Dutch Regulator Orders Polymarket to Cease Operations Under Threat of €420,000 Weekly Penalty

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 19:47:06 +0000

The Hague, Tuesday 17 February 2026 The Dutch gambling authority has classified prediction markets as illegal gambling, ordering US-based Polymarket to exit the Netherlands immediately or face €420,000 in weekly fines. This regulatory crackdown follows reports of Dutch users wagering over $32 million on the 2025 elections via the unlicensed platform.

EU escalates regulatory pressure on Meta with threat of rare interim measures

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 10:12:57 +0000

Brussels, Monday 9 February 2026 The European Commission has officially notified Meta of its intention to impose interim antitrust measures, a rarely used regulatory power designed to prevent irreparable harm to competition while investigations are ongoing. This significant escalation in enforcement coincides with broader friction between Brussels and the tech giant. As Meta considers reducing fact-checking operations—a move that has alarmed European experts concerned about the erosion of a ‘shared reality’—member states including France and the Netherlands are simultaneously advancing legislation to ban social media access for minors. With the EU seeking a uniform approach to age verification and strict adherence to the Digital Services Act, Meta faces a critical juncture where its commercial strategies regarding advertising dominance and content moderation are increasingly incompatible with Europe’s tightening digital rulebook.

Digital Regulation on Silicon Polder

Dutch Regulator Orders Polymarket to Cease Operations Under Threat of €420,000 Weekly Penalty

EU escalates regulatory pressure on Meta with threat of rare interim measures