Ethan Carter
France’s Gambling Authority Directs ISPs to Block Access to Polymarket
France is intensifying its efforts to restrict access to Polymarket, a popular prediction market platform. This week, the Autorité Nationale Des Jeux (ANJ), which oversees licensed gambling and betting activities in France, announced its directive for internet service providers to block access to Polymarket.
This recent action by the ANJ follows a regulatory measure implemented in November 2024, which imposed a geoblock on financial transactions conducted by French residents on the Polymarket site. Despite this prohibition, the platform has continued to experience growth, as users have found ways to bypass the restrictions. In June alone, Polymarket recorded 578,751 visits from French residents, with 205,057 being unique visits. The ANJ has reiterated that it classifies Polymarket as an illegal gambling site, prompting this new crackdown.
Under the ANJ’s latest directive, individuals caught promoting an unauthorized betting or gambling platform could face fines of up to 100,000 euros, approximately $114,000. Similarly, in Spain, the government has mandated a block on both Polymarket and Kalshi as they assess whether these platforms violate local gambling regulations. In the United States, Minnesota has enacted a law prohibiting prediction markets from operating within the state, while several other states are pursuing legal action against Polymarket and Kalshi.
Daniel Mercer
Brandon Fletcher
