An Argentine court has ordered a complete shutdown of the prediction market platform Polymarket.

PANews reported on March 17 that, according to CriptoNoticias, the Argentine judiciary has ordered an immediate and complete shutdown of the prediction market platform Polymarket. The ban applies throughout Argentina, and Google and Apple have been instructed to remove the platform's mobile app from their Android and iOS app stores. This ruling stems from a complaint by the Buenos Aires lottery authorities, who accused Polymarket of operating an unauthorized online gambling system under the guise of a "prediction market."

Prosecutors pointed out that the platform operated without a license in Argentina, accepted cryptocurrency and credit card payments, did not require identity or age verification, and allowed accounts to be created in minutes, significantly increasing user risk, including minors participating in gambling. Argentina became the second Latin American country, after Colombia, to impose a comprehensive ban on the platform. Despite the ruling, Argentine users could still access the service as of 13:05 local time on Monday.