France Just Turned Off the Lights on Polymarket

France just turned off the lights on Polymarket.

On July 16, the country's National Gambling Authority (ANJ) ordered internet service providers to block access to the prediction market platform entirely. This isn't their first move—financial transactions from French accounts have been banned since November 2024. But that didn't stop French users from finding their way in.

The numbers tell the story. Despite the payment ban, Polymarket recorded 578,751 visits and 205,057 unique visitors from France in June alone. Traffic kept climbing, and the ANJ decided it was time to escalate.

Their reasoning is straightforward: displaying live betting odds to French users counts as illegal gambling advertising. Promoting an unauthorized gambling site is a criminal offense in France, carrying fines up to €100,000 ($114,000).

The ANJ also flagged some serious integrity concerns. Weather sensors may have been hacked to manipulate bets on Polymarket—France's weather agency Meteo-France filed a criminal complaint in April. The Paris Public Prosecutor's Office launched a cybercrime investigation in May. The regulator also pointed to the absence of proper KYC (Know Your Customer) checks for French and European users.

Polymarket isn't alone in this. The platform is now blocked or restricted in more than 33 countries, including Germany, Italy, Spain, and the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic recently ordered its own ISP block. Europe's regulatory squeeze on prediction markets is real and widening.

Meanwhile, Polymarket's business keeps growing. The platform reportedly surpassed $1 billion in annualized revenue. Its World Cup Winner market recently overtook the 2024 US Presidential Election market as the largest single market in platform history. And monthly visits are on track to exceed 50 million, roughly 2.5x election-period levels.

The French block is permanent until Polymarket complies with local gambling rules. For now, French users will need to look elsewhere—or fire up a VPN, which is exactly what got them into this situation in the first place.