Crypto Betting Showdown: Polymarket Banned in Romania Amid $600M Election Bets, Yet Wall Street Bets $2B on Its U.S. Comeback
Romania Blacklists Polymarket Over $600M Election Betting Boom In late October 2025, Romanian authorities took aim at Polymarket after an unprecedented frenzy of crypto betting during the country’s elections. According to ONJN – Romania’s National Gambling Office – Polymarket facilitated roughly $600 million worth of wagers on Romania’s presidential race, plus another $15 million on Bucharest’s local elections readwrite.com. The platform allowed users to bet on election outcomes using cryptocurrency, a practice the regulator squarely categorizes as illegal gambling without a Romanian license readwrite.com readwrite.com. ONJN officially added Polymarket.com to its blacklist of unauthorized gambling sites on October 29th readwrite.com.