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.
The measure will be nationwide and will be implemented by the National Telecommunications Entity (ENACOM) through internet providers and orders. Google and Apple remove mobile applications from Android and iOS platforms Open to all Argentinian users, even those who are already registered. Argentina therefore becomes the first country in Latin America to apply full restrictions to this platform.
Although this measure is effective immediately, CriptoNoticias confirmed that access to the service from Argentina was still possible as of 1:05 pm Buenos Aires time this Monday. Users on social networks also confirmed that the lockdown had not yet come into effect.
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 lockdown applies to the platform and all its variants, closing spaces that were expanding without supervision in the country.
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 curbs on 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 appthe closure comes on the heels of the inflation scandal and kicks off a debate about 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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(Tag translation) Argentina
