Overview
- France’s Autorité Nationale des Jeux told internet providers on Thursday, July 16 to block access to Polymarket and said keeping the site reachable counts as illegal advertising that can trigger fines.
- The ANJ says Polymarket operates without authorization in France and that the platform’s betting model falls outside permitted online gambling categories under French law.
- Polymarket was already barred from taking payments from French users in November 2024, but the regulator reported the site still drew about 578,751 visits from France in June.
- Regulators cite real incidents that show risks to market integrity, including a Météo‑France complaint after a meteorological probe was hacked and reports of a U.S. service member accused of using confidential information to profit on prediction markets.
- Other countries are stepping up actions — Spain temporarily suspended Polymarket, Brazil blocked 27 prediction platforms, and U.S. rulemakers have proposed tighter oversight — a pattern that could lead to more national blocks, new cross‑border rules, and reduced consumer access or protections for users who rely on these markets.