PARIS — France’s national gambling watchdog announced Friday that it has ordered the country’s internet service providers to shut off access to the Polymarket betting platform, raising alarms over potential financial harm to users and the possibility that certain wagers on the site could be rigged.
The regulator posted a statement on its website explaining the action: “On July 16, 2026, the president of France’s National Gambling Authority ordered French internet service providers to block access to the Polymarket website. The site, which attracts a particularly large audience, is promoting an illegal gambling and betting offering.”
Attempts to reach Polymarket representatives for a response to the French decision were unsuccessful.
This development is part of a broader international push by governments and regulators to bring prediction market platforms under tighter control. In May, Spain temporarily prohibited both Polymarket and Kalshi from doing business in the country. Then in June, the top U.S. derivatives regulator put forward new draft rules aimed at the fast-growing prediction markets sector.
Platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi operate by letting users purchase and trade simple yes-or-no contracts tied to the outcomes of a wide range of events — from geopolitical developments to sporting contests and elections. The format has drawn criticism from lawmakers who argue that some of these bets serve no real economic function and could be harmful to the public, prompting calls for stricter oversight and outright bans on certain types of wagers.
