India Restricts Polymarket Under Online Gambling Regulations

(AsiaGameHub) –   India has restricted local users’ access to Polymarket following authorities’ classification of prediction market platforms as prohibited online money gaming services.

Good to Know

• Indian users of Polymarket now encounter an access block rather than being able to access the regular website.
• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) instructed internet and VPN providers to prevent access to illegal betting and prediction market platforms.
• Local reports suggest Kalshi may be the next to receive a similar blocking order.

India Restricts Polymarket Access as Prediction Markets Undergo Gaming Law Scrutiny

Polymarket is no longer accessible to Indian users after government authorities mandated access restrictions on prediction market platforms. This block is part of a broader initiative by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to curb access to online money gaming services banned under local legislation.

When users attempt to visit polymarket.com, they now see an error message stating, “This site can’t be reached. Check if there is a typo in polymarket.com.” Refreshing the page does not resolve the issue.

This move follows an April 25 advisory from MeitY to VPN providers. Officials noted that Indian users were still accessing “illegal and blocked prediction market and online betting platforms” despite “domestic bans.” Subsequently, the ministry instructed internet service providers to block access to the platforms on its list.

Polymarket is the primary target of that order. Kalshi, a U.S.-based prediction market regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), may soon face the same fate. Local reports quoting an anonymous MeitY source stated that the ministry “has already issued a blocking order to Polymarket and is in the process of issuing one to Kalshi as early as Friday.”

Prediction markets allow users to trade real-money positions on upcoming events—such as elections, referendums, financial prices, and other binary outcomes. Public interest spiked during the 2024 U.S. presidential election, with platforms like Polymarket emerging as key sources of political odds and event trading engagement.

India takes a distinct approach to these platforms. Under the 2025 Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, authorities categorize real-money involvement in prediction markets as online money gaming. This places Polymarket in a prohibited category, even though it functions as a decentralized prediction market rather than a traditional sports betting platform.

The legislation has also altered the responsibilities of digital intermediaries. VPN providers, internet service providers, payment companies, and other tech channels now face pressure to prevent local users from accessing blocked platforms. MeitY has cautioned that service providers could lose their legal safe-harbor protections if they do not take reasonable steps to block prohibited access.

For Polymarket, India’s action adds another regulatory barrier to a product that already faces varying treatment across global markets. For Kalshi, the coming days will determine whether a CFTC-regulated platform also loses access to one of the world’s largest online user bases.