A.J. Koehn

Lithuania’s gambling authority has blocked Polymarket following the predictions platform’s attempts to “circumvent restrictions on illegal remote gambling”.

The operator is the first in its sector to be restricted by Lošimų priežiūros tarnyba (LPT) as the regulator views its operations as a cover for illegal gambling.

It’s far from the first jurisdiction to restrict access to Polymarket, though.

Last month, South Korean authorities moved to block access to the platform following a dispute and review that lasted for over a month.

Polymarket’s presence in Europe has been massively minimised as several jurisdictions’ regulators have forbidden citizen access.

Countries including France, Spain, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, to name a few, have taken action against the operator.

European hopes for the US giant may rest in Gibraltar, where a regulated prediction markets framework has been established, and the UK, with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) set to review whether c..

The Chair of the Netherlands’ gambling regulator has urged European nations to collaborate as the continent continues to fight against the illegal gambling market.

Michel Groothuizen, Chair of the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), lamented the problems that the EU nation continues to face in a blog released on the back of the Netherlands’ annual gambling committee debate.

“Illegal gambling is, in fact, an unprecedentedly large and complex problem. Of every euro a Dutch person gambles away, half goes to the illegal market,” he said.

“Anyone examining this industry will see that the turnover of the global illegal gambling market exceeds the GDP of any country, with the exception of the US and China.

“The public often holds the image of foreign companies with sound business practices that, thanks to the freedom of the internet, occasionally attract a Dutch player. We must abandon that image.”

Michel Groothuizen, Chair of the KSA. Credit: LinkedIn

Groothuizen added that achieving meaningfu..

Stake has reportedly blocked access to Irish consumers following consultation with the Gambling Regulatory Authority for Ireland (GRAI), according to national media.

It comes two months on from the GRAI’s new licensing system being implemented as the regulator, which took over responsibility for the gambling sector from Ireland’s Revenue Commissioners, works towards a new system focused on integrity and player protection.

Stake has previously implemented strict geo-fencing measures for UK users after the removal of its licence in March 2025 and will do the same for consumers in Ireland.

The GRAI told the Irish Times that “operators, including two major prediction markets and a major international online gambling platform, have geo-blocked their services, which means that they have voluntarily restricted access to their platforms for users from Ireland”, though it did not confirm which three platforms this is in reference to.

However, Stake has continuously referred to itself as ..

Germany interstate authorities have begun targeting illegal gambling networks amid warnings by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) of heightened money-laundering risks as a direct threat to the German economy.

A three-year long investigation has resulted in the raiding of eleven premises by German authorities, Frankfurt’s Prosecutor’s Office revealed, with total stakes said to be worth almost €6bn (£5.1bn).

The raids were part of a coordinated operation between the Prosecutor’s Office, the Frankfurt Tax Office, the North Rhine-Westphalia Counter-Financial Crime State Office, and the Frankfurt police, involving more than 100 officers.

According to official government sources, five suspects were identified to be involved in the illegal gambling ring, which operated an online casino without the required licence for the period between 2021 and 2023. The casino processed more than €5.8bn worth of wagers.

Authorities seized several luxury vehicles, froze a number of bank accounts, an..

Armenia is preparing to roll out more restrictions against illegal operators through a new reform package that would tighten the oversight of online gambling.

State news agency Armenpress has reported that the State Revenue Committee (SRC) is looking at measures to block unlicensed gambling websites through telecommunications operators.

According to the state press, the new rules will be enforced on 8 February 2027, revising existing provisions under the current Law On Regulation of Gaming Activities that relate to the blocking of unlicensed operators offering online gambling and lottery services.

The Committee added that the revisions are necessary to address the increased ease of access to offshore platforms through digital means. Under the new provisions, the advertising opportunities for these unlicensed operators will also be severely limited.

Armenia’s gambling legislation is already undergoing a complete overhaul, having been adopted by the National Assembly in June 2024 and..