The Buenos Aires Judiciary, headed by Judge Susana Parada, ordered this Monday, March 16, 2026, that access to Polimarket be immediately and completely cut off from all of Argentina.
This measure will be implemented on a nationwide scale by internet providers and the National Telecommunications Entity (ENACOM) through a directive. Google and Apple remove mobile applications from Android and iOS platforms Open to all Argentinian users, even those who are already registered.
The measures take effect immediately, but as of 1:05 pm Buenos Aires time this Monday, access to the service from Argentina was still possible, CriptoNoticias confirmed. Users on social networks also confirmed that the lockdown had not yet come into effect.
This makes Argentina the second country in Latin America to apply full restrictions to the platform, after Colombian authorities took a similar decision last year.
The first complaint came from the Lottery of the City of Buenos Aires (LOTBA), which was joined by the Chamber of Casinos, Bingo and Affiliates of Argentina (CASCBA).
The Special Gambling Prosecutor’s Office (FEJA) pursued the case and, following technical intervention from the Judicial Investigation Team (CIJ), determined that Polymarket was operating as a clandestine online gambling system under the modus operandi of a “prediction market”.
The judicial resolution emphasizes that: Not having a local license to operate a game of chance is a violation of current regulations.. The city prosecutor’s office reported that the blockade applies to the platform and all its variants.
In Argentina, this worked without control. It accepts cryptocurrencies and credit cards, requires no identity or age verification, and created an account in minutes.
Judge Parada emphasized that these features, such as minors’ access to unregulated gambling, “significantly increase the risk to users.”
This decision is controversial. While some have praised the protection of vulnerable users and the regulation of illegal gambling, others have warned that freedom of information and access to global prediction tools could be restricted.
For now, Argentinians will no longer be able to access Polymarket or download the appthis closure comes on the heels of the inflation scandal and marks the beginning of a debate on regulating new forms of digital gambling in the region.
As reported by CriptoNoticias, in countries like the United States, authorities are increasingly regulating, rather than blocking, these types of platforms that can be used with cryptocurrencies.
Born during the pandemic, polymarket exploded in popularity during the US election campaign between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. The mogul publicized his prediction because it outperformed traditional polls (he gave Trump a 55.5% chance).
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