In September 2025, Colombia banned the harmful “prediction” gambling platform Polymarket, according to a government notice.
Citing betting on elections, Colombia’s gambling authority said the platform, which deals in cryptocurrency, is illegal. Colombia did not mention Polymarket’s sports gambling markets in its announcement.
Coljuegos, the gambling regulator based in Bogotá, has requested that internet service providers block Polymarket, which has financial backing from the likes of Donald Trump Jr. and the NFL’s Saquon Barkley.
“We want to inform Colombians that this website is illegal and does not have the necessary permits to operate online gaming in Colombia. Therefore, we have requested that the site be blocked and have opened an investigation into those responsible for this illegal activity,” said Marco Emilio Hincapié, president of Coljuegos.
Polymarket has also been banned in jurisdictions such as Singapore, France, Taiwan, Poland, Switzerland, and Belgium.
Polymarket is Illegal Gambling in Colombia
In the announcement, Colombia scoffed at the idea that the platform is not a form of gambling. It said Polymarket is run-of-the-mill gambling.
In the U.S., proponents of prediction markets say it’s not gambling, but rather trading or forecasting. It’s a deception that could boost risks associated with gambling addiction.
In 2025, Polymarket publicly shamed one of its users exhibiting potential signs of problem gambling.
As of October 2025, Polymarket was poised to re-enter the U.S. market. It had previously left the U.S. over legal concerns.
“We remind citizens that the exploitation of games of chance is a state-funded monopoly, and that any type of betting requires authorization from Coljuegos,” Hincapié added about Colombia’s Polymarket ban.
Is Online Gambling Legal in Colombia?
Yes, online gambling is legal and available in Colombia — for citizens and visitors. However, the government tightly controls the industry.
Colombia has authorized 14 online gambling operators.
Legal gambling sites in Colombia are: Rushbet, Stake, BingoCasinos, Betano, Betplay, Wplay, Sportium, Codere, Luckia, Rivalo, YaJuego, Bwin, Zamba, and Betsson.
To date, Colombia has requested the blocking of 28,100 online gambling websites. Many of those websites come from offshore gambling hubs.
Colombia’s ban of Polymarket is unique because the gambling site is based in the U.S.
The government announced in late 2025 that it expects to block an additional 3,000 gambling sites.
“Our goal is to defend the legal industry, which this year has already contributed $256.746 billion for subsidized healthcare, and nearly $783 billion in VAT,” Hincapié said.
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