France Orders Nationwide Block on Polymarket Website Over Betting Violations

France has ordered internet service providers to block access to the online prediction market Polymarket on French territory.

The decision by the national gaming authority, ANJ, escalates enforcement against the platform following a prior ban on financial transactions.

Rising Defiance Triggers Action

Regulators moved to implement the domain block after discovering that local user traffic to the website continued to grow despite the financial restrictions enacted in November 2024.

French web addresses logged 578,751 visits to Polymarket last month alone.

The ANJ stated that the platform's ongoing availability, which updates betting odds in real time, constitutes a form of promotion.

Under domestic law, "Advertising, by any means whatsoever, in favor of an unauthorized betting or gambling site is a criminal offense," the regulator noted, adding that violations can carry fines up to €100,000.

Broader European Restrictions

The crackdown mirrors wider systemic challenges facing online prediction markets across the continent.

According to the ANJ, France belongs to a cohort of European nations that restrict or entirely block access to such platforms, alongside Germany, Italy, and Spain.

The move comes amid widening global scrutiny of prediction markets, which have been linked to several domestic and international disputes.

France's weather agency, Météo-France, initiated a complaint in April over the platform's activities.

International Security Violations

Beyond European borders, the use of these platforms has led to criminal prosecutions involving classified information.

A U.S. soldier is currently facing federal charges for leveraging secret data to wager on prediction markets regarding a U.S. military operation to apprehend former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

The individual reportedly accumulated over $400,000 from the bets.

In a separate incident, the White House confirmed that a teleprompter operator was suspended over allegations of betting on the specific phrasing of speeches delivered by U.S. President Donald Trump.