India cracks down on prediction markets: Polymarket goes dark, Kalshi could be next
Key takeaways
- Published May 22, 2026, 5:14 a.m. 2 min read Make preferred on India cracks down on prediction markets.
- Refreshing the page does not resolve the connection issue.
- The outage follows an April 25 advisory from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) directed at VPN service providers.
By Omkar Godbole Updated May 22, 2026, 5:26 a.m. Published May 22, 2026, 5:14 a.m. 2 min read Make preferred on India cracks down on prediction markets. (Naveed Ahmed / Unsplash)What to know: Polymarket, a major decentralized prediction market, has been blocked for users in India after a government directive ordering internet providers to cut access to certain betting platforms.The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has reportedly already issued a blocking order for Polymarket and is preparing a similar order for U.S.-regulated rival Kalshi.Indian authorities classify prediction markets as prohibited online money gaming.Polymarket, the world's largest decentralized betting platform, has gone dark for users in India. The website says, "This site can’t be reached. Check if there is a typo in polymarket.com."
Refreshing the page does not resolve the connection issue.
The outage follows an April 25 advisory from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) directed at VPN service providers. The advisory warned that local users were continuing to access "illegal and blocked prediction market and online betting platforms" despite "domestic prohibitions."