France Restricts Access to Prediction Market Platform Polymarket

The French National Gambling Authority (ANJ) has restricted access to the prediction market platform Polymarket within France starting from July 17, further tightening regulations. Previously, France had already prohibited financial transactions from French accounts to Polymarket by November 2024, but the platform's website remained accessible, and user participation continued to rise. Therefore, it was decided to take stricter measures by directly blocking access to the website. The ANJ pointed out that Polymarket allows users to bet on the outcomes of future events and displays real-time changes in odds for different events. The regulatory authority believes this may constitute the promotion of unauthorized gambling services. The ANJ stated that any form of advertising for unauthorized gambling or betting websites is considered a criminal offense, with related violations potentially facing fines of up to €100,000. Despite the restrictions on funding, Polymarket's traffic in France continues to grow, with visits from French internet addresses reaching 578,751 times in June this year, indicating that user demand has not significantly declined due to transaction restrictions.