France geoblocks Polymarket as global prediction market crackdown widens

France’s Autorité nationale des jeux (ANJ) has ordered the country’s internet service providers to geoblock Polymarket. The regulator classified the prediction website as an illegal gambling operation operating without national authorization. Furthermore, the ANJ noted that advertising unauthorized gambling sites in France constitutes a criminal offense carrying fines of up to €100,000.

The ANJ warned that Polymarket possesses "addictive features" similar to regulated gambling offerings, "amplified by the absence of the protective mechanisms found in the legal gambling market." The authority also cited concrete concerns over outcome manipulation.

Specifically, the ANJ pointed to contracts tied to weather outcomes, stating that "some of the bets offered on this platform appeared to be rigged." The regulator noted that "bets on the weather revealed that weather sensors may have been hacked." These manipulation claims prompted the cybercrime unit of the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office to launch an investigation in May 2026.

That investigation uncovered a lack of basic identity verification, such as Know Your Customer checks. For a platform that has surged in popularity over the past two years and generated billions of dollars in trading volume, the absence of such compliance controls represents a significant vulnerability. It also provides a clear justification for regulators targeting the platform's operations.

The French block represents another critical market lost to Polymarket as global restrictions mount. According to the platform, it is currently geoblocked in 36 regions worldwide. This growing list of restricted jurisdictions includes major economies like Singapore and Brazil, alongside European nations such as Portugal, Poland, and Hungary.

This operational friction is not isolated to European jurisdictions. In the United States, prediction markets are facing a severe legal squeeze from both state and federal authorities. The core regulatory debate centers on whether event contracts constitute illegal gambling or unlicensed financial products.

On June 17, Kentucky sued five prediction market platforms, including Polymarket and Kalshi, accusing them of operating unlicensed sports betting platforms. At least 17 other states have since followed Kentucky's lead with similar legal actions. The regulatory clash subsequently escalated to the federal level.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has entered the fray by suing eight states. The federal agency argued that these states have unlawfully interfered with the CFTC’s exclusive authority over federally regulated event contracts.

For investors and market professionals, the escalating legal battles highlight a fundamental structural risk for the prediction market sector. Platforms are now trapped in a fractured global regulatory landscape where their core products face simultaneous crackdowns from multiple government agencies.