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Romania Blacklists Polymarket as Illegal Gambling After Election Trading Surge

The move contrasts with Polymarket’s reported plan for a limited U.S. sports relaunch tied to a CFTC no‑action letter.

Overview

  • Romania’s National Office for Gambling added Polymarket to its blacklist on Oct. 29 and instructed internet providers to block access in the country.
  • The regulator said the platform constitutes counterparty betting that requires a license and stressed that wagers in crypto are treated the same as bets in lei under Romanian law.
  • Authorities cited failures on tax reporting, required player-protection systems, and anti–money laundering controls as grounds for the action.
  • Election activity on the site drew scrutiny, with reporting citing roughly $600 million in transactions for national contests and about $15–16 million for Bucharest markets.
  • Polymarket is reported to be preparing a narrowly scoped U.S. return focused on sports by late November via its QCX acquisition and related CFTC no‑action guidance.