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Polymarket Global restricts new positions from Taiwan. As of 15 October 2026, its official documentation describes Taiwan as close-only on both the website interface and API. A page opening, Chinese-language interface or successful registration does not establish permission to trade legally from Taiwan. Official geographic restrictions
Taiwan’s gambling and election-betting laws are a separate issue. Recent prosecutor statements describe specific alleged election bets; they should not be turned into a final court ruling on every event contract.
Which Polymarket does this concern?
This guide concerns the international Polymarket.com platform. Polymarket US is a separate service with separate accounts and support. Its regulatory position, identity checks and payment or withdrawal arrangements cannot be transferred to Taiwan. The official product explanation distinguishes the two.
Taiwan is restricted from opening new positions
The Help Center includes Taiwan in both its blocked and close-only lists. That wording is not fully consistent. The more detailed developer documentation places Taiwan in the close-only group for both the website interface and API, preventing new positions. Neither page supports treating Taiwan as open for ordinary new trading.
Close-only describes a function for existing positions. It is not a determination that selling is lawful in Taiwan, nor a guarantee that your account can close a position, complete market resolution and settlement, or withdraw. Ask official support about an existing account’s status, and obtain qualified legal advice for liability questions. Do not circumvent geographic restrictions.
Eight questions that “available” can hide
When someone describes using a platform, identify which step they completed. A successful step is not evidence that every later step is permitted.
| Stage | What it means for Taiwan |
|---|---|
| Website access | Seeing a page does not establish order access. This guide includes no test of Taiwan’s networks. |
| Terms and geography | Taiwan is restricted. Full operative Global terms and individual contractual eligibility remain unverified. |
| Signup | Creating an account does not establish eligibility to trade from Taiwan. |
| Identity checks (KYC) | General verification information does not guarantee acceptance of a Taiwan applicant or permanent exemption from checks. |
| Funding | A wallet or the ability to buy crypto does not establish permission to fund a betting activity. |
| Trading | Official documentation restricts new positions. Existing-position actions also depend on account status and local law. |
| Withdrawal | Closing, settlement and withdrawal are separate. Neither successful withdrawal nor immediate receipt is guaranteed. |
| Taiwan law | Online gambling and election betting have relevant criminal provisions. An overseas platform is not an exemption. |
Taiwan law and the scope of recent cases
Article 266 of the Criminal Code covers gambling property through the internet and similar methods, with an exception concerning things used for temporary amusement. Application depends on the conduct. Neither the prediction-market label nor the use of crypto establishes an exemption.
Domestic election and recall results also have specific provisions: Article 103-1 of the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act and Article 88-1 of the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act include relevant online gambling. Their scope differs from general gambling law. A Taiwan election case is not a final legal answer for every contract about an overseas event.
The Hsinchu District Prosecutors Office’s 8 October 2026 release describes an investigation into alleged virtual-currency bets on mayoral election outcomes through Polymarket, with the defendant released on bail. That is an account of alleged conduct under investigation, not a conviction. In May 2026, the Qiaotou District Prosecutors Office announced a prosecution in a separate local-election betting case. An indictment is also not a conviction.
Why older tutorials can mislead
Check the jurisdiction, product and date before relying on a tutorial. Past functionality does not establish current permission, and another person’s experience elsewhere does not establish your eligibility in Taiwan. Taiwan and Hong Kong have different laws even when a guide uses the same written language.
Asset names also matter. The international platform’s current deposit documentation identifies pUSD on Polygon as trading collateral. Assets sent in, assets used within the platform and assets received after withdrawal are different concepts. An older tutorial describing the whole process as USDC should not be followed on that assumption. This product description does not establish funding permission for someone in Taiwan.
Nor is “free” a complete fee explanation. The current fee documentation distinguishes market categories, and service-provider or network costs may also apply. Resolve restrictions and legal questions before considering cost; a low fee cannot remove an eligibility problem.
For general background, see our prediction-market trading guide, fee guide and Polymarket and Kalshi comparison. These explain mechanics and differences; they do not establish local trading permission.
Common questions
Is Polymarket legal in Taiwan if I only view prices?
Reading prices and staking things of value are different actions. This guide does not treat viewing a page as a trade or guarantee that every use, sharing activity or other circumstance is legally risk-free. You do not need to fund an account merely to understand a price.
Does using a stablecoin instead of Taiwan dollars avoid gambling rules?
No. The prosecutor cases above involve virtual currency. The Taiwan High Prosecutors Office’s legal education article also explains that crypto’s economic value can matter to gambling analysis. It is guidance, rather than a judgment on every contract.
What if I already have a position, or want to use another platform?
Identify whether you hold an unresolved position, a settled balance or assets in a withdrawal request, then ask official support about the applicable account restrictions. Close-only does not guarantee execution or receipt of funds; do not open new positions to deal with old ones. Other services, including HypaForecast, need their own terms and Taiwan-law assessment. Polymarket’s restrictions do not establish another platform’s legal approval.
This guide is published by HypaForecast and is independent of Polymarket. Links to HypaForecast do not establish that you are eligible to use its products or that trading is legally permitted where you are. Check the service’s conditions and applicable local rules separately.
Explore HypaForecast markets
Browse the market list, or inspect the question and current round details for the 5-minute and 15-minute BTC markets.
Sources and scope
HypaForecast reviewed Polymarket’s official documentation, Taiwan statutes and public prosecutor records, checked on 15 October 2026. Investigations and indictments are distinguished from convictions. No Taiwan network, signup, identity, deposit, trading or withdrawal tests were performed. This guide does not determine an individual’s legal position.
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