France’s gambling regulator has ordered internet service providers to block access to prediction market platform Polymarket, escalating restrictions that had already barred financial transactions with the service for French users.
Why France moved to block the site
The order was issued by the Autorité Nationale des Jeux, or ANJ. According to the regulator, Polymarket continued operating in France without authorization even after a ban on financial transactions with the platform was introduced in November 2024.
ANJ said the platform’s continued availability in the country amounted to unlawful promotion of an unauthorized gambling service. In its statement, the regulator argued that simply allowing access to the site was itself contrary to French law.
Traffic remained high despite earlier restrictions
French authorities said interest in the platform kept rising despite the earlier financial restrictions. ANJ reported that Polymarket recorded 578,751 visits from French IP addresses over the past month.
The regulator also reiterated the legal risks around promotion of such services. It said that advertising, by any means, in favor of an unauthorized betting or gambling website is a criminal offense. ANJ added that penalties for violations can reach €100,000 in fines.
Broader European pressure on prediction markets
France’s move places it among several European countries that have taken action against prediction market platforms. The source article says similar restrictions are already in force in Germany, Italy, and Spain.
At the same time, online sports betting remains legal in France when operators hold the appropriate license. The issue in the Polymarket case, according to the regulator’s position cited in the source, is the platform’s lack of authorization to operate in the country.
Recent scrutiny in France and abroad
The latest order follows another recent incident involving Polymarket in France. Météo-France reportedly contacted police after one of its weather sensors was allegedly hacked in an attempt to influence weather-based contracts on the platform. Following that episode, the Paris temperature market was moved to data from a different weather station.
The source article also describes wider pressure on Polymarket since the start of 2026. It says Ukraine’s NCEC ordered providers to restrict access to the platform over the absence of a gambling license, while Portugal banned its operations for non-compliance with local law. Argentina reportedly designated Polymarket an unlicensed gambling operator and ordered it blocked, and Indonesia classified it as an online casino disguised as a prediction market before cutting off access. Spain also blocked Polymarket alongside Kalshi, treating both as unlicensed gambling operators. In the United States, the source says pressure on prediction markets increased after the Wisconsin Department of Justice filed lawsuits against Kalshi, Polymarket, Robinhood, Crypto.com, and Coinbase.
The French action marks a further step beyond transaction limits toward direct access restrictions. It also reflects a broader pattern of regulators treating prediction markets as falling within gambling rules when they operate without local approval.
Source: incrypted.com