France’s gambling watchdog has argued that Polymarket still falls under the category of unauthorized gambling, citing concerns related to potential user losses, insufficient identity verification measures, and the possibility of market manipulation.
The prediction market platform plans to challenge France’s nationwide website blocking order, arguing that the move restricts access to its probability data despite trading from French users being disabled since November 2024.
France’s National Gambling Authority (ANJ) directed internet service providers to block access to Polymarket last week, claiming that the platform creates financial risks for users and offers markets that could be vulnerable to manipulation.
Polymarket said it intends to appeal the decision through the French legal system, describing the measure as excessive because it affects visitors who only use the website to view market forecasts rather than participate in trading.
The company said it was surprised by the ANJ’s decision to block the entire platform, arguing that many visitors access Polymarket purely as an information source to understand the probability of future events.
Polymarket maintained that prediction markets provide a way to collect and analyze public information, with many users relying on the platform’s forecasts without any intention of trading.
The legal dispute largely centers on how Polymarket’s contracts should be categorized. The company describes its blockchain-based contracts as financial instruments that allow users to trade directly with one another, with prices determined by market activity.
The platform also argued that its business model differs from traditional betting operators because it does not take positions against users or earn profits based on whether a particular outcome occurs.
French regulators, however, said Polymarket remained accessible after trading restrictions were implemented and continued to promote a gambling service that had not received official authorization.
The ANJ also highlighted concerns over the platform’s customer identification procedures and alleged manipulation risks involving certain weather-related markets.
France has now joined several other countries that have taken action against Polymarket. Ukraine blocked the platform at the internet service provider level in January, Argentina introduced restrictions in March, and Spain blocked access to both Polymarket and Kalshi in May.
The latest French order goes beyond the earlier trading restrictions. While Polymarket had already prevented users in France from placing bets since late 2024, regulators moved to block the entire website because users could still access market probabilities and related information.
Other jurisdictions, including Brazil, India, Indonesia, and Romania, have also restricted access to Polymarket or treated it as an unlicensed gambling platform. Ukrainian officials have said the country currently lacks a legal framework that would allow the service to operate.
Polymarket has been contacted regarding whether it plans to challenge similar restrictions in other countries, but the company had not provided a response at the time of reporting.
