A plain, dated guide to prediction market legality in Belgium: why the Belgian Gaming Commission treats these markets as unlicensed gambling, how it blacklisted Polymarket in 2025, and what this means for residents. Information, not legal advice. As of May 2026.
Last reviewed 24 May 2026 · Status as of May 2026 · Information, not legal advice
As of May 2026, the Belgian Gaming Commission treats prediction markets as unlicensed gambling, and on 3 February 2025 it blacklisted Polymarket and asked internet providers to block access. Belgium requires a national licence to offer gambling, and prediction markets have not been licensed under that regime. Treat real money prediction markets as not lawfully available to Belgian residents, and confirm your own position before acting.
The Belgian position is one of the clearest in Europe. The Belgian Gaming Commission concluded that a real money prediction market is gambling that requires a national licence, and that Polymarket did not hold one. After warnings in late 2024 went unanswered, the regulator added the platform to its blacklist in February 2025 and asked Belgian internet providers to block it. A resident who reaches the site is shown a notice that use in Belgium is illegal.
This matters for how you read access. A blocked site can sometimes still be reached, but reaching it does not make participation lawful. Because no prediction market has been licensed under the Belgian gambling regime, the safe reading is that real money prediction markets are not lawfully available to Belgian residents as of May 2026.
Rules can change, and the European treatment of these markets is still developing. Treat the status here as a dated snapshot and confirm with the Belgian Gaming Commission before relying on it.
Runs on play money rather than cash, so it sits outside gambling rules and is reachable worldwide. Useful for learning the mechanics without financial risk.
A forecasting community with no money at stake, scored on accuracy rather than payouts. Available worldwide as a research and reputation tool.
Blacklisted by the Belgian Gaming Commission on 3 February 2025 as unlicensed gambling, with internet providers asked to block access. We do not link to an account.
A United States exchange regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. It is not open to residents of this country, and we do not link to an account here.
A crypto funded venue whose real money product is limited by jurisdiction. Treat access as restricted and unconfirmed for residents here unless the platform states otherwise.
Availability is indicative and as of May 2026. We link to a platform only where it is genuinely available to a Belgium reader, and we mark contested positions as contested. Reachability is not the same as legality.
A contract price is an implied probability, not a prediction. In an exchange model there is no house, only other participants, and the price moves as they trade.
Whether a market is legal where you live tells you nothing about whether it is a wise place to put money. Read our guide to how the prices work before you treat any number as a forecast.
Legal does not mean low risk. Prediction markets can lose you money. Stake only what you can afford to lose, never to chase a loss, and never on borrowed money. If it stops feeling like a free choice, step back and seek support, such as a national problem gambling helpline in your country.
As of May 2026, the Belgian Gaming Commission treats prediction markets as unlicensed gambling, and no platform has been licensed under that regime. Polymarket was blacklisted in February 2025. Treat real money access as not lawfully available to residents. This is general information, not legal advice.
The Belgian Gaming Commission, known as the Kansspelcommissie or Commission des Jeux de Hasard, regulates gambling and licensing. It has treated real money prediction markets as gambling that requires a national licence, which none of these platforms hold.
The Belgian Gaming Commission found Polymarket to be unlicensed gambling and, after warnings went unanswered, blacklisted it on 3 February 2025 and asked internet providers to block access. Users who reach the site are warned that use in Belgium is illegal.
Reaching a blocked site does not make participation lawful. The regulator treats use of an unlicensed prediction market in Belgium as illegal, so we mark access as blocked and do not link to an account. Confirm your own position before acting.
Tools with no money at stake, such as play money platforms or forecasting communities scored on accuracy, sit outside the gambling licensing regime and are generally reachable. They offer no financial payout and are best treated as learning tools.
The position above rests on the rules below as we read them. They change, so verify the current rules and your own eligibility before you act.
Status as of May 2026. General information, not legal advice.