Argentine authorities have implemented a comprehensive nationwide block on the decentralized prediction market platform Polymarket, citing violations of local gambling regulations. Following a judicial order from a Buenos Aires court, the country’s telecommunications regulator, ENACOM, has been tasked with restricting access to the site through internet service providers. This move marks a significant escalation in regulatory oversight regarding blockchain-based betting services within the Latin American region.
Regulatory Enforcement and App Store Restrictions
The legal proceedings were triggered by a formal complaint from the Buenos Aires City Lottery (LOTBA), which argued that the platform was operating as an unlicensed online gambling service. In addition to the ISP level blocks, the court has issued instructions to technology giants Google and Apple to remove the Polymarket application from their respective app stores for users located in Argentina.
The enforcement actions include:
- Mandatory DNS blocking by all domestic internet service providers.
- Removal of the interface from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
- Classification of the platform as an unauthorized gambling operator under provincial laws.
Regional Context and Legal Implications
By implementing these restrictions, Argentina becomes the second nation in Latin America to fully prohibit access to the platform, following a similar move by Colombia. While Polymarket utilizes the Polygon network and USDC stablecoins to facilitate its prediction markets, Argentine regulators have focused on the lack of a traditional gambling license rather than the underlying technology. The platform gained global prominence for its high-volume betting pools on political events and sports, drawing the attention of financial watchdogs worldwide.
As of March 2026, the restriction remains in place indefinitely as authorities seek to align digital asset platforms with established gaming and lottery frameworks. This development highlights the growing friction between decentralized finance (DeFi) applications and national regulatory bodies that require local registration for services involving monetary stakes. The outcome of this case may set a precedent for how other crypto-based forecasting tools are treated across South America.
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