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France has ordered internet service providers to block access to Polymarket, classifying the prediction market as an illegal gambling platform. The order was issued on July 16, 2026, and will remain in force until the platform complies with French gambling rules.
The decision strengthens restrictions introduced in November 2024, when financial transactions involving the platform were blocked in France. French users continued visiting the website despite those earlier measures, prompting the regulator to target access to the site itself.
French Regulator Orders Nationwide Block
The president of France’s National Gambling Authority, known as the ANJ, directed French internet providers to prevent users from reaching Polymarket. The platform attracted a large audience while promoting betting services that were not authorized under French law.
The block will remain active while the ANJ considers Polymarket noncompliant. Internet providers are expected to restrict access to the platform’s main website and any related domains identified by the regulator.
Polymarket had not publicly responded to the order when the decision was reported. The company has previously restricted users in several markets where regulators considered its contracts unauthorized gambling products.
Earlier Restrictions Failed to Stop French Traffic
Polymarket received 578,751 visits from 205,057 unique French users in June. Those visits continued even though users had been unable to make normal financial transactions with the platform since November 2024.
The homepage remained accessible and displayed live markets, changing odds and current trading activity. The ANJ treated that activity as advertising for an unauthorized gambling service because visitors could still view and follow the available bets.
The regulator’s decision shows that blocking payments alone did not prevent French residents from engaging with the platform. Authorities therefore moved from financial restrictions to a direct website access block.
ANJ Raises Player Protection Concerns
French authorities have classified prediction markets as gambling rather than financial trading platforms. The regulator has raised concerns about addictive features, the absence of betting limits and the lack of self-exclusion tools for users seeking to control their gambling.
The ANJ also warned that users could suffer significant losses and that some markets may be vulnerable to manipulation. French law allows penalties of up to €100,000 for promoting an illegal gambling or betting service.
Prediction markets allow users to buy contracts linked to the outcome of future events. Prices move between zero and one based on the market’s estimated probability, while winning contracts settle at their full value.
Weather Bets Added to Regulatory Concerns
The regulator referred to wagers linked to weather events and the possible use of inside information. France’s national weather service previously filed a complaint involving an allegedly altered temperature sensor connected to a market offered on Polymarket.
The Paris prosecutor’s cybercrime unit opened an investigation on May 4. The investigation does not establish that Polymarket changed the equipment or directed any manipulation.
The case increased concerns about markets based on data that may be influenced by people with direct access to equipment or reporting systems. Regulators may find these contracts harder to supervise than bets tied to widely reported public events.
More Countries Restrict Prediction Markets
France is not the only country tightening controls on prediction markets. Spain temporarily blocked Polymarket and Kalshi in May, while several other European and Asian jurisdictions have restricted access to Polymarket over licensing and gambling concerns.
The platforms allow users to trade contracts linked to elections, sports, economic events and international conflicts. Regulators continue to disagree over whether those contracts should be treated as financial products, gambling services or a mixture of both.
Polymarket operates through blockchain-based contracts and commonly settles markets using stablecoins. The technology allows users to trade directly through digital wallets, but it does not remove the platform from national gambling and consumer protection laws.
