[Polymarket and other prediction market platforms face strict regulation in Australia; ASIC confirms no operating applications received] According to Bloomberg, Sarah Court, chairperson of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), stated at a parliamentary hearing that the agency has not received any applications from prediction market operators. Prediction market platforms like Polymarket may face strict regulation in Australia, and any application for an operating license will be subject to rigorous review. Court pointed out that the trading mechanism of prediction markets is similar to binary options, which are banned in Australia, with a win-or-lose outcome. Furthermore, the underlying assets are often unrelated to investment or financial markets. While Australian users can directly access relevant overseas platforms, they are not protected by local financial regulations and find it difficult to obtain dispute resolution and client fund protection measures.