Spain blocks access to Polymarket and Kalshi as it launches gambling licence investigation
Spain has blocked access to prediction market platforms Polymarket and Kalshi while investigating whether they are operating without required gambling licenses. The government is reviewing whether these sites, which allow betting on various real-world events, violate national regulations.
Why it matters
This highlights the growing regulatory tension between emerging prediction markets and traditional gambling laws in Europe.
Prediction sites, which allow bets on all topics from weather to politics, may be in breach of country’s rules Spain’s ministry of consumer rights has blocked access to Polymarket and Kalshi while it investigates whether the leading prediction market sites are violating Spanish law by operating without a gambling licence. On Tuesday the ministry said it had launched disciplinary proceedings against the two platforms, which allow users to bet on everything from the weather to political events, amid allegations that they lacked the “necessary administrative authorisation” to operate in Spain. Continue reading...
The report objectively summarizes the government's actions and the platforms' legal status without taking a side.
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