Is Polymarket Legal? (A Complete Guide to 50 States)

Polymarket is one of the major names in the prediction market scene, giving you the chance to trade on the outcomes of various events from sports to tech. But for many new traders, the question is, where is Polymarket legal?

This is understandable considering many similar sites have been slammed with cease-and-desist letters in the US. In fact, Polymarket initially stopped operations in the US market and only relaunched via a beta mode recently. In this guide, we’ll explore everything you need to know about the platform's legality and how to get started without issues. Keep reading for more.

An overview of Polymarket and how it works

Polymarket is a prediction market website that was developed in 2020 by Shayne Coplan. It allows traders to buy and sell contracts tied to the outcome of future events.

Similar to other market predicting platforms, the Polymarket app will allow users to trade event contracts that will settle for $1 if an event does or doesn't happen, depending on which contract you bought. These contracts can then be traded for any value between $0.01 and $0.99, with prices determined by supply and demand.

Since the price is guided by supply and demand, you can read the price of these contracts as the implied probability of an event, based on the overall market perspective. In other words, if an event contract costs $0.40, it generally means that the market believes there is a 40% chance of that event occurring. Critically, this is entirely based on market perspective, which may or may not match reality. This is what news outlets mean when they report on “Polymarket odds”, even though the site does not set odds directly.

If you buy an event contract for $0.40 and it turns out to be correct, the contract will settle for the full $1 value, and you'll get to pocket the $0.60 difference.

Polymarket used to be a crypto-first platform that required you to create a wallet before you could purchase any contract. However, this is no longer the case, and you can also make deposits using credit/debit cards and bank transfers. Once done, you’ll be able to trade predictions on events around various markets, including politics, sports, finance, earnings, tech, economy, and much more.

Pros and cons of trading at Polymarket

Pros and cons

• Access to a good selection of markets
• Easy to start trading
• User-friendly platform

• Not fully relaunched in the United States

Is Polymarket legal in the US?

Polymarket regained legal status in the US in November 2025. However, it has not yet fully launched its services in the region. The prediction market platform was established in 2020, in the state of New York, but went offline two years later.

This was after it settled charges totaling $1.4 million with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. It was charged with providing event-based binary option contracts off-exchange and failing to obtain authorization as a designated contract market.

After settling with the CFTC and obtaining the necessary authorization and licenses, it has begun planning to relaunch, with a 2026 launch slated. However, it has gone live in beta mode, accessible only to selected users.

The operator follows strict regulations, meaning it might not allow predictions on certain contract types when it fully kicks off.

Still, things are still in flux, and we will be sure to keep you posted here if there’s an update.

Is Polymarket legal in other regions?

Yes, it is. In fact, during the period it was offline in the US, it remained accessible to traders in other regions. If you are not in any restricted areas, such as North Korea, Iran, Cuba, the UK, or Singapore, you can register and trade on Polymarket without issues.

We recommend visiting the terms of use page to confirm you are not in a restricted region before you register and start trading predictions on the platform.

How to register at Polymarket from legal regions

If you reside in a region where Polymarket is legal, signing up for an account is straightforward. Here’s our quick guide to get started without the need for a Polymarket referral code:

1. Click our banner to be redirected to the Polymarket prediction page.
2. Hit the “sign up” button and click “Continue with Google” to create an account instantly using your information on the platform.
3. If you prefer, manually enter your email and click on “Continue.”
4. Enter the code sent to your email to verify it and choose your preferred username on the next page.
5. Accept the terms and conditions and click “Continue” to enter your Polymarket account.
6. Deposit some funds and start trading predictions. 

Explore exciting reward features at Polymarket

Make predictions with the Polymarket mobile app

Is there a Polymarket app for traders in legal areas?

Yes, Polymarket offers a dedicated mobile app for Android and iOS. The iOS app is highly reliable, with an almost excellent rating of 4.8 stars from over 20,000 users. However, the Android app is not as popular, featuring a 2.9-star rating. Nonetheless, both options work flawlessly and allow you to trade prediction contracts on the go.

However, these apps are not yet available for traders in the United States. We expect this to change once it fully relaunches its services, and we’ll be sure to keep you posted.

Things to consider before registering on Polymarket

While Polymarket might be legal in many regions, there might still be a few restrictions. Therefore, it is important to consider the following before you sign up.

Conclusion: Is it worth trading in regions where Polymarket is legal?

Absolutely! If you are looking for a balanced prediction market platform that ticks all the right boxes, then Polymarket is worth having a look at. It’s easy to use, features a large selection of trading markets, and offers many reliable payment methods.

However, while it has become legal in the US, it is now heavily restricted and has not fully launched. Still, you can access it in other regions where it is legal by clicking any of the links on our page. When it fully launches in the US, we will be sure to update our links so you can register without issues.

Is Polymarket legal FAQs