France tells internet providers to block Polymarket
France’s gaming regulator says the crypto prediction market illegally promoted gambling to users and failed to keep them out.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
2 min read
France’s gambling watchdog has ordered internet providers across the country to block Polymarket, saying the crypto prediction market illegally promoted gambling and games of chance to French users.
The National Gaming Authority, known as the ANJ, said its president issued the blocking order on July 16. The move applies to Polymarket websites operated by ADVENTURE ONE QSS INC., according to the regulator.
Polymarket lets users wager on the outcome of real-world events through crypto-based markets. The ANJ says that kind of prediction market is not authorized under French law.
Regulator says earlier restrictions were not enough
The ANJ said it had been watching Polymarket’s activity in France since November 2024. After an earlier formal notice, the company blocked financial transactions from French users, according to the regulator.
That did not end the matter. The ANJ said the transaction block was being bypassed, prompting the order to cut off access to the platform’s sites through French internet service providers.
The regulator also said it had already warned the public in February about risks linked to prediction markets. The risks it cited included addiction and market manipulation.
The ANJ notice did not include a response from Polymarket.
Weather bets are under investigation
The French order also lands while another Polymarket-related matter is being examined by law enforcement. The ANJ pointed to an investigation opened in May by the Paris prosecutor’s cybercrime unit.
That inquiry concerns allegations that weather-related betting markets on the platform were manipulated through compromised sensors, according to the regulator.
The ANJ also said Polymarket does not have a “Know Your Customer” identification system for French and European users. KYC checks are commonly used by financial and gambling platforms to verify who users are.
France joins other European crackdowns
France is not the only European country taking aim at prediction markets. The ANJ said Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland have also restricted or blocked such platforms.
The French regulator said it has used its administrative powers to block 1,290 URLs in 2025.
Polymarket has faced other scrutiny in recent months. A Wall Street Journal investigation, reported by Mashable, found that the company paid influencers to promote fabricated betting wins on TikTok.
Mashable has also reported on Polymarket’s efforts to block VPN access as the platform faced legal pressure in the United States.
The latest French order turns that pressure into a nationwide access block, with the ANJ framing Polymarket’s presence in France as an illegal gambling offer rather than a permitted financial or entertainment product.
This story draws on original reporting from Mashable.