France’s gambling authority, the ANJ, ordered internet service providers on 16 July to block access to Polymarket, a US-based prediction market platform, with the decision made public on Friday. The block, which prevents French users from visiting the site, follows a year-long restriction on financial transactions that failed to curb growing traffic; the platform recorded over 578,000 visits from France in June alone. The ANJ stated the site promotes an illegal gambling offer and that its homepage, which displays real-time odds, constitutes advertising for an unauthorised operator—a criminal offence punishable by fines of up to €100,000.

According to the French regulator, Polymarket operates without a licence and exposes users to significant financial losses and addiction risks, while its anonymous betting system facilitates market manipulation. The ANJ cited recent investigations, including a complaint by Météo-France after a weather sensor at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport was tampered with to influence a temperature bet, and a US case in which a military member allegedly used classified information to wager on the capture of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, netting over $400,000. The White House separately suspended a teleprompter operator suspected of betting on President Trump’s speech contents. The regulator emphasised that the block will remain until Polymarket complies with French licensing and player-protection rules.

Viewed from other European capitals, the French move aligns with a widening regulatory crackdown. Spain temporarily banned Polymarket and rival Kalshi in May, while Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and several other EU states already restrict or block such platforms. In June, the main US derivatives regulator published a draft rule to expand oversight of prediction markets, which lawmakers in Washington argue can lack economic purpose and harm the public interest. Brazil blocked 27 similar platforms in May, citing consumer risks and non-compliance with local gambling laws. The ANJ noted that the hybrid nature of these markets—part financial instrument, part gambling—has led to divergent regulatory approaches globally.

Polymarket, which did not immediately respond to requests for comment, has seen its annualised revenue surpass $1 billion, according to a source cited by Reuters. The platform’s model allows users to buy and sell binary contracts on events ranging from elections to conflicts, a design that regulators say blurs the line between forecasting and illegal betting. The French block is the most severe restriction yet in a major European market, and the ANJ’s decision to treat the mere display of odds as advertising sets a precedent that could influence other jurisdictions. The dossier remains open: the block is in effect, and no timeline has been set for compliance, while global regulatory scrutiny is expected to intensify.