Blocking Kalshi: Indian Government Takes Action on Prediction Markets

The blocking of Kalshi by the Indian government is anticipated to occur as soon as Friday, as reported by a senior official quoted in The Print. This action is part of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s (MeitY) ongoing efforts to intervene against offshore prediction market platforms operating in India, which are under regulatory scrutiny. This announcement comes in the wake of a previous blocking directive against Polymarket, which, similar to Kalshi, has remained available to Indian users despite being deemed illegal under the nation’s recent online gaming regulations.

As it stands, the websites for both Polymarket and Kalshi are currently inaccessible to users in India, displaying relevant error messages. A report from Bloomberg on May 18 highlighted that both platforms were allowing Indian users to register and engage in trading activities, despite warnings from Indian authorities. In a recent advisory, the MeitY pointed out that users were accessing “illegal and blocked prediction market and online betting platforms” despite clear restrictions within the country. The ministry specifically identified Polymarket and comparable platforms that were intended to be blocked by internet service providers.

Background of the Crackdown on Prediction Markets

The government’s crackdown coincides with the enforcement of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 (PROGA), which was ratified by Parliament in August 2025 and has been in effect since May 1 of this year. This legislation prohibits real money online gaming platforms while recognising esports and non-monetary social games as acceptable categories. Furthermore, it prevents payment intermediaries and financial institutions from facilitating transactions associated with prohibited platforms.

Impact on Indian Operators and Users

In light of the new regulations, numerous domestic operators have exited this category. The Indian opinion trading platform Probo, for instance, has discontinued both its opinion trading application and its fantasy cricket platform, Team 11. In addition to Kalshi and Polymarket, other platforms such as Bitclout, Hedgehog, and PlotX are also engaged in the prediction and opinion trading sector.

The government is anticipated to enforce the blocking order in accordance with Section 69A of the IT Act, the same legal provision previously employed to prohibit TikTok in India back in June 2020.