France orders ISP block on Polymarket ahead of World Cup final

Regulator cites illegal gambling concerns

According to the extracted report, ANJ told domestic providers to block Polymarket because it was offering unauthorized gambling services in France. The regulator also warned that users could face significant gambling losses and said some markets may be vulnerable to manipulation.

The move adds pressure to a platform that has become a prominent venue for event-based wagering. While Polymarket frames itself around prediction markets, French authorities appear to be treating at least part of its activity as betting that falls under gambling rules.

World Cup market draws heavy activity

The timing is notable because Polymarket’s market on the winner of the 2026 FIFA World Cup has become the platform’s biggest market to date. The extracted source said that market has generated more than $4 billion in cumulative trading volume.

That scale appears to have sharpened regulatory attention ahead of the final between Spain and Argentina. ANJ’s concerns were not limited to volume alone: the regulator also pointed to the risks of consumer losses and the possibility that certain markets could be manipulated.

Earlier restrictions did not end visibility

Polymarket had already taken steps to limit access in France after receiving formal notice from ANJ in November 2024. Since then, French users were reportedly restricted from trading and could only view market information.

Even so, the platform continued to draw substantial traffic from the region. ANJ also objected to the fact that real-time betting odds remained visible on Polymarket’s homepage after trading access was restricted. In the regulator’s view, that visibility amounted to advertising for an unlicensed gambling service.

Under French rules, promoting unauthorized betting websites can lead to fines of as much as €100,000. The current blocking order is set to stay in force unless and until Polymarket brings its operations into line with local requirements.

Broader European scrutiny

French authorities are also examining possible manipulation in some Polymarket markets. The report said the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutors’ office opened an investigation in May into weather-related sensor bets.

The French action is part of a wider pattern of pressure in Europe. In recent months, the Czech Republic and Portugal have also moved to block access to Polymarket, suggesting that scrutiny of prediction-market platforms is broadening beyond a single jurisdiction.

More broadly, the case highlights a growing clash between fast-growing prediction markets and national gambling frameworks in Europe. In France, that conflict is now playing out around one of the most heavily traded markets on Polymarket, just before one of the biggest sporting events on the calendar.