Quick Look
- France's gambling regulator, ANJ, has ordered internet service providers to block access to Polymarket, an illegal gambling site.
- This follows a November 2024 geoblock on financial transactions, which users circumvented, leading to continued growth in France.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
France's ANJ previously geoblocked financial transactions for French residents on Polymarket in November 2024, but users circumvented it, leading to continued growth.
France is doubling down on preventative measures for its citizens trying to access Polymarket. The Autorité Nationale Des Jeux (ANJ), the country's independent regulatory authority in charge of licensed gambling and betting games, announced this week that it ordered internet service providers to block access to Polymarket.
The ANJ's latest decision follows its previous regulatory action from November 2024 that placed a geoblock on any financial transactions from French residents on the Polymarket website. Despite this ban on transactions, the agency said that the platform continued to grow in France thanks to users circumventing the block. According to ANJ, Polymarket saw 578,751 visits, 205,057 of which were unique visits, in the month of June from French residents. Now the ANJ wants to crack down harder on Polymarket, again emphasizing that the platform is considered an illegal gambling site.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Internet service providers will block access to Polymarket in France.
Very likely · Within days
Open Questions
- How will Polymarket respond to the block?
- What methods will users employ to circumvent the new block?
- What is the timeline for ISP implementation?
