France Just Banned Polymarket — Now the Platform Is Fighting Back in Court

TLDR

• France’s National Gambling Authority (ANJ) ordered internet service providers to block Polymarket’s website
• Polymarket confirmed on July 22 it will challenge the block through the French legal system
• The ANJ cited concerns over gambling losses and potential manipulation of some contracts
• Spain temporarily banned both Polymarket and rival Kalshi in May 2025
• The U.S. CFTC released new draft regulations for prediction markets in June

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Polymarket, one of the world’s largest prediction market platforms, says it will take legal action in France after the country’s gambling regulator ordered its website to be blocked.

LATEST: 🇫🇷 Polymarket plans to legally challenge France’s gaming authority after it blocked the site nationwide. pic.twitter.com/MF6CqARKVp

— CoinMarketCap (@CoinMarketCap) July 23, 2026

France’s National Gambling Authority, known as the ANJ, told internet service providers to cut off access to Polymarket last week. The regulator said the platform could expose users to heavy gambling losses and that some of its prediction contracts could be manipulated.

Polymarket pushed back quickly. On July 22, the company released a statement saying it was “disappointed” by the ANJ’s “sudden decision to unilaterally block” its website and confirmed it would challenge the ruling through France’s legal process.

The platform allows users to place bets on real-world events — from elections and sports to economic outcomes. It has pulled in billions in trading volume in recent years.

Regulatory Pressure Across Europe

France is not acting alone. In May, Spanish authorities temporarily banned both Polymarket and its rival Kalshi from operating in the country. The move in France follows that pattern.

Kalshi was not blocked in France this time around, however. The ANJ’s order targeted Polymarket specifically, which the company called a unilateral move.

Regulators in multiple countries are trying to decide whether prediction markets are gambling services or financial instruments. That question is at the heart of many of these disputes.

U.S. Also Tightening Rules

Back in the United States, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission released draft regulations for prediction markets in June. The rules aim to create a more formal framework for the industry.

A U.S. House panel has also launched a probe into both Polymarket and Kalshi in recent months. The scrutiny is coming from multiple directions.

Despite the regulatory pressure at home, Kalshi is moving forward with expansion plans. The company is looking to add perpetual futures products covering gold, silver, and platinum.

Polymarket’s legal challenge in France will be one of the first major court tests of how European gambling law applies to prediction market platforms.

The outcome could set a precedent for how other European countries handle similar platforms going forward.

The case is expected to move through the French court system in the coming months.