French Gambling Authority Blocks Polymarket Access
Reported by Cointelegraph · AI-assisted summary by ChikoCorp AI News Desk
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Summary
France’s National Gambling Authority (ANJ) has ordered internet service providers in the country to block access to Polymarket, a prediction market platform. The ANJ cited that prediction websites like Polymarket qualify as illegal gambling under French law, and the platform currently operates without authorization in France. The regulator also warned that advertising unauthorized gambling sites can be punishable by fines up to 100,000 euros (approximately $114,000).
Polymarket enables users to buy and sell contracts tied to future event outcomes, including elections, sports, economic data, and geopolitical developments. The platform has grown significantly in the past two years, reaching billions in trading volume, but has faced regulatory scrutiny globally and has been blocked in several countries such as Singapore, Poland, Portugal, Hungary, Ukraine, Brazil, and Indonesia. At the time of the report, Polymarket said it was geoblocked in 36 regions.
Why it matters
French regulators expressed additional concerns beyond legality, pointing to what they described as “addictive features” similar to regulated gambling but without protective mechanisms. The ANJ highlighted suspicions of outcome manipulation with some contracts on Polymarket, citing examples such as weather bets potentially influenced by hacked weather sensors. This led to an investigation by the cybercrime unit of the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office in May 2026, which identified a lack of identity verification procedures like Know Your Customer (KYC) checks on the platform.
The scrutiny of Polymarket and similar prediction market platforms is not limited to France. In the United States, Kentucky sued Polymarket along with other platforms like Kalshi, accusing them of operating unlicensed sports betting services. At least 17 other states have taken similar legal action, while the Commodity Futures Trading Commission filed lawsuits against certain states for interfering with its regulatory authority over event contracts. This global regulatory pressure highlights ongoing debates over the classification and oversight of prediction markets.