The French National Gambling Authority (ANJ) issued a directive this week ordering domestic internet service providers to block access to the Polymarket website. The measure follows a review of platform activity in June and targets the prediction service, which lacks a legal operating license in France.
Regulatory Action and Market Access
Adventure One QSS, the company operating Polymarket, previously deployed geoblocking to prevent financial transactions from French users. The ANJ determined that this technical restriction was being bypassed, prompting the administrative site block. The regulator reiterated that prediction markets fall outside France’s permitted gambling categories.Platform traffic in France reached 578,751 visits with 205,057 unique users during June. The ANJ noted that the site’s real-time odds display functions as a promotional channel for unlicensed betting services. French law classifies advertising for unauthorized gambling platforms as a criminal offense, carrying potential fines of up to €100,000.
The authority stated it will "remain vigilant" regarding any subsequent measures introduced by Adventure One QSS.