Portugal’s gambling regulator, SRIJ, reportedly ordered Polymarket to stop operating in Portugal in January 2026 and sought to block access to the site. Portuguese telecom providers later blocked access, but the action was not a global shutdown of Polymarket. SRIJ’s reported rationale was that the platform lacked Portuguese authorization and that betting on political events was not permitted under the national framework.
What Portugal ordered
On January 19, 2026, Portuguese broadcaster Renascença reported that the Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos (SRIJ) had ordered Polymarket to end its activity in Portugal and sought an access block. The report quoted SRIJ saying: “O site não tem qualquer autorização para disponibilizar apostas em Portugal, sendo que na ordem jurídica nacional não é permitida a exploração de apostas sobre eventos ou acontecimentos políticos, sejam nacionais ou internacionais.” In English: “The site has no authorization whatsoever to offer betting in Portugal, and under the national legal order it is not permitted to offer betting on political events or occurrences, whether national or international.” Renascença reported the regulator’s stated rationale; the primary order itself is not reproduced in that report.
The order was directed at Polymarket’s activity in Portugal. It did not mean that the platform had been closed worldwide.
Why SRIJ said the platform could not operate
The reported grounds were distinct but related: Polymarket did not have authorization to offer betting in Portugal, and political-event betting was not permitted under the applicable Portuguese framework, according to SRIJ as quoted by Renascença.
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SRIJ’s public guidance says that operators offering online gambling through websites accessible from Portugal need a license issued by the regulator. Its licensing guidance lists online licenses for sports betting, horse-race betting, bingo, and authorized games of chance; it also says licenses or equivalent authorizations from other states are not valid in Portugal. The licensing page was updated April 20, 2023, so it describes the framework stated there rather than establishing whether later legal amendments occurred. See SRIJ’s guidance on illegal online gambling and its online licensing information.
SRIJ’s general warning about unlicensed gambling sites is that users may face risks to funds and personal data, lack guarantees about fair play and support, and miss the legal and responsible-gambling protections applicable to licensed operators. These are the regulator’s general warnings; they are not findings in the cited reports that Polymarket specifically caused losses or mishandled users’ information.
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What happened to access in Portugal
On January 21, 2026, business publication ECO reported that Vodafone, MEO, and NOS had implemented access blocks following the regulator’s order. That is a restriction on access through those providers, not evidence that Polymarket’s global service was shut down. ECO also reported that a VPN could technically provide access, but technical reachability does not grant legal permission or undo the regulator’s action. ECO’s report on the telecom blocks describes the access situation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How Polymarket describes its markets—and why that is separate
ECO described Polymarket as a blockchain-based, peer-to-peer prediction market in which users trade positions linked to future events using USDC. That explains the platform’s mechanics and how it presents its product; it does not decide how Portuguese authorities classify the activity or whether it needs a Portuguese license. SRIJ’s reported position was that the service constituted betting offered without authorization and included political-event betting.
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ECO reported substantial activity in markets linked to Portugal’s presidential election: more than €90 million in one passage and more than €104 million at a later point in the same report. These are time-sensitive figures reported by ECO, not independently audited official totals. They indicate the scale described in the article, not a verified measure of settled wagers, user losses, or platform revenue. ECO’s January 19 report provides the market context.
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What the reports do—and do not—establish
- Established in the reporting: SRIJ ordered Polymarket to stop its activity in Portugal and sought an access block; Vodafone, MEO, and NOS subsequently blocked access, according to ECO.
- Not established by these reports: the full text of the order, any direct response from Polymarket, or whether the company accepted, appealed, or complied with the order.
- Scope: the reporting concerns Portugal. It does not establish a worldwide shutdown of Polymarket.
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