Polymarket Blocks French Users

On Friday, users attempting to access Polymarket from France were met with a new pop-up notification:

“You appear to be located in the United States, France, or another related jurisdiction. Trading is not available to U.S. persons, persons located in the United States, France, or persons located in restricted jurisdictions.”

The restriction expands Polymarket’s list of banned regions, which already included the U.S. since 2022 after a settlement with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

A Preemptive Block?

The timing of the block suggests Polymarket may be attempting to get ahead of potential regulatory action from France’s national gaming authority (ANJ). Reports earlier this week indicated that ANJ was considering banning Polymarket in French territories after a French user placed $45 million worth of bets on Donald Trump’s reelection through multiple accounts.

This anonymous user’s massive wagers sparked international attention and raised concerns about possible insider trading on the platform. Given the stakes around the U.S. presidential election—a high-profile event for Polymarket with billions of dollars in wagers—the incident drew significant scrutiny from regulators.

France: A Key Market for Polymarket

Until today, France had been one of Polymarket’s most active regions, particularly around major political events like the U.S. elections. The preemptive block, however, eliminates a significant market for the platform.

Polymarket’s decision follows a familiar pattern in the crypto and decentralized finance (DeFi) sectors, where platforms often preemptively limit access in regions with heightened regulatory risk.

Regulatory Uncertainty

Polymarket has not clarified whether the decision to block French users was prompted by a direct request from ANJ or was an independent action to avoid regulatory penalties.

Broader Implications

Polymarket’s move highlights the challenges decentralized platforms face as they navigate increasingly complex regulatory landscapes. With mounting scrutiny from gaming authorities, the platform’s ability to sustain its global user base may be impacted by similar restrictions in other regions.

For now, Polymarket users in France—and potentially other jurisdictions—are left seeking alternative platforms to place their prediction bets.