Australia’s internet service providers (ISPs) have been issued instructions to block a host of illegal gambling sites, including Polymarket.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) announced, as part of an update, that these sites were in breach of the nation’s gambling legislation.
Polymarket is included in the Australian IP betting ban list
Polymarket is one of the biggest names in prediction market betting across the world. As we reported, platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi are dominating the US predictions market in 2025.
Prediction markets allow bettors to stake on anything from election results to weather patterns and a host of novelty bets. Polymarket recently announced that the company was “coming home,” according to the founder, Shane Copland, as part of a takeover deal involving QCEX.
Polymarket has acquired QCEX, a CFTC-regulated exchange and clearinghouse, for $112 million.
This paves the way for us to welcome American traders again.
I've waited a long time to say this:
Polymarket is coming home 🇺🇸🦅 pic.twitter.com/Qjd5ZbUwKi
— Shayne Coplan 🦅 (@shayne_coplan) July 21, 2025
So it will be a shock to the system that Polymarket has been deemed an “illegal gambling” site by the ACMA. The Australian Government’s gambling regulator stated on their official site that the prediction platform is in breach of the country’s Interactive Gambling Act 2001.
Polymarket officially banned in Oz
The ACMA is “reminding consumers that even if a service looks legitimate, it’s unlikely to have important customer protections. This means Australians who use illegal gambling services risk losing their money.”
The sites involved in the watchdog’s recent action include Polymarket, Slot Mafia, Spinanga, and Top Aussie Pokies. The regulator posted to social media on the list of recently banned sites:
Gambling online? Make sure the site is licensed in Australia. Using illegal gambling sites puts you at serious risk. You could lose your money with no legal protection.
🔗 Here’s the latest list of sites we've asked Australian internet providers to block: https://t.co/C88IQpIZI2 pic.twitter.com/gB3Jee9XW8
— ACMA (@acmadotgov) August 13, 2025
This isn’t the first time a nation has clashed with a predictions provider, nor is it the first time Polymarket has been involved.
Thailand moved to blocklist the site at the start of the year (January 2025), and an official statement explained the suspension was to “prevent the public from falling victim to online gambling and to stop the use of cryptocurrency in illegal activities, which could lead to severe economic and social impacts.”
Singapore was quick in banning the platform, with the nation’s Gambling Regulatory Authority saying that Polymarket was an “illegal gambling website.”
The AMCA has acted since November 2019 to take action, such as blocking sites that conflict with the nation’s legislation. From this time, 1,296 illegal and concerning sites have been blocked or instructed to be blocked by the regulator.
According to the release, “220 illegal services have also pulled out of the Australian market since the ACMA started enforcing new illegal online gambling rules in 2017.” So it remains to be seen if Polymarket will fight the ban or become one of those companies that leaves the oceanic region.
Featured image credit: ACMA.
