Polymarket, the decentralized prediction market platform, has recorded a sharp rise in daily fees and revenue in the days following a fee structure overhaul introduced on March 30. Data from DefiLlama shows daily fees climbed from approximately $363,000 on Monday to over $1 million on both Wednesday and Thursday. Revenue retained after incentives reached nearly $995,000 on Wednesday before easing slightly to around $899,000 on Thursday.
The fee expansion broadened taker charges beyond crypto and sports markets to include categories such as finance, politics, economics, culture, weather, and technology. Geopolitical and world events categories were left fee-free under the new model. The move signals an aggressive push by Polymarket to monetize trading activity and sustain investor confidence amid growing regulatory pressure across multiple regions.
Regulatory scrutiny of prediction markets has intensified across several jurisdictions. In Europe, Hungary and Portugal moved to block or restrict access to Polymarket in January, citing concerns that the platform operates as unlicensed gambling. Portugal’s regulators also raised specific concerns about political betting on the platform.
In Latin America, a court in Argentina ordered a nationwide ban on Polymarket on March 17, ruling that the platform allowed users to place bets without adequate identity or age verification. The court noted that this meant minors could access and use the platform without any oversight or controls in place. According to Polymarket’s own website, the platform is currently blocked in 33 countries.
In the United States, at least 11 states have taken legal action against prediction markets, including Polymarket and rival platform Kalshi. Several states have issued cease-and-desist orders or are considering new legislation targeting such platforms. Kalshi, for its part, reports being banned in 52 jurisdictions worldwide.
Despite the regulatory headwinds, both Polymarket and Kalshi are reportedly pursuing expansion plans. Each platform is said to be exploring new funding rounds that could value them at approximately $20 billion. The two platforms also took steps on March 24 to address concerns around market integrity by introducing new trading restrictions aimed at curbing insider trading, following criticism over well-timed bets placed ahead of major events.
Originally reported by CoinTelegraph.
