India's tech ministry tells VPNs to block banned prediction markets
India
India's tech ministry just told VPN providers to block access to prediction market platforms like Polymarket.
Even though these sites are banned under the Online Gaming Act, they are still popular with people betting on politics and cricket: a market predicting the winner of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Election had received bets up to $16 million as of Monday, April 27, 2026.
The government is worried that people are using VPNs to get around the ban.
MeitY says VPNs break Indian law
MeitY says VPN services letting users reach these platforms are breaking Indian law, pointing to both the Online Gaming Act and IT Act.
This move highlights how tricky it is for authorities to actually stop access, since people keep finding workarounds despite official bans.