French regulators have ordered internet service providers to block access to Polymarket, the blockchain-based prediction market platform, days before the France-England World Cup bronze medal match. The Autorite Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), Frances gambling regulatory body, issued the directive on the grounds that Polymarket offers unlicensed gambling services to French residents.
The ANJ said it had identified Polymarket as operating illegally within French jurisdiction, as the platform falls outside the countrys regulated gambling framework. Under French law, only operators holding a license from the ANJ may offer betting services to residents. Polymarket, which runs on the Polygon blockchain and settles bets in the USDC stablecoin, does not hold such a license.
According to French media reports, the ANJ initially attempted to block payments to and from Polymarket through financial institutions but found that approach insufficient to curtail access. The regulator then escalated by ordering ISPs to block the platform at the network level, a tactic similar to what Frances gambling authority has used against other unlicensed betting sites in the past.
Polymarket has seen a surge in activity throughout the 2026 World Cup, with contracts covering match outcomes, goal totals, and individual player performances drawing significant trading volume. The platforms user base in France grew notably during the tournament, bringing it to the attention of regulators.
The move places Polymarket alongside Kalshi and other prediction market platforms facing regulatory pushback in multiple jurisdictions. Frances action follows similar scrutiny in the United States, where several state regulators have taken positions against unlicensed prediction markets, and in the United Kingdom, where the Gambling Commission has warned that some prediction market products may constitute illegal gambling.
Polymarket has not publicly commented on the French blocking order. The company previously applied for a US license to offer margin trading on its platform, signaling interest in operating within regulated frameworks where possible.
This article was adapted from BeInCrypto. Read the original here.
