France’s ANJ Blocks Polymarket After 578,751 Visits: Prediction Platform Ruled Illegal Gambling in Escalating European Crackdown

Key Takeaways

• Blocking Order Issued: France’s National Gaming Authority ordered internet service providers to block Polymarket, classifying its services as an unauthorised gambling offer.
• Traffic Data: The platform recorded 578,751 visits and 205,057 unique visitors from France in June despite geo-blocking efforts.
• Integrity and Compliance Failures: Bets appeared distorted with potential weather probe hacks; no KYC system in place, prompting a May 4, 2026 cybercrime investigation.
• Wider European Action: Twelve countries including Germany, Belgium, Spain and Italy have restricted prediction markets, citing the hybrid nature driving varied regulatory approaches.

With 578,751 visits and 205,057 unique visitors from France recorded in June, the National Gaming Authority has ordered internet service providers to block access to Polymarket. The ANJ ruled the platform promotes an illegal offer of gambling, following earlier geo-blocking that proved open to circumvention.

The decision, first reported by G3 Newswire and corroborated across igamingbusiness.com and FinanceFeeds, marks the latest escalation in Europe’s scrutiny of prediction platforms. It underscores the regulatory tension around products that blend elements of markets, information and wagering.

ANJ’s Formal Notice and Administrative Blocking Power

The ANJ first directed attention to Polymarket in November 2024. After an initial formal notice, the company implemented a geo-blocking system to prevent financial transactions from French territory.

That system failed to fully contain access. The ANJ has implemented the administrative blocking power of this site, as it has done for other illegal sites since it has had this power, with 1,290 URLs blocked in 2025. Advertising or disseminating odds for unauthorised sites carries a fine of €100,000.

The ANJ stated: “Since November 2024, the ANJ’s attention has been drawn to the services offered by the company, which are to be regarded as an unauthorised gambling offer.” The home page displaying real-time odds was singled out as a major promotional vector.

Persistent Traffic and Circumvention Challenges

Despite the geo-blocking, French users continued to reach the platform in significant numbers. Last June alone produced the 578,751 visits and 205,057 unique visitors cited by the ANJ.

This traffic data illustrates the practical difficulty of containing digital offers once interest is established. The ANJ views the dynamic odds display as actively disseminating unauthorised gambling products on French territory.

Such figures highlight why regulators increasingly turn to ISP-level blocks. Partial measures invite workarounds, leaving enforcement incomplete without stronger technical and identification controls.

Manipulation Risks, Missing KYC and the May Investigation

Some bets on the platform appeared distorted. The ANJ specifically noted weather-related contracts where probes could have been hacked.

This prompted an investigation opened on May 4, 2026 by the cybercrime section of the Paris prosecutor’s office, entrusted to the OFAC Anti-Cybercrime Office. The probe revealed the absence of any user identification system to ensure probity.

The ANJ highlighted in February 2026 that prediction sites remain unauthorised in France. Without regulation they expose users to risks including addiction and integrity failures. The lack of KYC stood out as a core compliance gap.

Hybrid Nature Driving Global Regulatory Divergence

Prediction markets are attracting increasing interest from regulators. The ANJ observed that their hybrid nature may explain the varied approaches taken worldwide.

In Europe the response has been largely restrictive. Germany, Belgium, Romania, Switzerland, Poland, the Netherlands, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Ukraine and the Czech Republic have already restricted or blocked prediction markets.

This coordinated European stance treats these platforms as illegal gambling. Yet the same hybrid characteristics that trigger blocks in one jurisdiction can invite different classifications elsewhere, creating both complexity and opportunity for operators structured across borders.

Compliance Risks and Capital Market Implications for Hybrid Products

The French action exposes clear risks for platforms operating without local authorisation. Continued circumvention can trigger not only blocks but also criminal penalties for advertising and broader enforcement against facilitators.

For investors, the episode signals heightened regulatory risk in European markets. Capital allocation to hybrid prediction products must now price in the probability of similar moves in additional jurisdictions, potentially slowing expansion plans and raising compliance costs.

From an operator perspective, the absence of KYC and the manipulation signals identified by the ANJ represent avoidable vulnerabilities. Platforms seeking to serve multiple continents face pressure to harmonise standards that satisfy both market innovation and regulatory expectations.

Reading the Signals for Cross-Border Strategy

This French decision, grounded in documented traffic, integrity gaps and enforcement precedent, reinforces that prediction platforms cannot assume regulatory forbearance in Europe. The varied approaches the ANJ itself acknowledges create space for operators to differentiate through rigorous compliance architecture rather than relying on geo-fences that users routinely bypass.

Client-partners should treat such developments as a structural shift requiring proactive engagement with regulators and investment in identification systems that demonstrate probity from day one. Those who build transparent, accountable frameworks will be best positioned as frameworks evolve toward greater coherence across jurisdictions.