France’s gambling regulator has directed internet service providers to block access to the prediction market platform Polymarket. The move classifies the site as an illegal gambling operation.
The Autorité Nationale des Jeux issued the order on July 16. It cited addictive mechanics, a lack of self-exclusion tools, and continued high traffic from French users despite an earlier financial transaction ban imposed in November 2024.
The regulator noted that Polymarket received 578,751 visits from 205,057 unique French visitors in June. A simple VPN was sufficient to bypass the prior restrictions, and the homepage’s display of real-time odds was deemed promotional of unauthorized gambling.
Additional concerns included a complaint from Météo-France over a tampered temperature sensor linked to weather bets and the influence of a French trader known as Fredi9999 on U.S. election markets. Fines for non-compliance can reach 100,000 euros.
