CoinDesk
Polymarket said it will challenge France's full-site block through the French legal system, arguing the order prevents users from accessing its market probabilities even though trading from the country has been disabled since November 2024.
France's National Gambling Authority (ANJ) ordered internet providers to block the platform last week, saying it exposed users to potential losses and offered markets that could be manipulated. The regulator said the platform remained accessible after trading restrictions were introduced and continued to promote an unauthorized gambling service, while also flagging concerns over identity checks and suspected manipulation of weather-related markets.
The dispute turns on classification: Polymarket frames its contracts as blockchain-based financial instruments traded peer-to-peer, with prices set by market activity and no house taking the other side. The ANJ treats the offering as unlicensed gambling. "We were surprised at the ANJ decision to block access to our entire website because their measure targets people going to Polymarket purely for information," the company said in a press release, adding that "most people come to Polymarket solely to learn the probability of future events relevant to their everyday life with no intention to trade."
Why it matters
France is the latest country to order an ISP-level block against Polymarket, following Ukraine in January, Argentina in March, and Spain in May. Brazil, India, Indonesia and Romania have also restricted access or classified the platform as an unauthorized gambling operator, and Ukraine currently has no legal framework through which Polymarket could operate, according to a government policy official. The pattern shows European and Latin American regulators converging on access blocks rather than negotiated licensing paths, even where trading has already been voluntarily suspended.
Market impact
Polymarket had already blocked French transactions since November 2024, so the direct flow impact is limited.
Frequently asked questions
-
Why is France blocking Polymarket?
France's National Gambling Authority (ANJ) ordered ISPs to block the platform last week, saying it continued to promote illegal gambling after trading restrictions, exposed users to losses, and offered markets vulnerable to manipulation, including weather-related ones.
-
When did Polymarket stop French trading?
Polymarket disabled French transactions in November 2024, but the ANJ said users could still view markets and live probabilities, which is why the regulator ordered the entire website blocked rather than just the trading interface.
-
Which other countries have blocked Polymarket?
Ukraine imposed an ISP-level block in January, Argentina followed in March, and Spain blocked Polymarket and Kalshi in May. Brazil, India, Indonesia and Romania have also restricted access or classified the platform as unauthorized gambling.
-
How does Polymarket classify its own product?
Polymarket describes its contracts as blockchain-based financial instruments traded peer-to-peer, with prices set by market activity and no house taking the other side, distinguishing the model from a gambling operator that sets odds and trades against customers.
-
Is Polymarket challenging blocks outside France too?
CoinDesk asked Polymarket whether it is contesting enforcement decisions in other jurisdictions and had not heard back at the time of writing. The company's public legal push so far is limited to France.
WatcherGuru
CryptoSlate
TheBlock
CoinTelegraph
Crypto News
WuBlockchain