France's gambling regulator has mandated that internet service providers block access to Polymarket within the country, escalating regulatory pressure on the prediction market platform. The Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) issued the order citing illegal gambling operations and potential market manipulation risks.
Polymarket operates as a decentralized prediction market where users trade contracts tied to real-world events. The platform has grown substantially in recent years, particularly during election cycles, but operates in a regulatory gray zone across most jurisdictions. France views the platform as an unlicensed gambling operation that circumvents local licensing requirements.
The ISP blocking directive represents an aggressive enforcement tactic common in European regulatory approaches. Similar actions target gambling and betting platforms deemed non-compliant with national frameworks. French regulators argue that Polymarket's structure creates systemic risks, including market manipulation during significant political or economic events, and consumer protection gaps for French users who access the platform.
Polymarket has faced mounting scrutiny globally. The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission previously issued subpoenas regarding the platform's operations and user conduct. Prediction markets remain legally ambiguous in many jurisdictions, caught between classification as gambling platforms, derivatives exchanges, or information markets.
The ANJ order forces French ISPs to implement DNS blocking and IP-based geofencing, though technical workarounds like VPNs remain available to determined users. This approach mirrors France's enforcement against unlicensed sports betting and casino operators.
For Polymarket, the French market represents one segment of its user base, but the action signals broader European regulatory hostility toward prediction markets operating without formal approval. Other European nations monitor France's enforcement closely and may adopt similar measures.
The platform has resisted regulatory compliance frameworks in multiple countries, arguing its decentralized model prevents centralized oversight. However, the ANJ order demonstrates that regulators increasingly target the