- Australia banned the use of Polymarket after users accessed gambling content using VPNs.
SYDNEY – Last week, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) banned the crypto prediction platform, Polymarket, following an investigation earlier this year.
The ban follows a report made by Crikey, an Australian online news platform, that revealed the site operated offshore and promoted illegal election betting through TikTok.
The site was already geoblocked against legal Australia sports betting; however, these measures were overridden by VPNs. Wagers were placed within the country by Australians, who accessed the content through paid promotions on social media.
Internet service providers and online gambling operators must adhere to the Interactive Gambling Act of 2007, which censors Australian digital media.
Other gambling sites saw the axe (Slot Mafia and Spinanga), though Polymarket holds the largest name branding of the group. Polymarket has faced legal action in several countries with legal sports betting, including France and Switzerland, over illegal promotions and VPN access.
In the US, Polymarket regained legal sports betting abilities through a $112 million acquisition of
