Polymarket keeps 40 Brazilian election markets live despite CMN block, with VPN access still available

New York-based Polymarket is still listing at least 40 prediction markets tied to Brazil’s elections this year, even though the platform has been blocked in Brazil since April 2026 by the CMN (National Monetary Council). For high-risk payments teams, the useful detail is not the politics; it is that access restrictions and payment barriers are only partial, with VPNs and cryptocurrencies still used to reach and fund the site.

1. The active markets cover the presidency, state governor races, and Senate seats, with Estadão identifying live trading on Thursday (10/9) for both election rounds. The platform also lists markets on whether specific candidates will attend TV debates and on a possible removal of Minister Alexandre de Moraes from the STF (Supreme Federal Court).
2. The CMN banned Polymarket for violating Brazilian law. Brazil’s Ministry of Finance said it is monitoring platforms operating irregularly in the country and said it has sent more than 68,000 websites for blocking. “The fight against the illegal market is ongoing, since irregular operators may use different mechanisms to try to bypass access restrictions,” the ministry said.
3. The TSE (Superior Electoral Court) declined to comment when asked. Polymarket was contacted as well, but did not respond.
4. Access is still possible through VPNs (virtual private networks). Brazilian users can reach the platform that way, even though VPN use itself is not illegal. Taís Gasparian, a lawyer specializing in digital law, called it “a neutral tool, which allows data privacy and security,” but said using it to disobey court orders or bypass restrictions such as the CMN block is unlawful.
5. Gasparian said Brazilian bettors could face civil, tax, and criminal liability, and that any winnings could also be seized by the courts. She added that anonymity on the platform does not guarantee protection, because VPN providers must keep access logs under Brazil’s Marco Civil da Internet, and a Brazilian court order sent to a VPN company can request data that identifies the user. On the payment side, Pix deposits are not available on Polymarket, even with VPN use, while cryptocurrencies remain an alternative for getting around the payment restrictions.

Among the active markets are elections in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Pernambuco, Bahia, and 15 other federal units. The comment sections are dominated by profiles using fictitious names, with most showing support for Jair Bolsonaro (PL) and Flávio Bolsonaro, the senator from the same party who is running for president.