- Polymarket is clamping down on VPN users who bypass geoblocks
- Traders asked to undergo voluntary ID checks to curb suspicious activity
- More than 30 countries have banned or restricted the platform.
Polymarket is accelerating its push for identity verification and actively blocking users connecting through top VPN services, as the popular prediction market faces growing international regulatory pressure.
According to a report from Information, the company “is making it harder to use VPNs to access its service, blocking some suspicious IPs and accounts, and is asking some customers to identify themselves.”
The move marks a clear change from the platform’s former anonymous and permissionless commerce model.
While international users can still deposit USD Coin (USDC) and trade without uploading personal documents, Polymarket now strictly controls VPN usage. Merchants caught bypassing IP-based geoblocks risk suspensions or permanent bans.
This compliance push comes as the platform is under intense scrutiny from regulators around the world, with more than 30 countries now facing outright restrictions or technical blocks on the site.
Why do users turn to VPNs?
The list of nations closing the door on Polymarket is growing rapidly. As El País reported, Spain was the latest country to ban Polymarket, joining a steady trickle of jurisdictions imposing restrictions. In Latin America, Argentina previously suspended use of the platform in March.
In India, the government recently took an aggressive stance against the betting site. Under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming 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) ordered VPN providers to block access completely. The notice warned that non-compliance could cost VPNs their legal “safe harbor” protections.
Polymarket already “strictly prohibits the use of VPNs or similar tools to bypass geo-restrictions,” as the company states on its website. However, that hasn’t stopped Americans from activating VPN services to place bets on the platform, especially around the US elections.
Because Polymarket falls into a regulatory gray area under the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) of 2006, users have been using 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 fill out a voluntary Know Your Customer (KYC) or KYB form get benefits. According to BeInCrypto, “These include direct co-location to Polymarket’s main servers, reducing latency for active traders.”
Meanwhile, high-volume users no longer have a choice. “Traders running seven-figure positions, or rapid five-figure deposit-trade-withdrawal cycles, have been documented to trigger verification under internal anti-money laundering thresholds,” BeInCrypto reported.
For everyday internet users, Polymarket’s new compliance measures mean that using a VPN to get around geographic obstacles is becoming increasingly difficult. Privacy-focused operators must now weigh the loss of anonymity against the very real threat of frozen funds.
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