Leading platforms temporarily blocked as part of illegal gambling investigation
The government of Spain has temporarily blocked access to prediction market platforms Kalshi and Polymarket while it conducts a review of their operations.
The temporary ban announced Tuesday in the Official State Gazette by Spain’s Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption and Agenda 2030 is expected to remain in place for up to four months.
During this time, the Ministry will review the operations of Kalshi and Polymarket to determine whether their event contracts constitute unlicensed gambling under Spanish law.
According to Spain’s gambling regulator, the General Directorate of Gambling Regulation (DGOJ), prediction markets have the nature of gambling when betting on uncertain future results, meaning that their operation in Spain requires a specific administrative licence.
The DGOJ also warns that unauthorised platforms do not meet the requirements of Spain’s regulated gambling market because they lack essential consumer safety measures such as identity verification and self-exclusion tools.
The block on Kalshi and Polymarket will remain in place until the Ministry’s investigation concludes.