France Orders ISPs to Block Polymarket in Gambling Crackdown

France has intensified its crackdown on crypto-based prediction markets after the Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) ordered internet service providers to block access to Polymarket, classifying the platform as an illegal gambling service rather than a financial trading venue.

The order, issued on July 16, follows concerns that previous restrictions failed to stop French users from accessing the platform. According to Similarweb data cited by the ANJ, Polymarket recorded 578,751 visits from 205,057 unique visitors in France during June despite a financial transaction ban that has been in place since November 2024. The regulator said users were still able to bypass restrictions using virtual private networks (VPNs).

French authorities also argued that Polymarket’s homepage remained publicly accessible and continued to promote unauthorized gambling by displaying real-time prediction markets and betting odds. The ANJ said this visibility effectively advertised services that are not licensed in France. Violations can result in fines of up to €100,000 ($114,380).

Polymarket did not immediately respond to CoinDesk’s request for comment.

The regulator also referenced a complaint from France’s national weather agency, Météo-France, involving allegations that a temperature sensor linked to weather-based prediction markets had been manipulated. The complaint prompted the Paris prosecutor’s cybercrime unit to open an investigation on May 4.

In addition, the ANJ highlighted the case of French trader "Fredi9999," who gained attention during the 2024 U.S. presidential election after placing multimillion-dollar bets that significantly influenced prediction market odds.

France strengthened its regulatory stance in February 2026 by formally classifying prediction markets as illegal gambling, citing risks of gambling addiction and the absence of consumer protection measures such as betting limits and self-exclusion tools.

The move aligns France with a growing number of countries restricting Polymarket. The platform is now blocked or restricted in more than 30 jurisdictions, including Switzerland, Poland, Singapore, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, India, Indonesia, Italy, Germany, Romania, Hungary, and Ukraine, reflecting increasing global scrutiny of decentralized prediction markets.