GoKawiilPolymarket pushes EU and UK regulators to classify it as financial firm, not gambling site
Polymarket has reportedly held talks with the European Commission, ESMA and the UK's FCA to be regulated under MiFID financial rules rather than gambling law. The prediction-market platform hopes this reclassification would let it reverse bans imposed by Spain and France, which currently require it to hold a gambling license to operate.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
Prediction markets sit in a regulatory gray zone between finance and betting, and how regulators classify them will shape whether platforms like Polymarket can expand across Europe or face fragmented national gambling restrictions. ESMA's recent warning about insider trading on these platforms suggests regulators may resist loosening oversight, especially after several high-profile figures were caught trading on inside information.
- Polymarket wants EU and UK regulators to treat it as a financial services firm under MiFID rules instead of gambling law.
- Spain and France have already blocked Polymarket over licensing concerns, and reclassification could reverse those bans.
- ESMA has flagged insider trading risks on prediction markets, signaling possible resistance to Polymarket's lobbying effort.
Source: engadget.com — Mariella Moon, 2026-09-22
Published there as: “Polymarket is reportedly lobbying European nations not to be treated as a gambling website”
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