French gambling regulatory authority blocks access to prediction market Polymarket.
The French Gambling Authority (ANJ) has announced that it has blocked access to Polymarket, a prediction market platform that has effectively become a gambling den where any subject can be used for betting. The ANJ had previously been investigating Polymarket to determine whether it should be regulated.
Promotion of illegal gambling services: blocking of the Polymarket website | ANJ
France blocks access to Polymarket website | Reuters
France Orders Internet Providers to Block Polymarket, Treating the Prediction Market as Illegal Gambling - Unchained
https://unchainedcrypto.com/france-orders-internet-providers-to-block-polymarket-treating-the-prediction-market-as-illegal-gambling/
France orders Polymarket blocked over illegal gambling promotion | Mashable
https://mashable.com/life/france-blocks-polymarket-over-illegal-gambling-promotion
Since November 2024, ANJ has been closely monitoring Polymarket's services, as it may be providing gambling services without a license.
French regulators plan to ban access to 'Polymarket,' a platform where anything can be bet on - GIGAZINE
Following a warning from ANJ, ADVENTURE ONE QSS INC., which operates Polymarket, implemented geoblocking measures to prevent financial transactions from taking place in France. However, it has been reported that these restrictions could be circumvented by using VPNs and other methods.
In February 2026, ANJ reiterated that prediction markets constitute unlicensed and illegal gambling sites in France. They warned that these sites lack the protective mechanisms found on legal gambling sites and are highly addictive.
Meanwhile, in May 2026, the Paris Public Prosecutor's Office's cybercrime unit launched an investigation into Polymarket, alleging that some of the bets placed on the platform were manipulated. The investigation revealed that Polymarket lacked a system to verify the authenticity of its users. In France, Polymarket's user base steadily increased over the two years from 2024, with 205,057 unique visitors and 578,751 visits recorded as of June 2025.
In France, advertising unlicensed gambling sites, regardless of the means used, is a crime and can result in a fine of up to 100,000 euros (approximately 18.5 million yen). Publicly promoting the odds or payout rates of unlicensed sites is also a similar offense.
Under these circumstances, ANJ has decided to administratively block Polymarket. They will also be closely monitoring whether ADVENTURE ONE QSS INC. implements user identity verification and location information verification.
According to ANJ, prediction markets are already regulated or prohibited in several European countries, including Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Greece, Italy, and Portugal.
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