India Says Blocked Prediction Market Platforms Polymarket and Kalshi Remain Accessible

India’s technology ministry states blocked sites including Polymarket and Kalshi remained accessible to users, even as both platforms expanded exposure to the country’s large prediction and betting market.

Summary

India said users were still able to access blocked prediction market platforms including Polymarket and Kalshi despite government warnings and blocking measures. According to a letter from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology cited by Bloomberg, illegal blocked sites remained available to Indian users. Separately, the platforms were described as opening access to India, expanding into one of the world’s largest betting markets. Together, the developments highlight both the scale of Indian demand and the difficulty of enforcing restrictions on prediction market services, while potentially shaping future regulatory treatment of such platforms.

Terms & Concepts
  • Prediction market: A platform where users trade contracts tied to the outcome of future events, with prices often reflecting the market’s implied probability of each result.
  • Polymarket: A crypto-based prediction market platform that lets users speculate on real-world event outcomes through blockchain-linked trading.
  • Event contracts: Tradable contracts tied to real-world outcomes, commonly used in prediction markets to let users take positions on future events.