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France orders ISPs to geoblock Polymarket
France’s gambling authority said Polymarket lacks authorization in the country and that promoting unauthorized gambling sites can bring fines up to 100,000 euros.
France’s National Gambling Authority, ANJ, ordered internet service providers to geoblock Polymarket, citing concerns that the platform operates illegal gambling and enables market manipulation. ANJ said Polymarket’s operations are not authorized in France and that advertising unauthorized gambling sites constitutes a criminal offense, with penalties that can reach 100,000 euros.
Polymarket is a prediction market where users buy and sell contracts tied to outcomes of events such as elections and economic or geopolitical developments. The platform has grown rapidly in popularity over the past two years, drawing increased regulatory attention over whether its contracts amount to illegal gambling or unlicensed financial products.
ANJ previously outlined plans to block Polymarket in November 2024 after the site allegedly failed to comply with French gambling laws. A press time update from Polymarket said it was geoblocked in 36 regions.
The move comes as prediction markets face scrutiny in the United States as well. In June, Kentucky sued five prediction market platforms, including Polymarket, while the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has also sued eight states over claims that they interfered with the CFTC’s authority over federally regulated event contracts, according to Cointelegraph.