Polymarket to challenge France’s nationwide website block
Reported by CoinDesk · AI-assisted summary by ChikoCorp AI News Desk
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Polymarket, a prediction market platform, announced it will legally challenge France’s decision to block access to its entire website. France’s National Gambling Authority (ANJ) ordered internet providers to block the site, citing concerns including the platform promoting illegal gambling, risks of financial loss, inadequate identity verification, and suspected manipulation in certain markets. The regulator emphasized that even though trading from France had been disabled since November 2024, users could still access market probabilities and information, which it found problematic.
Polymarket argues that the block goes beyond what is necessary because most visitors use the platform solely to view probabilistic information on future events rather than to engage in trading. The company also distinguishes its model from traditional gambling, explaining that its contracts are blockchain-based financial instruments traded peer-to-peer, without Polymarket itself taking the counterparty role or setting odds. Polymarket claims the measure is disproportionate and that prediction markets serve as tools to help “source truth.”
France is not the first country to take such strong measures against Polymarket. Internet service provider blocks were previously enacted by Ukraine in January 2026, Argentina in March, and Spain in May, the latter also targeting another platform, Kalshi. Other countries, including Brazil, India, Indonesia, and Romania, have curbed access or classified Polymarket as unauthorized gambling. The French action extends beyond transaction bans by prohibiting even non-trading access, signaling heightened regulatory scrutiny.
The dispute centers partly on how Polymarket’s contracts are legally characterized, with Polymarket considering them financial instruments rather than gambling products. The ANJ, however, maintains they constitute unauthorized gambling activities. CoinDesk noted it had reached out to Polymarket regarding challenges to similar enforcement decisions in other jurisdictions but had not received a response at the time of reporting. This development reflects continuing tensions between emerging decentralized financial platforms and national regulatory frameworks.