The Netherlands Gambling Authority has moved against prediction markets platform Polymarket, ordering its Dutch affiliate, Adventure One, to stop offering wagering services to residents without a permit.
Key Takeaways:
- Dutch regulators ordered Polymarket’s affiliate to halt operations for offering unlicensed betting to residents.
- Authorities said prediction market wagers are illegal in the Netherlands, even for licensed gambling operators.
- The case reflects wider global regulatory pressure on event-based contracts and prediction platforms.
In a notice released Tuesday, the regulator said the company must “cease its activities immediately” or risk penalties of up to $990,000.
Officials said the platform allowed users in the Netherlands to place bets prohibited under national law, including contracts tied to local elections, and had failed to respond to earlier requests from authorities to address the issue.
Prediction Markets Not Permitted Under Dutch National Gambling Rules
“Prediction markets are on the rise, including in the Netherlands,” said Ella Seijsener, the authority’s director of licensing and supervision.
She added that such operators provide wagers that are not allowed in the Dutch market under any circumstances, even for licensed gambling companies.
Earlier this year, the company’s chief legal officer Neal Kumar said the firm was open to discussions with regulators while US federal courts consider questions over oversight of prediction markets.
The dispute mirrors broader regulatory tension around event-based contracts. In the United States, platforms offering similar products have drawn scrutiny from state authorities, many of which argue the services resemble sports betting.
At the same time, leadership at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has pushed back against state intervention, asserting federal jurisdiction over prediction market activity.
BREAKING: Dutch financial daily FD reports that @Polymarket has been officially banned in the Netherlands
The regulator warns that failure to cease services for Dutch users could result in fines of €420,000–€840,000 per week.https://t.co/gZ7rT04401
— PredictFolio (@PredictFolio) February 17, 2026
The enforcement action also comes as Dutch lawmakers debate tighter rules affecting digital assets.
The country’s House of Representatives recently advanced a proposal introducing a 36% capital gains tax on certain investments, a measure expected to cover cryptocurrencies if enacted.
Should the Senate approve the plan, the tax could take effect as early as 2028.
For now, the regulator’s order places Polymarket’s operations in the Netherlands on hold, highlighting how rapidly growing prediction markets are colliding with national gambling frameworks across multiple jurisdictions.
Dutch Indirect Crypto Investments Hit €1.2B
As reported, Dutch exposure to cryptocurrency through financial securities has grown rapidly over the past five years, reaching about €1.2 billion by October 2025, according to De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB).
The increase largely reflects rising prices of major digital assets rather than a surge of new investor money.
Holdings stood at roughly €81 million at the end of 2020, showing how valuation gains have expanded crypto-linked investments across households, institutions and companies.
Despite the jump, direct ownership of cryptocurrencies remains relatively limited for many investors.
Even with the growth, crypto securities represent only about 0.03% of the Netherlands’ overall investment market, indicating traditional assets still dominate portfolios.
Last year, Dutch crypto firm Amdax raised €30 million ($35 million) to launch Amsterdam Bitcoin Treasury Strategy (AMBTS), a dedicated Bitcoin treasury company that plans to accumulate up to 1% of the total BTC supply, or roughly 210,000 Bitcoin.
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