France Orders Block on Polymarket, Citing Illegal Gambling and Outcome Manipulation Concerns

France’s Autorité nationale des jeux (ANJ), the National Gambling Authority, has issued a directive to internet service providers, mandating the blocking of access to the prediction market platform Polymarket. This action stems from the ANJ’s classification of prediction websites as illegal gambling operations, as stated in a press release issued on Friday.

The regulatory body emphasized that Polymarket’s activities are not authorized within French jurisdiction. Furthermore, the ANJ highlighted that advertising unauthorized gambling sites constitutes a criminal offense, punishable by fines of up to 100,000 euros (approximately $114,000).

Prediction markets, such as Polymarket, enable users to engage in the buying and selling of contracts contingent on the outcomes of future events. These events span a wide spectrum, including elections, sporting competitions, economic indicators, and geopolitical developments. Polymarket has experienced a significant surge in popularity over the past two years, with reported trading volumes reaching billions of dollars. This growth has, in turn, attracted regulatory scrutiny worldwide, raising questions about whether its event-based contracts constitute illegal gambling or fall under the purview of unlicensed financial products.

France is not the first country to take action against Polymarket. A number of nations have previously blocked access to the platform, citing similar concerns. These countries include Singapore, Poland, Portugal, Hungary, Ukraine, Brazil, and Indonesia. At the time of this report, Polymarket indicated on its API reference documentation that it was subject to geoblocking in 36 regions.

The French gambling regulator had previously signaled its intent to block the platform. In November 2024, the ANJ shared its plans to prohibit access to Polymarket due to its non-compliance with national gambling laws.

Beyond the general classification of illegal gambling, the ANJ specifically raised concerns regarding the potential for outcome manipulation on Polymarket. The authority stated that the platform exhibits "addictive features" that bear resemblance to regulated gambling offerings. However, these features are "amplified by the absence of the protective mechanisms found in the legal gambling market," according to the ANJ.

The regulator provided specific examples of potential manipulation. "Some of the bets offered on this platform appeared to be rigged," the ANJ reported, citing an instance where "bets on the weather revealed that weather sensors may have been hacked."

These allegations of manipulation prompted an investigation by the cybercrime unit of the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office, which commenced in May 2026. During its investigation, the unit identified a critical deficiency: a lack of identity verification processes, such as Know Your Customer (KYC) checks, on the platform.

The regulatory challenges faced by prediction markets are not confined to France. In the United States, these platforms have also drawn considerable attention from regulators. On June 17, the state of Kentucky initiated legal action against five prediction market platforms, including Kalshi and Polymarket, alleging that they were operating as unlicensed sports betting platforms. This legal action by Kentucky has been followed by similar suits in at least 17 other states.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has also engaged in legal disputes with states over the jurisdiction of prediction markets. The CFTC sued eight states, arguing that their actions interfered with the federal regulator’s exclusive authority over federally regulated event contracts.

The broader context of Polymarket’s operations and regulatory challenges includes past incidents. Notably, the platform experienced a vendor compromise event, resulting in a theft of $2.9 million, with assurances that affected users would be refunded.

The ANJ’s decision to block Polymarket underscores a growing global trend of regulatory bodies scrutinizing decentralized prediction markets. The core issues revolve around consumer protection, the prevention of illegal gambling, and concerns about market integrity, particularly in light of the potential for manipulation and the absence of robust identity verification and safeguard mechanisms present in traditional regulated markets. The classification of these platforms as illegal gambling operations, as per French law, provides the legal basis for the ANJ’s enforcement action against Polymarket. The fines associated with advertising such unauthorized services further emphasize the seriousness with which French authorities view this matter.