Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has ordered Polymarket to immediately cease offering prediction markets to customers in the Netherlands.
The regulator has issued an order subject to a penalty against Adventure One QSS, which trades as Polymarket, after determining that its prediction markets constitute illegal games of chance under the country’s Remote Gambling Act.
If Polymarket fails to withdraw its offering from the Dutch market, it faces a weekly penalty of €420,000, up to a maximum cap of €840,000.
The KSA said that a separate, turnover-related fine could be levied at a later date depending on the duration of the non-compliance.
“Prediction markets are on the rise, including in the Netherlands,” said KSA director of licensing and supervision Ella Seijsener. “These types of companies offer bets that are not permitted in our market under any circumstances, not even by license holders.
“Besides the social risks of these kinds of predictions (for example, the potential influence on elections), we conclude that this constitutes illegal gambling. Anyone without a KSA license has no business in our market. This also applies to these new gambling platforms.”
The move follows months of heightened scrutiny as Polymarket gained significant traction in the Netherlands, particularly regarding high-volume wagering on the October 2025 Dutch parliamentary elections.
While Polymarket has argued that prediction markets are distinct from traditional gambling – positioning itself as an information tool rather than a betting operator – the Dutch regulator has firmly rejected this classification.
According to the KSA, any platform allowing users to stake money on the outcome of an uncertain event for a prize meets the legal definition of a game of chance.
The Dutch enforcement action adds to a growing list of regulatory hurdles for Polymarket, with the platform facing similar cease-and-desist orders in several US states, including Tennessee and Nevada, as well as a class-action lawsuit in New York alleging it operates as an unlicensed sportsbook.
Despite previous attempts by the KSA to engage with the operator to voluntarily resolve the illegal offering, the regulator stated that “no visible changes occurred,” prompting the current financial sanctions.