling operations and insufficient user verification.
Court Order Mandates Platform Block
The Buenos Aires Court of First Instance in Criminal, Contravention and Minor Offenses No. 31 issued the order. It instructed the Ente Nacional de Comunicaciones (ENACOM) to implement the block. The court is investigating Polymarket under Argentina’s Criminal Code for allegedly offering gambling services without proper authorization.
According to the ruling dated March 11, ENACOM must carry out the measure directly or through internet service providers. The regulator must promptly inform the court if technical obstacles prevent full compliance. The order also reportedly requests that Google and Apple remove Polymarket’s mobile applications from their Argentine app stores.
Regulatory Complaint Initiated Case
The case originated from a complaint filed by the Buenos Aires City Lottery (LOTBA). This state-owned company regulates gambling activities in the capital. After receiving the complaint, prosecutor Juan Rozas opened an investigation.
Rozas leads the City’s Specialized Gaming Prosecutor’s Office (FEJA). Authorities argued that Polymarket allowed users to place bets without robust identity or age checks. This raised specific concerns about potential access by minors.
“In practice, this meant that anyone — including children and adolescents — could access and start betting without any control,” authorities stated, according to local media reports.
Broader Scrutiny of Prediction Markets
This action adds to existing scrutiny of Polymarket’s operations in Argentina. Local reports previously highlighted controversy around the platform’s inflation-related prediction markets. These markets closely mirrored official data from Argentina’s statistics agency, raising questions about potential insider trading.
Argentina’s move aligns with a global trend of regulatory action against crypto prediction markets. Countries including the Netherlands, Hungary, Portugal, and Ukraine have taken similar restrictive steps. In Latin America, Colombia’s gambling regulator reportedly warned about Polymarket’s unauthorized operations in September 2025.
Polymarket did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Cointelegraph, the source of the initial report. The platform’s terms of service state it is not available to users in prohibited jurisdictions, which include the United States for certain contracts.
User Reactions and Legal Scope
Following the court order, social media discussions indicate some users are exploring technical workarounds like virtual private networks (VPNs). Observers note the order originates from a Buenos Aires city court, not the national federal government. The legal reach of a city court mandating a nationwide block may involve coordination with federal telecom authorities.
ENACOM, as the national communications regulator, holds the authority to instruct internet service providers to block domain access across Argentina. The court’s directive places the onus on this agency to execute the technical enforcement.
For further context on global regulatory approaches to blockchain-based prediction markets, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has published related statements. Argentina’s National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INDEC) provides the official inflation data that fueled earlier scrutiny of specific prediction markets.
What Happens Next
The court’s investigation into Polymarket under the Criminal Code continues. The platform’s response to the blocking order and any potential legal appeal remain pending. Enforcement effectiveness against VPN usage and the response from major app stores will test the practical impact of the judicial ruling.
Updated insights and analysis added for better clarity.
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