The French National Gambling Authority (ANJ) has officially equated prediction markets to illegal gambling, ordering internet service providers to block access to the Polymarket platform. This decision is a logical continuation of tightening regulations on decentralized platforms, which authorities believe circumvent traditional gambling laws.
Geo-blocking of transactions on Polymarket has been in effect since 2024, but French users actively bypassed the restrictions. In June 2025, the platform was visited by over 205,000 unique users from France — demonstrating how high the demand for such services remains despite regulatory barriers. The regulator also pointed to the risk of manipulation of betting outcomes: the Paris prosecutor's office has been investigating since May on suspicion of hacking weather sensors to gain an advantage in weather bets.
As of today, Polymarket is already blocked in 36 jurisdictions, including Singapore, Poland, Ukraine, and Brazil. This makes the platform one of the most "banned" in the crypto industry, highlighting a global trend toward increased control over decentralized financial instruments.
My comment: The situation with Polymarket is a vivid example of the conflict between innovation and traditional regulation. Blockchain-based prediction markets offer a unique model for information gathering and risk hedging, but regulators see them only as a threat to players and the financial system. While Polymarket continues to operate in gray areas, I expect further expansion of geo-blocking, especially in countries with strict gambling laws.