Polymarket, Kalshi block Ireland after GRAI warning

Polymarket and Kalshi restricted access for users in Ireland on July 21 after the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) told unlicensed prediction market operators they must prevent Irish customers from using their platforms or face enforcement, including High Court orders.

Under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, operators that provide a remote betting or remote betting intermediary service to consumers in Ireland must hold a GRAI licence from July 1, 2026. The regulator noted that prediction markets that offer betting activities fall within the law’s definition of a remote betting intermediary and therefore require a licence.

Polymarket updated its geographic restrictions on July 21. Kalshi already lists Ireland as a restricted jurisdiction in its member agreement. The GRAI warned operators without a licence to take steps to block access by Irish consumers, and it said non-compliance may lead to enforcement action.

The regulator described measures already applied at one platform after its intervention: new account registrations were blocked and Irish accounts were prevented from depositing funds or opening new positions. One major platform implemented a geoblock after contact from the regulator and a second agreed to geoblock by July 21. The GRAI said it will seek High Court orders to enforce compliance if voluntary steps are insufficient.

The authority added that several investigations into black market gambling are under way, with potential prosecutions possible in due course.

Finance Minister Simon Harris described the situation as the “Wild West,” and authorities are probing suspicious bets and possible money-laundering linked to some markets.

The actions in Ireland followed similar moves elsewhere. France’s gambling regulator ordered internet service providers on July 16 to block access to Polymarket, classifying the platform as illegal gambling and citing addictive mechanics, a lack of self-exclusion tools and widespread circumvention of earlier restrictions. The French regulator also flagged an allegation that a person interfered with an official weather probe to affect a weather-related market. Despite a ban in France since November 2024, the regulator reported 578,751 visits to Polymarket from 205,057 unique French users in June.

Polymarket added Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec to its list of restricted Canadian provinces on July 6; Ontario had already been restricted. India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued an advisory naming Polymarket and Kalshi and warned that VPN providers that help users reach blocked platforms could face legal exposure.

Regulators in multiple countries are treating prediction markets that offer betting as gambling products subject to domestic licensing and consumer protection rules. The GRAI said operators can obtain an Irish licence or prevent Irish consumers from accessing their services.