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FollowingTLDR
Polymarket will challenge a nationwide website blocking order through the French legal system. France's National Gambling Authority (ANJ) has asked Internet service providers to block the entire Polymarket website. The platform said that starting from November 2024, French users will no longer be able to conduct transactions. Polymarket believes the ban also prevents users who only want to view market information. The company said its market operations are based on blockchain financial instruments rather than gambling products.
Polymarket will challenge French website blocking order
France has decided to block the entire Polymarket website, a move that is facing legal challenges. The forecasting market platform said it would challenge the ban to the court. The company believes the French action has prevented people from checking market information, although trading from France has been shut down since November 2024. The core of the controversy is whether Polymarket should be classified as a gambling platform or a financial market.
France's National Gambling Authority (ANJ) has ordered Internet service providers to block access to the entire Polymarket website. The regulator believes the platform exposes users to financial losses and continues to provide unauthorized gambling services. Polymarket responded that it planned to challenge the decision through the French legal system. The company said the ban goes beyond the scope of trading restrictions because it also prevents users who only visit the platform to check market probabilities.
"We are surprised by ANJ's decision to block our entire website because the measure targets users who visit Polymarket purely for information," the company said. It added: "We are proud that most users visit Polymarket only to understand the probabilities of future events related to daily life, with no intention of trading. Predicting the market helps find the truth."
Focus of controversy: Platform classification issue
The legal dispute also concerns how Polymarket contracts should be classified. The company describes it as a blockchain-based financial instrument that conducts transactions directly between users. According to Polymarket, prices are determined by market activities rather than set by centralized operators. The platform also said it will not trade against bets with customers or profit from event outcomes, which distinguishes its model from traditional gambling operators.
French authorities insist that the platform can still be accessed after transaction restrictions are introduced at the end of 2024. Regulators have also expressed concerns about identification procedures and suspected manipulation in weather-related markets.
France joins broader international restrictions
France is the latest country to block Polymarket at the Internet service provider level. Ukraine imposed a similar blockade in January this year, Argentina followed suit in March, and Spain blocked both Polymarket and Kalshi in May. Several other countries, including Brazil, India, Indonesia and Romania, have also restricted access to or classified Polymarket as an unauthorized gambling platform. According to a government policy official, there is currently no legal framework in Ukraine that allows the platform to operate.
