The country’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs described the platform as an online gambling service that violates Indonesian law. The move came shortly after Polymarket listed a market tied to Prabowo’s presidency, which generated more than $46,000 in trading volume.
Polymarket Blocked in Indonesia
Indonesia officially blocked access to prediction market platform Polymarket after the site hosted wagers tied to the future of President Prabowo Subianto. The country’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, also known as Komdigi, announced the restriction on Friday and described the platform as an online gambling service operating under the appearance of a prediction market.
According to Indonesian officials, the government considers activities on Polymarket to be a direct violation of national gambling laws. Ministry official Alexander Sabar stated that the government would not tolerate any form of online gambling and argued that the platform encourages speculation on uncertain outcomes through betting-based systems.
Announcement from Komdigi
Authorities said the block was introduced to protect the public, particularly younger internet users, from exposure to gambling-related activities in the country’s digital space.
The crackdown reportedly intensified after Polymarket listed a market that allowed users to bet on whether President Prabowo would leave office before the end of his official term in 2029. The market included several future dates, like May 31, June 30, and Dec. 31, 2026, despite the president only recently beginning his five-year term.
Traders on the platform assigned relatively low probabilities to an early exit in the short term, although the odds rose noticeably for later dates. The market generated more than $46,000 in trading volume before Indonesia blocked the platform.
While the ministry’s public statement did not specifically mention the presidential prediction market, the timing of the decision turned some heads because it closely followed the appearance of the wager.
Indonesia’s decision now adds to the global trend in which regulators are scrutinizing platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi. Although supporters argue that prediction markets provide useful forecasting tools and crowd-sourced insights, critics and regulators in several jurisdictions see them as forms of gambling. As these platforms expand internationally and cover more political and real-world events, they are likely to face even more legal and regulatory pressure worldwide.
