Germany · Guide
Is Polymarket legal in Germany?
No. The GGL, Germany's gambling regulator, named Polymarket in September 2025 as an example of bets that can't be licensed in Germany and are therefore illegal. Polymarket's own terms of use, effective August 11, 2026, bar anyone in Germany from trading and forbid getting around that with a VPN, and the GGL says taking part from Germany can be a criminal offence.
Key takeaways
- The GGL warned against Polymarket by name on September 5, 2025: bets on social and political events like those it offers can't be licensed under German law and are illegal.
- Polymarket's terms of use, effective August 11, 2026, list Germany among the places from which trading isn't permitted, with no exceptions, and ban VPNs.
- Taking part in unlicensed gambling can be punished under § 285 of the Criminal Code with up to six months in prison or a fine.
- Polymarket holds no German licence and wasn't on the GGL whitelist on October 2, 2026.
- Reading about Polymarket's odds isn't the problem: the GGL says the media may report on them, as long as readers are told that taking part from Germany isn't allowed.
The short answer
No. Polymarket isn’t licensed in Germany and can’t be, because German law doesn’t allow bets on political, economic or social events. Germany’s gambling regulator, the GGL, named Polymarket as illegal in 2025, and Polymarket itself bars trading from Germany. Taking part from Germany isn’t permitted and can be a criminal offence.
What the GGL said about Polymarket
On September 5, 2025, after media reports about bets on the outcome of the war in Ukraine, the GGL “urgently” warned against Gesellschaftswetten, bets on social events, “such as those offered on the Polymarket platform”. Under the Glücksspielstaatsvertrag 2021, it said, they aren’t licensable and are therefore illegal: lawmakers only allowed bets on defined sports events with verifiable results. Offering, brokering, advertising and taking part in them are all punishable.
The GGL repeated the point in August 2026 without naming a platform: taking part from Germany isn’t permitted and can be punishable, under § 285 of the Criminal Code, by up to six months in prison or a fine.
What Polymarket’s own terms say
Polymarket’s terms of use, effective August 11, 2026, list Germany among the countries whose residents and visitors may not use the platform for trading, together with the US, France, Italy, the Netherlands, the UK and others. The terms say there are no exceptions, prohibit using a VPN to get around the block, and allow Polymarket to put accounts that do into close-only mode. People in restricted countries may only use its information features.
Following Polymarket as news
Polymarket’s odds are often quoted in the news. The GGL doesn’t object to that: the media may report on forecasts, it says, as long as readers are told that bets on social events can’t be licensed in Germany and that taking part from Germany isn’t allowed. So, as the GGL asks: you may not bet on Polymarket from Germany.
For the wider picture, including Kalshi and event contracts from brokers, see are prediction markets legal in Germany?
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Polymarket with a VPN in Germany?
No. Polymarket's terms of use strictly prohibit using a VPN or a similar tool to get around its restrictions, and say accounts that do may be put in close-only mode. A VPN wouldn't make taking part legal either: the GGL says taking part from Germany can be a criminal offence.
Can I still look at Polymarket from Germany?
Polymarket's terms let people in restricted countries use its information features, but not trade. The GGL says an offer that effectively keeps out German users isn't automatically an illegal offer in Germany.
Why does the GGL consider Polymarket illegal?
Because German law only allows licences for bets on sports and horse races. Bets on elections, wars, the economy or entertainment, which make up much of Polymarket's markets, are what the GGL calls Gesellschaftswetten, and they can't be licensed at all.
Is there a legal alternative to Polymarket in Germany?
Not for political or social events: no licensed operator may offer them. For sports, GGL-licensed sportsbooks are legal; see our ranking of the best betting sites in Germany.
Keep reading
Sources
We verify facts against primary sources (regulators, court records, operators’ own terms) wherever possible.
- GGL warnt vor Teilnahme an illegalen Gesellschaftswetten — Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder , 2025-09-05
- GGL informiert über rechtliche Risiken von Gesellschaftswetten und Prognosemärkten — Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder , 2026-08-13
- FAQ: Gesellschaftswetten — Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder , updated 2026-08-13
- Übersicht erlaubter Anbieter (Whitelist) — Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder , last updated 2026-10-02; accessed 2026-10-22
- Polymarket Terms of Use — Adventure One QSS Inc. , effective 2026-08-11
- Strafgesetzbuch, § 285 (Beteiligung am unerlaubten Glücksspiel) — Bundesministerium der Justiz , accessed 2026-10-22