Polymarket blocked in India: What the prediction market does, why it was banned and what went wrong
Polymarket's official account on X has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand, adding another layer to the restrictions on the world's largest prediction-market platform.
A notice to this effect states that the profile has been withheld in response to a legal demand. However, the account and its posts will remain accessible outside India.
The move comes nearly five months after the Centre moved to restrict access to Polymarket's website under the country's online gaming regulations.
Polymarket is the world's largest prediction market platform where users trade shares on the outcomes of real-world events, such as elections, sports, economics, and pop culture
The Centre intensified its crackdown on online money games in August 2025, shortly after the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act received presidential assent.
The new rules were notified by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on April 22, 2026, and became effective from May 1. The new act prohibits online money games that include stakes or deposits placed with the expectation of monetary returns. This is irrespective of the fact whether the outcome depends on skill or chance.
On April 25, MeitY issued an advisory naming Polymarket among platforms already blocked under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act.
Authorities flagged concerns about users attempting to circumvent restrictions through virtual private networks (VPNs) and converting rupees into virtual digital assets, including USDC, to participate in overseas platforms.
Internet service providers subsequently implemented DNS-level restrictions on polymarket.com around May 21-22, according to the information provided.
Polymarket has not added India to its own list of geographically restricted jurisdictions, leaving enforcement largely dependent on domestic restrictions and intermediaries.
X's account-withholding notice indicates that the platform has restricted the profile in response to a legal demand. However, the precise scope and legal grounds of the latest order remain unclear.
For Indian users, the move reduces access to Polymarket's official announcements and market updates through the social media platform. It also extends the practical impact of the earlier website restrictions beyond direct access to the service.
Polymarket has previously been associated with substantial trading activity around Indian political and sporting events, including state elections and cricket.
The wider enforcement drive has affected other operators as well. Kalshi has listed India among its restricted jurisdictions, while domestic opinion-trading platforms have largely withdrawn real-money offerings under the new framework.
Sanchari Ghosh is an Assistant Editor at Mint with over 12 years of experience in journalism, specialising in personal finance, DLT & DeFi, geopolitics and foreign policy, with a particular emphasis on how these areas intersect. <br> She writes extensively about how money works in everyday life—helping readers navigate personal finance decisions. <br> As AI reshapes investing behaviour, capital is increasingly flowing into decentralized ecosystems, redefining how assets are managed, traded, and valued. She focuses on explaining how money flows within frameworks like Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), DeFi protocols, and crypto markets—while also exploring what the future of money could look like in a trustless, programmable financial world. <br> She also focuses on immigration-related issues, simplifying complex topics around visas, passports, overseas financial planning, and the many practical challenges Indians face while moving or living abroad. <br> Alongside personal finance, Sanchari has a strong understanding of international politics, contemporary and historical conflicts, and global state decisions. She closely tracks how geopolitical developments influence economies, markets, and individual financial choices, bringing together finance and global affairs in her reporting. <br> She began her career as a desk editor, which gave her a strong foundation in news writing. Over time, her interest naturally shifted toward personal finance. Before joining Mint in 2020, she worked DNA, The Times of India, Outlook Money, BloombergQuint, and ETMoney. At Mint, she got an opportunity to expand her coverage to include immigration and geopolitical developments while continuing to closely follow personal finance trends and market movements.As a journalist, she is committed to accuracy, intellectual rigour, and fairness. <br> She is an English Major and her work took her across cities including Delhi, Mumbai, and Pune. Living independently from an early age gave her firsthand experience in managing life and money on her own. This practical exposure sparked her strong interest in personal finance. <br> Outside the newsroom, Sanchari is a sports enthusiast who regularly plays lawn tennis and squash. In her younger years, she was also a national-level badminton player.
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