- Polymarket cracks down on VPN users who bypass geoblocks
- Merchants urged to voluntarily submit to identity checks to combat suspicious activity
- More than 30 countries have now banned or restricted the platform
Polymarket is ramping up its identity verification efforts and actively blocking users connecting through top VPN services, as the popular prediction market faces increasing international regulatory pressure.
According to a report from Journal Information, the company is “making it harder to use VPNs to access its service, blocking certain suspicious IP addresses and accounts, and asking some customers to identify themselves.”
The move marks a clear shift from the platform’s long-standing anonymous and permissionless trading model.
While international users can still deposit USD Coin (USDC) and trade without uploading personal documents, Polymarket now strictly controls VPN usage. Merchants caught circumventing IP-based geoblocks risk being suspended or permanently banned.
This compliance push comes as the platform faces increased scrutiny from regulators around the world, with more than 30 countries now facing complete restrictions or technical blocks on the site.
Why do users turn to VPNs?
The list of countries closing the door to Polymarket is growing quickly. As El País reports, Spain was the latest country to ban Polymarket, adding to a steady network of jurisdictions imposing restrictions. In Latin America, Argentina had already suspended the use of the platform in March.
In India, the government has recently taken an aggressive stance against the betting site. Under the Online Gaming Promotion and Regulation Act of 2025 (PROGA), real money prediction markets are explicitly prohibited.
To prevent users from circumventing these rules, India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has ordered VPN providers to completely block access. The advisory warns that failure to comply could cost VPNs their legal “safe harbor” protections.
Polymarket already “strictly prohibits the use of VPNs or similar tools to circumvent geographic restrictions,” as the company states on its website. This, however, has not stopped Americans from using VPN services to bet on the platform, especially when it comes to the US elections.
Because Polymarket falls into a regulatory gray area under the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) of 2006, users use VPNs to spoof their location and connect to servers in countries where the platform is legal.
The push for identity verification
To sweeten the deal for those willing to give up their privacy, Polymarket offers incentives. Users who complete a voluntary Know Your Customer (KYC) or KYB form receive benefits. According to BeInCrypto, “this includes direct co-location on Polymarket’s main servers, reducing latency for active traders.”
Meanwhile, heavy users no longer have a choice. “Traders holding seven-figure positions, or rapid five-digit deposit-trade-withdrawal cycles, have been documented triggering verification below internal anti-money laundering thresholds,” BeInCrypto reported.
For everyday internet users, Polymarket’s new control measures mean it’s becoming increasingly difficult to use a VPN to bypass geographic barriers. Privacy-conscious traders now must weigh the loss of anonymity and the very real threat of funds being frozen.
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