A neutral, dated look at prediction market legality in Indonesia. All forms of gambling are illegal, and in May 2026 the communications ministry, Komdigi, blocked Polymarket as online gambling. The New Criminal Code raised the penalties for private online betting. Information, not legal advice. As of May 2026.
Last reviewed 9 May 2026 · Status as of May 2026 · Information, not legal advice
As of May 2026, all forms of gambling are illegal in Indonesia, and the government treats prediction markets as online gambling. In May 2026 the Ministry of Communications and Digital, Komdigi, blocked Polymarket after a market on the president's future spread online, and under the New Criminal Code in force since January 2026 private online gambling can carry penalties of up to 10 years in prison. No real money prediction market may lawfully operate in Indonesia.
Each point above is current as of May 2026. The relevant authority for blocking is the Ministry of Communications and Digital, Komdigi, alongside the criminal law enforced by the police and courts.
A contract price is an implied probability, not a prediction. In an exchange model there is no house taking the other side, only other participants, and the price moves as they trade.
Whether a market is legal where you live says nothing about whether it is a wise place to put money. Read our explainer on how the prices work before you treat any number as a forecast.
Reputation based forecasting with no real money wagering, so it sits outside gambling rules.
Play money markets that use site points rather than cash, which keeps it outside the betting regime.
Free to play prediction markets with no cash stake, used for forecasting rather than wagering.
Komdigi blocked it in May 2026, classifying it as online gambling. All real money betting is illegal in Indonesia, so we do not link to it for Indonesian readers.
A United States exchange that restricts access to verified United States residents, and in any case real money betting is illegal in Indonesia.
Real money event markets are gambling and illegal under Indonesian law.
No money forecasting tools take no cash stake and are not wagering, but access in a strict environment can change. Platform availability is current as of May 2026. We link to a platform only where it is genuinely reachable to a reader in Indonesia, and we mark contested positions as contested.
No. As of May 2026, all gambling is illegal in Indonesia, and the government treats prediction markets as online gambling. Komdigi blocked Polymarket in May 2026, and private online gambling can carry up to 10 years in prison under the New Criminal Code. This is general information, not legal advice.
The Ministry of Communications and Digital, Komdigi, blocks gambling sites and content, while the criminal law is enforced by police and the courts. There is no gambling licensing authority for real money betting.
Komdigi said platforms that take wagers on event outcomes are gambling even when described as prediction markets. The block followed a market on whether the president would leave office before 2029 spreading on social media.
Under the New Criminal Code in force since January 2026, private online gambling carries the same penalties as public gambling, up to 10 years in prison. The government has also blocked millions of betting related web pages.
Sites such as Metaculus and Manifold Markets take no cash stake and are forecasting tools rather than betting, so they fall outside the gambling prohibition. In a strict enforcement environment access can still change, so verify before relying on any site.
Legal does not mean low risk, and a blocked or contested market carries the added danger that you may have little recourse if something goes wrong. Stake only what you can afford to lose, never to chase a loss, and never on borrowed money. If you are struggling with gambling, a doctor or local mental health service can help; in a crisis, contact local emergency services.
The status above reflects the national framework as we read it. These rules change, so verify the current position before you act.
Status as of May 2026. General information, not legal advice.