1. Legal Basis for the Block
Published 7/20/2026, 3:10:40 PM
On July 17, 2026, France’s gambling regulator, the Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), ordered French Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block access to Polymarket. The decision was the culmination of a two-year regulatory conflict driven by the platform's classification as an unauthorized gambling service, persistent failures to geoblock French users, and a high-profile criminal investigation into market manipulation involving national infrastructure.
1. Legal Basis for the Block
The ANJ utilized its administrative powers under the 2010 Gambling Act (Loi n. 2010-476). The legal justification rests on three pillars:
- Unauthorized Gambling Classification: The ANJ definitively ruled that prediction markets are "unauthorized gambling services" rather than financial trading platforms. Under French law, online gambling is strictly limited to licensed sports betting, horse racing, and poker.
- Illegal Advertising: French law prohibits the promotion of unauthorized gambling. The ANJ determined that Polymarket’s homepage, which displays real-time odds, constituted illegal advertising even if the platform attempted to geoblock actual trading [Source: https://www.google.com/search?q=France+order+ISPs+to+block+Polymarket+legal+basis+regulatory+reasons+ANJ].
- Criminal Penalties: Offering illegal games in France carries penalties of up to 3 years' imprisonment and a €90,000 fine, which can increase to 7 years and €200,000 for organized groups.
2. Regulatory Reasons for Escalation
While Polymarket had previously agreed to geoblock French financial transactions in late 2024, the ANJ moved to a full ISP block due to several critical escalations:
- Market Manipulation & Hacking: In April 2026, the French weather agency Météo-France filed a complaint alleging that its weather probes had been hacked to manipulate the outcomes of weather-related bets on Polymarket. This triggered a formal cybercrime investigation by the Paris prosecutor's office.
- The "Théo" Incident: A French trader (using the pseudonym "Théo" or "Fredi9999") reportedly wagered over $30 million on the 2024 US election, yielding profits exceeding $80 million
[Note: not independently confirmed]. This massive exposure highlighted the platform's lack of Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols and spending limits required by French law. - Persistent Traffic: Despite geoblocking efforts, French traffic remained high. Internal estimates suggested over 578,000 visits from France in June 2026 alone
[Note: not independently confirmed].
3. Involved Authorities
| Authority | Role in Action |
|---|---|
| ANJ (Autorité Nationale des Jeux) | Primary regulator; issued the ISP blocking order. |
| Paris Prosecutor's Cybercrime Unit | Investigating the Météo-France weather probe tampering. |
| Météo-France | Filed the initial complaint regarding data manipulation. |
| AMF (Financial Markets Regulator) | Deferred jurisdiction to the ANJ under gambling statutes. |
4. International Context
France's decision aligns with a broader international crackdown on the platform. As of mid-2026, over 30 countries have restricted or blocked Polymarket, including:
- United States: Blocked since 2022 following a $1.4M CFTC fine.
- Switzerland: Blocked in November 2024.
- Spain: Issued a temporary block in May 2026.
The block remains in effect as the Paris prosecutor's office continues its investigation into the tampering of national weather data for betting purposes. While the ANJ has the power to lift the block if Polymarket complies with French licensing requirements, the platform's decentralized nature makes such a resolution unlikely in the near term.