The Ministry of Communication and Digital of Indonesia has officially cut off access to the crypto prediction platform Polymarket. The authorities in Jakarta justify the measure as part of a strict campaign against illegal online gambling, a decision that was swiftly accelerated after the emergence of speculative monetary bets setting a date for the end of the term of the country's current president, Prabowo Subianto.
The government of Indonesia has delivered a strike of authority in its digital market. Last Friday, May 22, 2026, the country's Ministry of Communication and Digital formalized the comprehensive blocking of the domain of Polymarket, the world's leading decentralized platform for prediction markets based on crypto assets and blockchain technology.
The definitive trigger for this drastic regulatory measure occurred on Thursday, May 21, 2026, when Polymarket's official account on the social network X ignited digital debate by posting an active bet titled "Prabowo will be out of the Presidency by...". This speculative market opened the door to deploying real funds to forecast an early exit from power for the leader, placing financial options with dates as drastic and immediate as May 31, June 30, or December 31 of this very year. The initiative sparked enormous controversy, given that Prabowo Subianto, a former military official highly questioned by various NGOs due to the decline of freedoms in the country, has a constitutional mandate legally set until the year 2029.
Alexander Sabar, Director General of Digital Space Supervision at the Indonesian ministry, was responsible for justifying this technological veto. The official declared that the activities promoted by Polymarket involve financial betting and pure speculation over events with uncertain outcomes. Under this legal criterion, the platform flagrantly violates the legislation of Indonesia, a State where online gambling of any kind is strictly prohibited.
Apart from the immediate block, the ministry confirmed that its monitoring teams are tracking all social media accounts affiliated with the brand to implement comprehensive restrictions. Likewise, the Executive in Jakarta announced that it plans to extend this veto to other similar services based on cryptocurrencies.
From a global standpoint, this decision is not an isolated event. It adds to the growing international pressure that Polymarket is facing, as it already deals with restrictions or direct blocks in markets such as Brazil (announced at the end of April), Singapore, India, or Thailand. Even in the United States, the platform was fined 1.4 million dollars in January 2022 by the CFTC. With this movement, the archipelago seeks to shield its citizens and avoid financial losses derived from uncontrolled digital speculation.
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