{"id":90556,"date":"2025-11-03T10:16:11","date_gmt":"2025-11-03T08:16:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/?p=90556"},"modified":"2025-11-03T09:20:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-03T07:20:10","slug":"romanian-regulator-blacklists-polymarket","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/romanian-regulator-blacklists-polymarket\/","title":{"rendered":"Romanian Regulator Blacklists Polymarket"},"content":{"rendered":"

The National Gambling Office of Romania (ONJN) has blacklisted<\/a> the Polymarket<\/a> platform, deeming its operations unlicensed.<\/p>\n

The regulator has mandated internet providers in the country to restrict access to the site. This decision follows a surge in cryptocurrency betting during national elections. According to ONJN, trading volume on Polymarket exceeded $600 million.<\/p>\n

The agency described the platform’s operations as “counter bets,” where users wager against each other. The regulator considers this model a form of gambling, regardless of blockchain use.<\/p>\n

\n

“It’s not about the technology, it’s about the law,” stated the head of the agency, Vlad-Cristian Soare.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In his view, bets in cryptocurrency or fiat remain gambling and require a license.<\/p>\n

ONJN expressed particular concern over activity on the platform during local elections. Trading volume in the market dedicated to the Bucharest mayoral election exceeded $16 million.<\/p>\n

The agency also pointed out Polymarket’s lack of fiscal reporting, player protection mechanisms, and AML procedures.<\/p>\n

Issues in Other Jurisdictions<\/h2>\n

Romania is not the first country to restrict access to Polymarket. In 2022, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) fined<\/a> the platform for operating without registration.<\/p>\n

In 2024, the French regulator announced<\/a> it would examine the prediction market’s compliance with the country’s gambling laws.<\/p>\n

In 2025, the platform’s CEO, Shayne Coplan, confirmed media reports about the conclusion of an investigation<\/a> by the U.S. Department of Justice.<\/p>\n

Back in July, Polymarket acquired<\/a> the derivatives exchange QCEX, licensed by the CFTC. The deal “represents a significant step” in expanding access for U.S. users.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The National Gambling Office of Romania has blacklisted the Polymarket platform, deeming its operations unlicensed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":90557,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"select":"1","news_style_id":"1","cryptorium_level":"","_short_excerpt_text":"Romanian regulator blacklists Polymarket for unlicensed operations.","creation_source":"","_metatest_mainpost_news_update":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[1412,1148,1964],"class_list":["post-90556","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-and-analysis","tag-bans-and-restrictions","tag-polymarket","tag-romania"],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"views":"212","promo_type":"1","layout_type":"1","short_excerpt":"Romanian regulator blacklists Polymarket for unlicensed operations.","is_update":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90556","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90556"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90556\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":90558,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90556\/revisions\/90558"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/90557"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90556"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90556"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90556"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}