Indonesia Blocks Polymarket Over Bets on President’s Exit

Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, known as Komdigi, blocked access to the crypto prediction platform Polymarket on May 22, 2026. The move followed a market that launched on May 21 allowing users to bet on whether President Prabowo Subianto would leave office before his term ends in 2029.

Komdigi said the platform met the legal definition of online gambling. Alexander Sabar, Director General of Digital Space Supervision at Komdigi, said, “The government will not allow any form of online gambling in Indonesia,” and added that betting and speculation over inconclusive events violate national law regardless of whether a service uses blockchain or cryptocurrency technology.

The ministry said internet service providers applied the block at the DNS level and that authorities are identifying and restricting social media accounts linked to the platform. Komdigi acknowledged that users who are blocked at the ISP level can still reach the site using virtual private networks. Polymarket had not posted a public response at the time of the announcement.

The Polymarket restriction is part of a broader government enforcement effort against online betting. Authorities coordinated actions with the financial regulator and law enforcement that in 2026 resulted in the freezing of more than 33,000 bank accounts tied to online gambling and the blocking of millions of gambling-related domains. Komdigi described the measures as intended to protect the public, including younger users, from financial harm tied to speculative activity.

The political market on Polymarket went live shortly after President Prabowo announced plans to centralize control over exports of key commodities, including palm oil, coal and nickel, by creating a state agency. That policy drew public attention and coincided with increased interest in markets speculating on his tenure.

Polymarket launched in 2020 and lets users trade on outcomes ranging from elections and geopolitical events to economic indicators, with settlements in cryptocurrency. The platform’s decentralized design and crypto settlement have not prevented national access restrictions; Polymarket has faced blocks or limits in several other countries and regions.

Komdigi said it will continue to pursue affiliated accounts and channels on social media to limit access and visibility. The ministry’s initial announcement did not detail specific financial or legal penalties for individual users or operators connected to the platform.