Polymarket to Challenge Blocking in France in Court

The prediction market operator Polymarket intends to challenge the recent ban imposed by the National Gambling Authority of France (ANJ). Polymarket halted accepting transactions from France in November 2024, but continued providing access from French IP addresses. ANJ claims this allowed users to circumvent transaction bans using VPNs, leading to the blocking decision. In its press release, Polymarket stated: "We were surprised by ANJ's decision to block our website. We intend to contest it in court in France. We disagree with ANJ's decision."

Regulatory Oversight in the EU

France is not the only country targeting Polymarket. Regulators in Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Belgium have already taken action against the company. This week, the Irish regulator announced a complete blocking of access to one of the prediction market providers and plans to block another one.

Statement from ANJ

ANJ stated that since November 2024, the platform has garnered 578,751 visits, of which 205,057 were unique users in June. In June, Jean-Baptiste Vila from the University of French Polynesia noted that the 2024 ban is regularly violated both by Polymarket and consumers through geo-location circumvention.

Polymarket: Information, Not Trading

Polymarket emphasizes that users in France use the platform solely for information. "We were surprised by ANJ's decision since users visit our website only for information about the probabilities of future events," the press release states. The company is also engaging with the cybercrime unit of the Paris Prosecutor's Office.

Legal Outlook

Despite the bans, users continue to use VPNs to trade on the platform, as one trader recently admitted in an interview with France Info. Lawyer Pascal Reynaud noted that prediction market operators are not concerned about breaking the law, but users are at risk of addiction and losses.

Nearly $116 million has already been wagered on contracts regarding the outcomes of the 2027 French presidential elections on Polymarket. The majority of funds have been placed on the victory of Marine Le Pen, the former leader of the National Rally.

Cooperation with French Authorities

Polymarket continues to cooperate with ANJ and other French authorities, stating its commitment to complying with all necessary regulatory requirements while maintaining the advantages of the prediction market for its users.