Netherlands Orders Polymarket to Halt Operations Over Alleged Illegal Gambling
Dutch regulator has ordered the prediction market to stop offering services in the Netherlands and warned of penalties for non‑compliance.
The Netherlands Gambling Authority this week ordered prediction market Polymarket to halt operations immediately, saying the platform was offering unlicensed gambling services and must stop or face enforcement action [1][3]. Regulators have threatened monetary penalties, with reports citing a potential €840,000 fine if the company does not comply [3].
Dutch authorities specifically called on Polymarket’s Dutch arm, Adventure One, to cease activities, alleging it offered illegal bets including markets tied to elections in the Netherlands [2]. Officials warned that prediction markets can pose social risks and characterized the activity as gambling conducted without a required license [4][2].
Regulators have given Polymarket an ultimatum to exit the Dutch market or face ongoing fines and other enforcement measures; reporting notes the authority may impose repeated penalties if the platform continues to operate for Dutch users [4][3].
Polymarket has been ordered to stop serving Dutch users immediately and faces significant fines if it does not comply with the Netherlands Gambling Authority’s directive [1][3][4].
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Citations
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- 1Netherlands Bans Polymarket Over ‘Illegal Gambling Services’Decrypt• Feb 20, 2026
- 2Dutch authorities call on Polymarket arm to cease activitiesCointelegraph• Feb 20, 2026
- 3Dutch regulator orders Polymarket to halt operations or face €840,000 penaltyCrypto Briefing• Feb 20, 2026
- 4Polymarket Ordered to Exit Netherlands for Running Illegal GamblingBlockonomi• Feb 20, 2026
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