France Doubles Down on Restricting Access to Polymarket, Orders ISPs to Block Prediction Platform

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The French National Gambling Authority (ANJ) has ordered internet service providers in the country to block access to Polymarket, the crypto-based prediction market platform, escalating a regulatory battle that has been brewing since late 2024.

The order, issued on July 16, 2026, marks a significant hardening of France’s stance against unlicensed gambling platforms. The ANJ declared that Polymarket constitutes an illegal gambling operation under French law, and that its continued accessibility despite previous restrictions warranted a full ISP-level block.

A Failed Transaction Ban

France first moved against Polymarket in November 2024, when the ANJ ordered the platform to implement a geoblock preventing financial transactions from French residents. At the time, the authority considered this sufficient to deter French users from engaging with the site.

However, the transaction-level block proved ineffective. According to the ANJ, Polymarket logged 578,751 visits and 205,057 unique visitors from France in June 2026 alone — indicating widespread circumvention of the payment restrictions. The platform’s homepage, which displays real-time betting odds for events ranging from U.S. elections to weather patterns, was described by regulators as a major vector for promoting unlicensed gambling.

In February 2026, the ANJ issued a formal reminder that prediction market platforms are not authorized in France and are classified as illegal gambling sites, exposing users to risks including addiction and lack of consumer protections.

Manipulated Bets and a Criminal Investigation

The ANJ’s latest action was also informed by allegations that some bets on Polymarket may have been manipulated. According to the regulator, wagers placed on weather events raised suspicions that meteorological probes had been hacked to influence outcomes. The Paris prosecutor’s cybercrime unit (OFAC) opened a formal investigation into the matter on May 4, 2026.

The lack of robust Know Your Customer (KYC) identification systems on Polymarket for French and European users was flagged as a key concern. The ANJ argued that without proper user identification, the platform cannot guarantee the integrity of its markets or prevent manipulation.

Fines and Enforcement

Under French law, anyone caught advertising or promoting an unauthorized betting or gambling site faces a fine of up to €100,000 ($114,000). This includes the display of odds or betting lines from unlicensed platforms on any media accessible to the French public.

The ANJ has been aggressively pursuing illegal gambling sites using its administrative blocking powers. In 2025 alone, the authority ordered the blocking of 1,290 URLs associated with unlicensed gambling operations.

A Growing European Crackdown

France is not alone in targeting prediction markets. The ANJ noted that numerous European countries have already restricted or blocked such platforms, including Germany, Belgium, Romania, Switzerland, Poland, the Netherlands, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Ukraine, and the Czech Republic.

In neighboring Spain, regulators recently ordered access blocks on both Polymarket and its U.S.-based competitor Kalshi while investigating whether they violate Spanish gambling laws. Across the Atlantic, the U.S. state of Minnesota passed legislation banning prediction markets, while other states including Nevada have filed lawsuits against these platforms for operating without proper licenses.

What This Means for Polymarket

Polymarket, operated by Adventure One QSS Inc., has seen explosive growth since the 2024 U.S. presidential election cycle, becoming the largest crypto-based prediction market by trading volume. However, that growth has attracted intensifying scrutiny from regulators worldwide who argue that these platforms function as unlicensed gambling exchanges operating outside established consumer protection frameworks.