Romanian gambling authority bans Polymarket platform

The National Office for Gambling (ONJN) has added the Polymarket platform to its blacklist of unlicensed gambling operators in Romania, Ziarul Financiar announced. The decision follows a sharp increase in the platform’s activity during the recent election period.

According to data published by Polymarket, total transaction volumes related to Romania’s presidential elections exceeded USD 600 million, while bets on the Bucharest local elections surpassed USD 16 million.

The ONJN said that these figures reveal “a high level of unregulated betting activity, carried out outside any fiscal, technical or integrity control, which evades the legal obligations imposed on licensed operators – including those regarding player protection, reporting to the National Office for the Prevention and Combating of Money Laundering and the payment of taxes and contributions to the state budget.”

The authority clarified that although Polymarket presents itself as an “event trading platform” or “prediction market”, it meets the legal and functional criteria of a counterparty betting service. As such, its operations fall under Romania’s gambling legislation, which requires prior licensing and supervision by ONJN.

Polymarket, which allows users to buy and sell shares in the outcomes of future events using cryptocurrency, has seen rapid global growth since 2023, particularly during major political and economic events. The platform’s inclusion on Romania’s blacklist means that local internet providers are required to block access to its website and associated services.

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