Polymarket Tightens ID Checks Amid Sanctions Pressure Growth
Polymarket tightens ID checks as regulators target sanctions gaps and offshore trading access risks.VPN use and routing tricks keep exposing gaps in Polymarkets geo-blocking enforcement system.Rising prediction market volumes trigger U.S. probes into trading, identity checks, and compliance. Polymarket is tightening identity checks as regulators step up pressure on prediction markets over sanctions risks and offshore access concerns. The platform has come under closer scrutiny after reports showed users in restricted countries still managed to access markets using VPNs, bots, and other workarounds. According to The Information report, company documents show that Polymarket blocks users from countries including the United States, Russia, Iran, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. However, enforcement concerns continue growing as some users reportedly bypass those restrictions through indirect routing methods. Polymarket‘s developer guidelines state that “orders submitted from blocked regions will be rejected,” signaling that location monitoring now plays a central role in the platform’s compliance strategy. Prediction Markets Face Regulatory Heat Prediction markets have increased in popularity since mid-2025 as traders poured billions into bets tied to elections, sports, cryptocurrencies, and global events. A report from Pew Research Center showed combined monthly trading volume on Polymarket and Kalshi jumped from less than $5 billion in September 2025 to