Danish Tax Minister criticizes Polymarket for political and war betting, may consider restricting its operations in Denmark

Odaily Planet Daily reports that Danish Tax Minister Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen has publicly expressed strong dissatisfaction regarding prediction market platform Polymarket launching betting contracts related to events such as war and geopolitics. She stated that she is studying the possibility of restricting or even shutting down the platform’s operation in Denmark. According to reports, Polymarket is currently valued at over $8 billion, allowing users to place crypto asset bets on various events. Besides routine topics like Federal Reserve decisions, sports events, and elections, it also includes highly sensitive issues such as “Ukrainian ceasefire,” “Trump acquiring Greenland,” and “persons related to Epstein’s case.” Data from BT.dk shows that the market has bet approximately 37.6 million Danish kroner on the Ukraine ceasefire and about 33 million Danish kroner on “Trump taking over Greenland.” Halsboe-Jørgensen pointed out that, in her view, the platform “uses others’ misfortune as a betting platform,” especially contracts related to war and conflict, which she finds “worrying.” She stated, “Betting on death and destruction, and trading with cryptocurrencies, completely contradicts all the values I stand for.” She emphasized that if Danish users participate in such bets, involving national sovereignty and the safety of others’ lives, the government has a responsibility to act. The report notes that Danish regulators are currently assessing whether Polymarket violates relevant national laws and are exploring ways to restrict access through regulation or banning. This move has also reignited discussions among European countries about the ethical and regulatory boundaries of Web3 prediction markets. (Crowdfund Insider)