NEW YORK, Aug. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Polymarket today filed a petition through the appropriate legal channels in France to challenge the French gaming authority’s (ANJ’s) decision to unilaterally block our website. This unilateral block prevents both those in France and French speaking countries from accessing the real-time insight into public sentiment, geopolitical events, and forecasting trends that our platform offers.
To be clear, Polymarket had already blocked trading from France in November 2024. This followed a period of discussions with the ANJ and in a spirit of cooperation, access to the platform’s trading features for users located in France were restricted by implementing a geoblocking mechanism.
No new enforcement or disciplinary measures had been undertaken by the ANJ in the intervening period. In June this year, we resumed discussion with the ANJ given additional concerns regarding the accessibility of the platform from French territory. While discussions were ongoing, the ANJ president formally served Polymarket with a cease-and-desist order to stop “promoting unauthorized gambling sites”.
Although we disagree with the gambling authority’s action, France has demonstrated a strong commitment to financial and technological innovation, and our recent discussions with French authorities have been constructive and encouraging.
In the spirit of supporting a more integrated digital economy built around participation, transparency, and technological innovation, Polymarket remains committed to maintaining a constructive dialogue with the ANJ.
Polymarket continues to engage with French authorities and remains committed to operating in a manner that meets applicable regulatory expectations while preserving the benefits of prediction markets for its users.
Media contact:
Eddie Livingstone-Learmonth
Hanbury Strategy
eddie.livingstone-learmonth@hanburystrategy.com
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/polymarket-files-petition-to-challenge-anj-ruling-302856772.html
