Indonesia bans Polymarket following bets on Prabowo presidency end date

Indonesia has blocked predictions market ⁠Polymarket as part of its crackdown on online gambling, its communications and digital ministry said, days after the site took bets on a premature end to Prabowo Subianto’s presidency.

Gambling is illegal in Indonesia and authorities have been clamping down on online betting.

“The government will not allow any form of online gambling in Indonesia,” the ministry said in a statement.

Ministry official Alexander Sabar late on Friday said Polymarket was classified as an online gambling platform and its activities “contain betting and speculation over events that are inconclusive”, therefore violating Indonesian law.

Polymarket said on Tuesday that the company was ‌committed to engaging with authorities.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto speaks at the parliament complex in Jakarta on Wednesday. Photo: Xinhua

“We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with Indonesia on a path forward that supports ‌responsible innovation, transparency and user protection in prediction markets,” it said.