Polymarket legality guide for 2026: Is Polymarket legal in your state?

Figuring out if Polymarket is legal has gotten harder over the past few years because the picture has kept shifting since 2022 and most articles online haven't kept up.

We went through the international site, checked the current list of blocked countries, and looked at how the regulated US version compares to the global one. Here, we'll also cover availability by country, how to get started, how trading works, and what fees you'll pay depending on which version of the site you're using.

Polymarket's availability depends on your country

The regulatory picture across different jurisdictions is complicated, and it changes faster than most information online about it gets updated.

Where Polymarket is accessible

Polymarket International is accessible in many countries as of mid-2026. That includes most of Latin America, large parts of Asia including South Korea, India and Hong Kong, parts of the Middle East, and several EU member states. The site runs on the Polygon blockchain and uses USDC, a stablecoin pegged to the US dollar for all trades.

Where Polymarket is not available

Polymarket lists 33 countries as completely restricted as of July 2026 with additional jurisdictions subject to close-only or frontend-only restrictions. The completely blocked list includes locations like Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria, while France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the UK, Russia, Australia and Singapore are among the places subject to close-only restrictions, which means existing users can exit positions but nobody can open new trades. The restricted list has changed significantly through 2025 and 2026 with Germany and the Netherlands among the locations currently subject to restrictions.

How Polymarket International works

The international version runs as a hybrid-decentralised prediction market on the Polygon blockchain and it operates as a peer-to-peer exchange rather than a bookmaker.

The basics of event contracts

Every market on the site is built around one or more yes/no outcomes, something like "Will Bitcoin exceed $150,000 by December 2026?" or "Who will win the FIFA World Cup?". Contracts are priced between $0 and $0.99 and that price represents the market's collective estimate of the probability, so for example, a contract at $0.75 means the market sees roughly a 75% chance of that outcome happening. Winning contracts pay out $1, losing contracts get nothing, but you can sell your position at any point before the event resolves.

Trading against other users

Polymarket uses a central limit order book so you're trading against other users rather than against a house. That means the prices you see aren't set by Polymarket itself, they come from what other traders are willing to buy and sell at, and the market moves as people change their minds about how likely an outcome is.

Pros and cons of Polymarket

Are you based in the US?

The international Polymarket site geoblocks American residents, meaning US-based traders have to go through the separate Polymarket US version instead.

How the US version differs

Polymarket US began rolling out in late 2025 after the company acquired the CFTC-licensed exchange QCEX, and the regulatory backing is a big deal because it means the US product sits under the same kind of federal oversight as a derivatives exchange. The entire product runs in US dollars rather than crypto so the barrier to entry is much lower than on the international version.

Eligibility and state-level issues

Polymarket US is open to eligible traders aged 18 or older and the CFTC regulation behind it puts the site on a different footing to most crypto-based prediction markets, which tend to operate without that kind of federal oversight. Both the iOS and Android apps are publicly available as of July 2026 and we found the mobile signup process quicker than setting up the international version, partly because you're just entering personal details rather than dealing with crypto wallets.

A couple of states do have their own restrictions on prediction markets, Nevada being the main one right now and Minnesota scheduled to follow in August 2026, so confirming availability in your state before trying to use a Polymarket sign up bonus saves you the trouble of going through verification for nothing.

Explore Polymarket crypto prediction markets

Trade on sports outcomes at Polymarket

What markets can you trade on?

The international site has a significantly wider range of markets than the US version and that's one of the key differences between the two.

Fees on Polymarket

Polymarket introduced a category-based fee schedule in 2026 so the days of completely free trading on the global site are behind us.

Category-based taker fees

The rates below show what you'd possibly pay per 100 shares when the contract price is at $0.50, which is where taker fees peak. As the price moves closer to $0 or $0.99 the fee drops, so contracts on outcomes the market considers very likely or very unlikely cost less to trade.

Withdrawals and gas costs

Polymarket doesn't charge withdrawal fees on the international site, although Polygon network, bridge and third-party costs can still apply when you pull out your funds. The fee you may notice is whatever your crypto exchange or payment provider charges to convert USDC back to fiat currency, and that varies quite a bit by provider so you should compare a few before you commit to one.

Getting started on Polymarket

The signup process and Polymarket minimum deposits depend on which version you're using, but the international version is considerably faster because there's no US-style identity verification during the standard signup.

How to sign up step by step

1. Click one of the banners on this page to go straight to the correct version of Polymarket for your region, the international crypto site or the US regulated version

2. Create an account using your email, Google or a crypto wallet and make a note of which method you chose because you'll need to stick with it every time you sign in. If you have a Polymarket referral code, enter it here

3. Polymarket International users get taken through the wallet setup and can move on to funding straight away. Polymarket US users enter personal details and complete identity verification (legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, phone, residential address), then wait for approval.

4. Fund your account. International trading is denominated in USDC on Polygon, but you can deposit supported tokens and networks including transfers from an exchange or a third-party payment provider

5. Look through the available markets, pick a contract and place your first order

Time to put a price on your predictions

Polymarket is available in over 150 countries on the international site and available to eligible US residents through the separate CFTC-regulated version. The global reach is what sets it apart from other prediction market sites, which are heavily US-focused, and the fact that you can sign up on the international version without KYC means the barrier to entry is about as low as it gets for a prediction market of this size.

Click one of the banners on this page to see if Polymarket is available where you’re based.

Is Polymarket legal FAQs