Polymarket challenges French website block
4.4 Regulation Polymarket will challenge France's website block, arguing it only provides information to French users since banning trading in 2024. The ANJ cites gambling risks as the reason.
Polymarket has announced plans to legally challenge France's decision to block access to its website. The French National Gambling Authority (ANJ) ordered internet providers to restrict access, citing concerns about potential gambling losses and the risk of manipulation in certain contracts. Polymarket argues the ban is unjustified, noting it stopped allowing French users to trade in November 2024 and now only provides informational access. Despite these changes, the ANJ maintains that the site still promotes unauthorized betting, referencing over half a million French visits in June. This dispute, which escalated just before the World Cup final, could set a precedent for whether informational prediction market data falls under gambling regulations. The case unfolds amid increasing regulatory scrutiny of prediction markets across Europe and the US.
