- ANJ ordered French ISPs to block Polymarket following a July 16, 2026 decision, viewing it as an unauthorized gambling platform.
- Platform recorded 578,751 visits from 205,057 unique French users in June 2026 despite prior financial transaction restrictions.
- Promotion of unauthorized gambling services carries potential fines of up to €100,000 ($114,000).
- Polymarket is already geoblocked in 36 regions as regulatory scrutiny intensifies across jurisdictions.
France’s gambling regulator has ordered the country’s internet service providers to block access to Polymarket, the prominent crypto prediction market platform, in a move aimed at curbing what authorities describe as unauthorized gambling activities.
The Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) issued the order on July 16, 2026, determining that the platform promotes illegal gambling services not authorized under French law. In its official announcement, the ANJ stated that “prediction websites are considered illegal gambling” and emphasized concerns over addictive mechanics that lack the protective safeguards, such as self-exclusion tools, typically required in licensed gambling offerings.
The regulator highlighted the site’s dynamic display of real-time odds as a primary means of promoting these services to French audiences. It also referenced ongoing investigations, including a May 2026 probe by the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office cybercrime unit into allegations of bet manipulation, such as weather event contracts potentially affected by tampered sensors.
This latest action follows earlier interventions. Since November 2024, ANJ had already mandated a block on financial transactions originating from France. However, data showed users continued to access the platform, resulting in 578,751 visits from 205,057 unique visitors in June 2026 alone, according to figures cited by the authority and reported in industry coverage.
Reporting from CoinDesk noted that France formally reclassified prediction markets as illegal gambling in February 2026, prompting the ANJ to urge users to exercise caution due to the absence of standard player protections.
Additional details from Cointelegraph indicate that Polymarket, which has seen billions of dollars in trading volume over the past two years, is currently geoblocked in 36 regions worldwide. The platform enables trading on event outcomes, a model that has attracted significant interest from crypto participants but also increasing regulatory attention in multiple countries.
France’s decision places it alongside other nations that have imposed restrictions on the platform, including several in Europe. While the block targets access within France, the broader implications for crypto traders and investors center on the evolving regulatory landscape for prediction markets, which some view as innovative tools for information aggregation and others as forms of unlicensed betting.
The ANJ indicated it remains vigilant and will continue monitoring the operator’s compliance efforts, including user identification and location verification measures. Polymarket did not provide an immediate public response to the latest directive at the time of reporting.
