Google to ban Chrome extensions for prediction markets from August 1 amid industry-wide legal disputes

Under Google’s updated developer program policy, extensions that allow users to place trades on predicted events using real money will be banned. After August 1, extensions that fail to comply may be removed from the Chrome Web Store.

At the same time, Google has tightened requirements around user data handling. Extensions will now only be allowed to collect data necessary to perform their stated function, and developers will be required to disclose all methods of data processing.

That is exactly the kind of low-friction access point regulators tend to flag first, since it lowers the barrier to impulsive trading and sits outside the more visible compliance surface of a full website or app.

The changes affect, among others, Polymarket and Kalshi, which have faced increasing regulatory scrutiny in various jurisdictions in recent months. The ban applies only to browser extensions — access to the services through websites and mobile apps remains unaffected.

Google had previously begun displaying Polymarket and Kalshi data in Google Finance, its financial markets tracking service. The company continues to show prediction market information there, while restricting tools for executing trades through the browser.

For affiliates and media buyers running traffic toward prediction market products, the practical takeaway is to treat browser-extension-based funnels for this vertical as a dead end after August 1 and shift any related campaigns toward the website or app entry points that remain unaffected.