France Cracks Down Hard on Polymarket, 30 Countries Follow, Forcing EU to Redefine Prediction Markets
French gambling regulator ANJ has ordered nationwide ISP blocking of Polymarket, a crypto-based prediction market platform, escalating a four-year regulatory battle. ANJ classified it as illegal gambling rather than an unlicensed crypto exchange, focusing on consumer harm instead of financial market risks. This distinction carries significant legal implications and may influence other EU regulators.
Despite a 2024 ban on financial transactions, Similarweb data showed over 205,000 unique French visitors in June 2026, prompting the site-blocking order. Investigations cite alleged weather data manipulation affecting contracts and a trader ("Fredi9999") suspected of manipulating odds for the 2024 US election. ANJ justifies the ban by highlighting the platform's lack of mandatory consumer protection features like betting limits and self-exclusion tools.
Over 30 countries have restricted Polymarket. As the largest EU economy, France's move sets a potential precedent. Its classification conflicts with the EU's MiCA framework, which treats such markets as crypto assets. If adopted EU-wide, this could lead to blanket bans under gambling laws, diverging from the financial regulatory path taken by compliant platforms like US-based Kalshi. The effectiveness of France's block and the outcome of related legal cases will be closely watched by other EU members.
Foresight News07/21 09:31
