France has told internet service providers to block access to the prediction market platform Polymarket, calling it an unauthorized gambling site instead of a financial trading platform. This decision comes after earlier restrictions did not stop French users from reaching the site. The country’s gambling regulator said the homepage promotes unauthorized betting by showing live prediction markets and real-time odds.
Source: france24.com
France’s gambling regulator, the Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), issued the order on July 16. The regulator says Polymarket had over 205,000 unique visitors in France in June, even though financial transaction restrictions have been in place since late 2024.
The ANJ said users could still reach the website using virtual private networks (VPNs), letting them see active markets and betting odds. The regulator argued this kept promoting gambling services not allowed in France.
The decision also comes after an investigation into a weather prediction market, following a report from France’s national weather agency that a temperature sensor may have been tampered with. French authorities started a cybercrime investigation into the issue earlier this year.
THE BLOCK: France’s gambling regulator has ordered internet service providers to block Polymarket, citing illegal gambling and manipulation risks, ahead of the world cup final Sunday.
The site drew more than 578,000 French visits in June despite a trading ban in place since… pic.twitter.com/Hv6KNLzzGa
— The Block (@TheBlockCo) July 19, 2026
France has slowly become stricter about prediction markets. In February 2026, the regulator officially labelled them as illegal gambling products, citing worries about gambling risks and the lack of consumer protections like betting limits and self-exclusion tools.
France is now one of many places that have restricted Polymarket. Several countries in Europe, Asia and Latin America have taken similar steps in the past two years.
Polymarket has not yet responded to the latest order, but France’s move shows the growing regulatory attention on blockchain-based prediction market platforms worldwide.
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