France's gambling authority has ordered ISPs to block Polymarket, citing concerns over its classification as illegal gambling.
France's gambling authority, the Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), has mandated internet service providers to block access to Polymarket, classifying it as an illegal gambling platform rather than a financial trading site.
This decision, made on July 16, comes amid concerns regarding Polymarket's addictive features and inadequate self-exclusion options. The ANJ noted that many French users managed to bypass previous restrictions, with data showing the site received 578,751 visits from 205,057 unique users in June alone, despite a ban on financial transactions implemented in November 2024.
Users could still access the homepage, which displays live odds for various events, leading the ANJ to assert that this constitutes unauthorized gambling services. The regulator highlighted that violating this directive could result in fines of up to 100,000 euros (approximately $114,380).
Polymarket has not yet responded to inquiries regarding this action. The ANJ's decision follows a complaint from Météo-France, the national weather service, about manipulated temperature sensors linked to weather-related bets, prompting an investigation by the Paris prosecutor's cybercrime unit.
The ANJ also pointed to the actions of a French trader, known as "Fredi9999," who significantly influenced U.S. election betting odds by placing multimillion-dollar bets in 2024. In February 2026, France intensified its stance on prediction markets, reclassifying them as illegal gambling due to concerns about their addictive nature and lack of self-regulation.
In 2025, France blocked over 1,290 gambling-related websites and joined more than 30 countries in restricting Polymarket, which has faced similar actions in regions including Switzerland, Poland, Singapore, and Belgium. Countries like Portugal and Spain have also taken measures against the platform recently.
