Skip to main content
Back to news
Regulation

South Korean Police Charge 26 Polymarket Users With Illegal Gambling

(15 days ago) · 1 source · Summarized by CryptoBipto

South Korean law enforcement has reportedly charged 26 individuals for using the prediction market platform Polymarket, alleging the activity constitutes illegal gambling under the country's laws. The charges highlight the legal risks users in certain jurisdictions face when participating in blockchain-based prediction markets.

WHY IT MATTERS

Prediction markets are platforms where people bet real money on whether something will happen, like who will win an election or whether a stock index will go up. Think of it like a betting shop, but online and often powered by cryptocurrency. Polymarket is one of the most well-known of these platforms. In South Korea, most forms of gambling are illegal, and authorities have now decided that using Polymarket counts as gambling. This is important for crypto users to understand because even though blockchain platforms can be accessed from anywhere in the world, the laws of your own country still apply to you. Just because a crypto platform is decentralized or based in another country does not mean using it is legal where you live.

According to reports, South Korean police have filed charges against 26 users of Polymarket, a decentralized prediction market platform built on blockchain technology.

Read the full analysis with a CryptoBipto membership

Members can read the full analysis of every story, not just the headline.

Get started

SOURCES

  • theblock.co

RELATED

Prediction MarketsGambling RegulationSouth KoreaCrypto Enforcement