Hungary Blocks Access to Polymarket Following Gambling Regulation Decision
Hungarian users temporarily lost access this week to Polymarket, one of the world’s largest blockchain-based prediction platforms, after a regulatory decision by the country’s supervisory authority. The restriction comes amid heightened scrutiny of online gambling and crypto-related services in Hungary.
Access to Polymarket Restricted from Hungary
On Monday morning (Central European Time), users attempting to access Polymarket from Hungarian IP addresses were met with a notice stating that the website was unavailable due to an official decision identified as SZTFH-0325927. The message appeared consistently across platforms, including desktop and mobile devices.
Access to Polymarket from Hungary is blocked, displaying an official notice referencing an SZTFH regulatory decision on prohibited gambling activities.
Polymarket is a decentralized prediction market platform where users place trades on the outcomes of real-world events, ranging from sports and elections to geopolitical developments and financial policy decisions. Daily trading volumes on the platform regularly reach into the billions of dollars. While the service has had limited penetration among Hungarian users, markets related to Hungarian topics—such as local elections or matches involving Ferencvárosi TC—have attracted significant international interest.
Regulatory Background
According to public notices published by the Szabályozott Tevékenységek Felügyeleti Hatósága (SZTFH), Hungary’s Supervisory Authority for Regulated Activities, the restriction is based on findings that Polymarket’s operator, Adventure One QSS Inc., is engaged in the organization of prohibited gambling activities under Hungarian law.
Official SZTFH public notice confirming the temporary blocking of polymarket.com and its subdomains under Hungarian gambling law.
The relevant decision, listed under the reference number 321/5/2026, orders the blocking of the polymarket.com domain and its subdomains in Hungary. The measure is grounded in Act XXXIV of 1991, Section 36/G, which provides the legal framework for restricting access to online services deemed to be operating unlawful gambling activities.
Importantly, the decision was taken by Hungarian authorities and does not reflect a voluntary withdrawal by Polymarket from the Hungarian market.
Scope of the Ban
The restriction applies exclusively to users accessing the platform via Hungarian IP addresses. Polymarket remains fully operational in other jurisdictions where it is not subject to similar regulatory measures. As a result, access to the site may still be technically possible through non-Hungarian network connections, although the legal implications of such access fall outside the scope of the authority’s public communication.
Broader Context
The blocking of Polymarket aligns with Hungary’s broader regulatory approach toward online gambling platforms that are not licensed domestically. In recent years, regulators have increasingly focused on digital services that combine financial innovation with wagering-like mechanics, particularly when these services rely on blockchain infrastructure and operate across borders.
While Polymarket positions itself internationally as a prediction market rather than a traditional gambling operator, Hungarian regulators have classified its activities within the scope of prohibited gambling under national law, triggering the current enforcement action.
For now, Hungarian users remain unable to access the platform directly, pending any legal or regulatory developments that might alter its status in the country.