Indonesia Bans Polymarket After Taking Bets on President Prabowo Subianto’s Future
Posted on: May 25, 2026, 02:14h.
Last updated on: May 25, 2026, 02:14h.
- Prediction market Polymarket is no longer legally accessible in Indonesia
- The Indonesian government has labeled Polymarket as an illegal gambling platform
- The ban follows Polymarket offering trading on the president’s political longevity
Indonesia is continuing its crackdown on illegal gambling by blocking access to prediction market Polymarket.
Gambling is illegal in Indonesia, though backroom wagering and online websites have for many years provided Indonesians with options. The government under President Prabowo Subianto has more strongly enforced the gambling prohibition.
The global rise of prediction markets, online exchanges that allow users to trade shares of the possible outcomes of future events, has been under scrutiny in Jakarta. After Polymarket recently began offering trades on when Prabowo would be “out as president,” the executive branch acted.
On Friday, the Red and White Cabinet’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs “officially severed access” to Polymarket. The office did not cite the controversial trading on the president’s future, but instead said the decentralized crypto-based prediction market platform was engaged in illegal online gambling.
“Platforms facilitating money-based betting on specific outcomes or events remain classified as online gambling, even if packaged as a prediction market, including those utilizing blockchain technology or crypto assets,” the Communication and Digital Affairs Ministry release read.
Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous country.
Presidential Popularity
Prabowo comes from an elite Indonesian family, with his grandfather the founder of the state bank. Prabowo was also married to Titiek Suharto, the daughter of former President Suharto.
Prabowo won the 2024 presidential election with 59% of the vote. Initially popular, Prabowo has fielded criticism for rolling out a plan to centralize state control over the country’s most prized commodity exports, namely coal and palm oil. Prabowo has also created opponents for his lavish spending on populist programs, such as free school meals.
The rising opposition in Indonesia prompted Polymarket to take bets on the president’s staying power. Polymarket traders put the odds of Prabowo being out as president by May 31 at just 1%. By June 30, the odds only increase to 2%, but by the end of the year, traders give it an 11% chance.
The Polymarket contracts have only fielded $51,531 in nominal trading volume as of this afternoon. Still, the Prabowo government took issue with the markets and banned Polymarket.
The government will not provide any space for any form of online gambling in Indonesia. Activities such as Polymarket contain elements of monetary betting and speculation on events with uncertain outcomes; therefore, they contravene the laws currently in force in Indonesia,” said ministry spokesperson Alexander Sabar.
As for other global prediction markets, the Communication and Digital Affairs Ministry said its review is ongoing.
Online Gambling Onslaught
Indonesia continues to probe websites that might be violating the country’s gambling ban.
Earlier this month, the Indonesian National Police arrested 321 foreigners on allegations of running at least 75 criminal online gambling enterprises. Most of those arrested were Vietnamese.
“The Ministry of Communication and Digital urges the public to refrain from accessing or participating in digital betting-based activities, including those involving crypto assets… The Ministry continues to strengthen its supervision of the digital space and coordinate with law enforcement agencies and relevant stakeholders to ensure that the national digital ecosystem remains safe, healthy, and productive for the public,” the release concluded.
No comments yet