Polymarket banned in Belgium, but still very popular
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25 Jun 2026 •
Reading time: 2 minutes
Since being blacklisted by the Gaming Commission, Polymarket has lost a large proportion of its Belgian audience. However, the platform continues to attract around 70,000 visits per month.
An official ban, but a presence that remains very much real
Polymarket is not authorised to operate in Belgium. Since 30 January 2025, the platform has been listed among the sites banned by the Gaming Commission, as it does not hold the licence required to operate legally on the Belgian market.
According to figures provided by Magali Clavie, chair of the Gaming Commission, Belgian traffic to Polymarket has fallen from around 230,000 monthly visits to 70,000 today. This decline shows that being blacklisted is having an effect. But it also reveals that even when banned, a site can continue to retain a significant audience.
A challenge that goes beyond the Polymarket case alone
Polymarket is not an isolated case. Other unauthorised platforms, particularly in the sports betting and online casino sectors, also continue to attract Belgian players despite being blacklisted by the Gaming Commission. Unauthorised gambling sites are estimated to account for 60 per cent of Belgian player traffic, despite the Gaming Commission’s blocking measures.
There are several reasons why it is difficult to effectively restrict access to this type of platform. Prediction markets and illegal gambling sites are often based outside the European Union. This location complicates the work of national authorities, which can ban a site within their territory but do not always have direct control over its infrastructure or access methods.
Added to this are several practices that allow restrictions to be circumvented. The use of a VPN can mask a user’s actual location. Regular changes to domain names can also make blocks less effective in the long term. Finally, the lack of systematic blocking of financial flows limits the overall effectiveness of the ban.
The 2026 World Cup could increase the pressure
A major sporting event such as the World Cup can boost public interest in betting on competitions.
For the Belgian authorities, this is therefore a sensitive time. The rise in interest in sporting events may benefit licensed operators, but also unauthorised sites seeking to attract users outside the legal framework.
Belgium must protect players, enforce the law and ensure that the legal offering remains sufficiently attractive to prevent consumers from turning to unauthorised platforms.