Polymarket to Challenge French Blocking Order
France.- 28 August 2026 | www.zonadeazar.com Polymarket has announced that it will pursue a legal challenge against the Autorité Nationale des Jeux’ decision to completely block access to its platform in France.
The dispute opens a new chapter in the regulatory conflict between prediction markets and European authorities, with Polymarket specifically challenging the proportionality of the French regulator’s action.
Polymarket to Pursue Legal Action
The company confirmed that it intends to challenge the decision through the French legal process.
Polymarket disagrees with the complete website block and questions why the ANJ extended its intervention beyond trading activity.
The company argues that informational access to its markets should be distinguished from the ability to execute transactions.
Trading Had Already Been Blocked Since 2024
Polymarket said it had prevented trading from France since November 2024.
The restriction was introduced following the ANJ’s initial intervention regarding services offered by Adventure One QSS Inc., which operates the platform’s international exchange.
Users located in France were officially unable to trade, although they could continue accessing the website and viewing its information.
Dispute Now Centres on Website Access
Polymarket’s central argument is that the latest measure does not only affect people seeking to trade contracts.
It also prevents users from viewing markets, probabilities and prices linked to political, sporting, economic and geopolitical events.
The company says part of its audience uses this information without any intention of trading.
ANJ Ordered Full Blocking
On 16 July 2026, the President of the Autorité Nationale des Jeux ordered French internet service providers to block access to Polymarket.
The regulator considers the platform to be promoting unauthorised gambling services in France.
According to the ANJ, continuing to display live probabilities associated with individual markets constitutes a channel through which the offering is promoted.
More Than 205,000 Unique Visitors
The French authority highlighted the growth of Polymarket’s audience in the country.
During June 2026, the platform recorded:
- 578,751 visits from France.
- 205,057 unique visitors.
The ANJ used these figures as part of its justification for further intervention despite the financial geoblocking already in place.
Regulator Says Geoblocking Was Circumvented
The authority also said that previous restrictions could be bypassed.
Although Polymarket had blocked transactions originating directly from French territory, tools such as VPNs could allow users to circumvent geographical limitations.
The ANJ concluded that the earlier approach was therefore insufficient.
Prediction Markets Illegal in France
France’s regulatory position on the sector is clear.
The ANJ considers prediction-market platforms to be unauthorised gambling businesses when operating within the French market.
The authority publicly reiterated that interpretation in February 2026.
Risks Highlighted by ANJ
The French regulator has also justified its intervention through consumer-protection and integrity concerns.
Issues raised include:
- Risk of significant financial losses.
- Absence of protections available in the regulated gambling market.
- Potential manipulation of certain markets.
- Risks involving inside information.
- Identification controls considered insufficient.
Investigation into Weather Markets
The ANJ has also highlighted controversy surrounding contracts linked to weather outcomes.
The regulator said sensors used to resolve certain markets may have been manipulated.
A cybercrime investigation was opened by the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office on 4 May 2026 and assigned to the Office Anti-Cybercriminalité.
Publication of Probabilities Under Scrutiny
A key legal issue will be how information displayed by prediction-market platforms should be treated.
Polymarket argues that market-generated probabilities can also function as information regarding collective expectations of future events.
The ANJ argues that where those probabilities originate from an unauthorised gambling offering, publicly displaying them can amount to promoting illegal gambling.
Significant International Challenge
Taking the dispute into the French legal system represents an important step for Polymarket.
The company has previously responded to international restrictions through measures such as geoblocking.
In France, however, it has decided to challenge a nationwide full-site blocking measure.
Europe Tightens Approach
France is not the only European jurisdiction increasing scrutiny of prediction markets.
Regulators from Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Switzerland agreed in June to strengthen cooperation against prediction-market platforms that fail to comply with local rules.
The initiative demonstrates increasing regulatory coordination across Europe.
Industry Context
Prediction markets have expanded rapidly internationally through platforms including Polymarket and Kalshi.
Their growth has also intensified debate over whether event contracts should be treated as financial instruments, information tools or gambling products.
Regulatory approaches continue to differ substantially between jurisdictions.
France currently applies one of the more restrictive interpretations, treating these products as gambling when money is placed on uncertain future events.
Next Steps or Impact
Polymarket will now need to pursue its challenge through France’s administrative legal system.
Unless a court alters the ANJ’s decision, the platform remains blocked in the country.
The case could establish an important precedent regarding whether a gambling regulator can completely block a prediction-market website when financial transactions are already georestricted but market probabilities remain publicly accessible for informational purposes.
Editó: @fonta
