Globe Telecom has confirmed that it blocked access to the decentralized prediction market Polymarket following an endorsement from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). The blocking order comes amid the platform’s introduction of active betting contracts on local political events, including the upcoming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, as well as active promotions observed on social media.
In an email statement to BitPinas on May 27, the telecom provider confirmed that polymarket.com was included on a list of websites endorsed by PAGCOR for blocking on May 14, 2026. Globe stated that it implemented network-level restrictions in compliance with the regulatory directive.
While Globe network users are now systematically blocked, user testing confirms that the platform remains accessible to local users connecting via PLDT.
Active Betting Pool on Sara Duterte Impeachment
The regulatory blocking coincides with the launch of localized betting contracts on the platform. As of May 25, a market pool titled “Will the Philippine Senate convict Sara Duterte?” accumulated a sizeable trading volume since opening on May 21.
Platform data shows “Yes” shares trading at 32 cents and “No” shares at 70 cents, indicating that global cryptocurrency traders place a 31 to 32 percent probability on a Senate conviction. According to the contract rules, the pool will resolve to “Yes” if the Senate convicts the Vice President on any articles of impeachment passed by the House of Representatives by Dec. 31, 2026.
Targeted Marketing and Asset Volume Growth
Prior to the enforced network blocks, BitPinas has observed that Polymarket increased its commercial outreach toward domestic audiences. Throughout April, sponsored advertisements for the platform appeared on Meta’s Facebook interface. A portion of these digital campaigns were specifically tailored toward Chinese-speaking residents inside the Philippines, featuring localized event parameters.
The platform operates on the Polygon blockchain using the USDC stablecoin, allowing peer-to-peer share trading on the binary outcomes of cultural, economic, and political events.
Under Philippine gambling laws, real-money prediction contracts fall under the regulatory purview of PAGCOR, which has not granted an operating license to any decentralized prediction market platform.
Previous QR Ph and Wallet Clarifications
The emergence of local political contracts follows earlier changes to the platform’s transaction gateways for Philippine users. On April 13, BitPinas reported that Polymarket updated its deposit user interface to include a “Use Cash” feature, enabling fiat deposits via the national QRPh standard with an initial daily transaction cap of $800.00.
Following the feature’s rollout, domestic mobile wallet providers clarified to BitPinas that no official merchant integrations or direct corporate partnerships exist with Polymarket. The fiat-to-crypto payment routing and QR Ph compatibility are handled externally through a third-party wallet infrastructure provider called Fun.xyz, rather than via domestic financial institutions.
Listen to our latest episode
This article is published on BitPinas: Exclusive: Globe Confirms Polymarket Block Following PAGCOR Order
What else is happening in Crypto Philippines and beyond?
