TLDR
- France’s gambling watchdog directed internet providers to ban Polymarket access on July 16, 2026
- Authorities flagged unlicensed gambling operations, habit-forming design elements, and insufficient user safeguards
- Suspicious weather-based wagers prompted market rigging concerns and a Paris cybercrime probe
- Polymarket faces geographic restrictions across 36 jurisdictions globally, spanning Spain, Singapore, and Brazil
- Kentucky and 17 additional US states filed legal actions against prediction market operators including Polymarket
French authorities have mandated that internet service providers restrict access to Polymarket, the widely-used prediction market platform, over unauthorized gambling activities and suspected market manipulation.
French Gambling Watchdog Takes Action
The Autorité nationale des jeux (ANJ) implemented the restriction on July 16, 2026. According to the regulatory body, Polymarket functions without proper licensing in France, and promoting unauthorized gambling platforms constitutes a criminal violation punishable by fines reaching 100,000 euros ($114,000).
According to the ANJ, the platform incorporates “addictive features” characteristic of regulated gambling services while failing to provide the mandatory legal safeguards required of licensed gaming operators.
The French government telegraphed its enforcement intentions in November 2024, when it initially announced preparations to restrict the platform for non-compliance with domestic gambling regulations.
Market Rigging Allegations Trigger Criminal Probe
The regulatory authority highlighted specific worries regarding potential market manipulation. Officials noted that certain weather-related wagers displayed signs of interference, with indications pointing to possible tampering with meteorological monitoring equipment.
The Paris Public Prosecutor’s cybercrime division initiated a formal inquiry into these allegations in May 2026.
Authorities additionally discovered that Polymarket failed to implement adequate identity authentication protocols, including essential Know Your Customer procedures.
Polymarket’s Expanding Reach — and Mounting Legal Challenges
Polymarket enables participants to trade contracts linked to future occurrences, ranging from political contests and athletic competitions to financial indicators. The service has experienced rapid expansion, with an insider informing Reuters that its yearly revenue has exceeded $1 billion.
However, this rapid expansion has attracted heightened regulatory scrutiny. Access to the platform is currently restricted across 36 territories, encompassing Singapore, Poland, Portugal, Hungary, Ukraine, Brazil, and Indonesia.
Spanish authorities imposed a temporary prohibition on Polymarket and competitor Kalshi in May 2026. The following month, America’s leading derivatives oversight agency unveiled preliminary regulatory guidelines for the prediction market sector.
Kentucky initiated legal proceedings against Polymarket, Kalshi, and three additional platforms in June 2026, alleging they operated unlicensed sports wagering services. A minimum of 17 additional states subsequently filed comparable legal challenges.
The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission has countered these actions, filing suit against those states while asserting it maintains sole federal jurisdiction over regulated event-based contracts.
Platform’s Official Statement
Polymarket had not issued an immediate statement in response to the French restriction at the time of reporting. The ANJ indicated the access block would continue indefinitely until the platform achieves full compliance with French gambling legislation.
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