Argentina’s courts just shut the door on Polymarket. A Buenos Aires judge signed a full national block on March 16, 2026. The order hit the platform hard and fast.
The ruling came from Judge Susana Parada of the Buenos Aires judiciary. She ordered ENACOM, the national telecoms authority, to enforce the block through all internet providers. Google and Apple were both directed to pull Polymarket apps from their stores for Argentine users.
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The Inflation Leak That Changed Everything
Polymarket had already drawn serious heat before the ban. The platform published Argentina’s February inflation figure roughly 15 minutes before the national statistics agency INDEC made it official. That raised immediate questions about data access.
The complaint came from the Loteria de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, the city’s official lottery body. They were joined by the Argentine Chamber of Casinos, Bingo Halls and Annexes. Both argued Polymarket was running an illegal online betting operation.
According to CriptoNoticias, the Specialized Gambling Prosecutors Office drove the case forward. The Judicial Investigations Corps provided the technical assessment. Their conclusion: Polymarket disguises gambling as prediction markets.
No ID Checks, No Age Limits
The platform was operating freely in Argentina without any local license. Users could open accounts in minutes. No identity check. No age verification.
CriptoNoticias reported that Polymarket accepted both crypto and credit card payments without restriction. Judge Parada wrote in her ruling that these conditions “significantly increase risks for users,” including minors accessing unregulated betting.
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Argentina is now the second Latin American country to block Polymarket entirely. Colombia took the same step in 2025. The two cases set a regional pattern that other governments are watching closely.
Still Online Hours After the Order
Something odd happened after the ruling. CriptoNoticias confirmed the platform was still fully accessible from Argentina at 1:05 pm Buenos Aires time on the same day. Users on social media reported the block had not yet gone live.
That gap between court order and actual enforcement raised questions about how fast ENACOM can move on this type of ruling. Technical implementation of DNS-level blocks takes time and coordination across dozens of internet providers.
The broader debate is now open. Supporters of the ban say it protects vulnerable users. Critics warn it limits access to information and global financial tools. In the United States, regulators are moving toward licensed oversight of similar platforms, not outright bans.
Polymarket grew fast during the 2024 Trump-Harris election campaign. The platform gave Donald Trump a 55.5 percent win probability, consistently outperforming traditional polling. Trump’s team openly shared those numbers.
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The platform was born during the COVID-19 pandemic. It built its audience on real-money prediction contracts tied to global events. The Argentina block arrives at a pivotal moment for regulation of crypto-based prediction tools worldwide.
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