South Korea ordered internet providers to block Polymarket

Gambling ruling triggers nationwide ISP block

South Korea's Broadcasting, Media and Communications Standards Commission issued a corrective action on August 18, 2026, ordering domestic internet service providers to block access to Polymarket, concluding that the service constitutes a "substantive illegal gambling environment" under domestic law. The commission said Polymarket falls under information that facilitates gambling or the opening of a gambling venue under the Criminal Act, as well as prohibited analogous betting activity under the National Sports Promotion Act.

The decision brings a definitive end to a regulatory review that had been running since May, and marks the first time a Korean media watchdog has moved to fully cut off retail access to a decentralised prediction market at the network level. The regulator said Polymarket's winner-takes-all structure, where users can gain or lose money based on outcomes including politics, sports and weather, encourages speculative gambling behaviour.

Locally tailored markets, including one titled "Seoul rainfall in August," were cited as direct evidence of targeting domestic users under a winner-takes-all structure. Users attempting access through virtual private networks to circumvent the ban could still be subject to legal proceedings, with Section 246 of the Criminal Act enabling fines of up to 10 million won, equivalent to about $6,500.

Polymarket's defence rejected

Polymarket argued it operates as a non-custodial, peer-to-peer smart contract platform and pointed to the removal of Korean-language services as evidence it no longer targets domestic users. The regulator rejected both claims, stating that technical decentralisation and interface localisation cannot exempt a platform from South Korean law when it effectively provides an illegal gambling environment to local users.

The decision aligns South Korea with over 30 other jurisdictions, including France and Spain, that have restricted the platform due to ongoing gambling concerns. The largest tier of restrictions covers over 30 countries, from France and Germany to Australia, Brazil, and Singapore. @Polymarket has not publicly commented on the Korean ruling as of the time of publication.

Sources:
CoinDesk: South Korea joins more than 30 jurisdictions restricting Polymarket access
CoinTelegraph: South Korea Blocks Polymarket Over Illegal Gambling
Korea JoongAng Daily: South Korea blocks Polymarket over online gambling concerns