France’s gambling regulator has ordered internet service providers to block access to Polymarket, marking an escalation from earlier payment-level restrictions that failed to stop French users from reaching the crypto-based prediction market platform.
The Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) announced the ISP block on July 16, citing that Polymarket offers unauthorized gambling services, exposes users to significant losses, and operates markets vulnerable to manipulation and insider trading. The regulator specifically highlighted weather-related wagers and other contracts where participants might have used insider information.
The move shifts enforcement from the financial layer to the network layer. Previously, payment restrictions proved insufficient because Polymarket settles positions in digital assets, bypassing conventional banking rails. ANJ’s order now targets the ability to load the website itself, making access harder even for users who could previously fund accounts.
The French action follows similar measures in Spain, which temporarily blocked Polymarket and competitor Kalshi in May, and broader regulatory scrutiny in the U.S., where the CFTC released draft regulations for prediction markets in June. Reports indicate Polymarket’s annualized revenue has surpassed $1 billion, underscoring the platform’s growth amid regulatory headwinds.
The block raises the bar for other crypto-linked platforms facing jurisdictional scrutiny in France. Binance, for example, recently halted crypto trading in the country after a MiCA license setback. For prediction markets, the French ISP ban may signal that authorities are willing to escalate when narrower financial measures prove insufficient, potentially shaping how similar platforms approach the European market.
