Polymarket starts blocking VPN users as global regulatory pressure increases in 2026

Polymarket is tightening enforcement of its location rules and actively cracking down on users who try to access the platform through VPN services. The move marks a clear shift away from its earlier, more open access model and reflects growing legal pressure on prediction markets worldwide.

According to reporting first covered by The Information, the platform has begun blocking IP addresses linked to known VPN providers. In some cases, users are also being asked to verify their identity if their activity appears suspicious or if their connection patterns suggest location spoofing.

This change is occurring as prediction markets face increasing scrutiny from regulators across multiple regions, forcing platforms like Polymarket to adopt stricter compliance systems.

Best VPNs that still work for Polymarket

As prediction markets enforce geographic restrictions and improve VPN detection systems, access to platforms like Polymarket has become more dynamic and dependent on specific server locations. The platform is increasingly combining IP-based filtering, behavioral analysis, and identity verification prompts to enforce regional access rules more strictly.

In our recent testing across multiple major VPN providers, we observed that access is still possible in certain configurations, depending on the selected server location.

• NordVPN successfully unblocked Polymarket when connected to a Canada-based server (Montreal, CA). The platform loaded without immediate restrictions during testing, indicating that some Canadian IP addresses remain accessible.
• Surfshark also worked under similar conditions, with a Montreal, CA server successfully accessing the platform during testing. Performance remained consistent within that specific location during our checks.
• Proton VPN likewise showed successful access when connecting to a server in Albania. The platform loaded without immediate blocking in that configuration during testing.

Overall, our results suggest that VPN effectiveness on Polymarket is highly location-dependent. While enforcement systems are clearly becoming more advanced, access is still possible in select regions and server setups. However, availability can change quickly as platforms continue updating their detection and compliance infrastructure.

Why Polymarket is targeting VPN users

Polymarket is completely blocked in 35 countries and restricted in several others due to regulatory and licensing issues. Until recently, many users in those regions could still access the platform using VPNs. VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) allow users to mask their real location by routing traffic through servers in other countries. For platforms that rely on geographic restrictions, such as Polymarket, this creates a major enforcement problem.

Now, that workaround is becoming less reliable. The company is reportedly:

• Blocking IP ranges known to belong to VPN providers
• Flagging accounts with unusual connection patterns
• Requesting identity verification for high-volume or high-risk trading behavior

In some cases, users are also asked to complete KYC (Know Your Customer) checks to continue trading or access faster transaction features.

From anonymous trading to identity-based access

One of the biggest shifts is structural: Polymarket is moving away from fully anonymous participation. The platform originally promoted itself as a decentralized prediction market where users could trade using crypto wallets without traditional identity checks. That model is now changing as regulatory pressure increases.

While basic trading on blockchain networks like Polygon is still allowed in certain regions, access is becoming more controlled. Users who previously relied on pseudonymous participation are increasingly being pulled into identity verification flows.

This change aligns Polymarket more closely with regulated financial platforms than with open, crypto-native markets.

Legal pressure is driving enforcement changes

The VPN crackdown is not happening in isolation. It reflects a broader wave of global enforcement actions targeting prediction markets and crypto-based financial platforms.

Some countries, such as Spain and Indonesia, have recently blocked or restricted access to prediction market platforms due to licensing and gambling concerns. Spain, in particular, ordered internet providers to block both Polymarket and its competitors, such as Kalshi, citing a lack of proper authorization and insufficient protection for users. That Spanish action is now one of the clearest recent examples of the regulatory turn against prediction markets, with multiple outlets reporting that authorities not only ordered blocks but also opened licensing-related investigations.

These restrictions now extend across more than 35 jurisdictions worldwide, including major markets such as France, Brazil, India, Australia, and the United Kingdom. As a result, platforms are being pushed to implement stronger geolocation controls rather than relying solely on IP-based filtering. The latest wave of coverage indicates that enforcement is becoming more formalized, not just technical, with pressure now coming through both ISP blocking and regulatory proceedings.

VPN enforcement is becoming a wider industry trend

Polymarket’s actions are part of a broader shift across the digital economy, not just prediction markets. Regulators in the United States and Europe are increasingly focused on VPNs as a means to bypass legal restrictions. Some governments are even discussing limits on VPNs in specific contexts, such as age verification systems for adult content or regulated platforms.

For example:

• Utah has passed rules targeting VPN use to bypass online age restrictions, requiring websites to verify age based on physical location, not just the masked IP address
• The United Kingdom has also debated whether VPNs undermine online safety laws
• Age verification laws in multiple regions require platforms to verify user identity before granting access to restricted content

While these policies differ in scope, they share a common goal: reducing the effectiveness of tools that hide user location or identity. Critics warn that this trend could gradually push platforms toward mandatory identity verification for a wide range of online services.

Identity checks and account monitoring are increasing

Alongside VPN blocking, Polymarket is also expanding its internal monitoring systems. Users with large positions, rapid trading activity, or unusual financial patterns may now be flagged for additional review. In some cases, accounts can be temporarily restricted until identity verification is completed.

This approach mirrors the traditional financial compliance systems used by regulated exchanges, in which suspicious activity triggers automated risk controls and manual review. The result is a platform that is becoming more centralized in its enforcement, even while still operating on blockchain infrastructure.

The bigger shift: prediction markets becoming regulated finance

The changes at Polymarket are part of a wider transformation in the prediction market industry. Platforms are increasingly adopting:

• Identity verification systems
• Automated surveillance tools
• Compliance teams with financial crime experience
• Formal enforcement procedures

Regulators are changing how they view prediction markets. Rather than treating them as experimental crypto tools, they're increasingly regulating them like investment trading platforms or betting services, depending on jurisdictions.

In parallel, Kalshi has expanded its own compliance infrastructure, including hiring former financial crime analysts to strengthen market surveillance and enforcement operations.

Together, these developments show an industry moving toward institutional-grade oversight.

What this means for users

For everyday users, the impact is straightforward: access is becoming more restricted and less anonymous. Users in blocked regions may find that VPN access no longer works reliably. Even in countries with no restrictions, unusual activity or large trading volumes can now trigger identity checks.

In practical terms, prediction markets are shifting from open-access crypto platforms into regulated environments with stricter onboarding and monitoring. As of early June 2026, users should expect sudden access changes, server-specific inconsistencies, and a higher likelihood that previously working VPN routes may stop functioning without notice.

Conclusion: tighter controls are becoming the new standard

Polymarket’s VPN crackdown signals a broader turning point for prediction markets and crypto-based trading platforms. What once operated with minimal identity checks and open global access is now moving toward stricter enforcement, tighter geoblocking, and full compliance frameworks.

As regulatory pressure continues to build across dozens of countries, more platforms are likely to follow suit – reducing VPN effectiveness and increasing identity verification requirements. The freshest signal right now is that enforcement is intensifying in real time, especially in Europe, rather than remaining a background compliance issue.

The direction of travel is clear: prediction markets are no longer operating outside traditional financial oversight. They are being pulled into it.