France Orders ISPs to Block Crypto Betting Giant Polymarket

France is officially shutting the door on Polymarket. The country's national gaming regulator has ordered local internet service providers to block access to the popular crypto based prediction platform. This move marks a major escalation in the government's efforts to curb unauthorized online gambling.

The sudden ban comes after a massive surge in French users visiting the site. Recent data shows that traffic from French IP addresses skyrocketed to 578,000 visits, catching the eye of gaming regulators who argue that operating a betting platform without a local license is illegal, even when it uses cryptocurrency.

Polymarket gained massive global popularity during the recent US presidential election, drawing billions of dollars in trading volume. However, this high profile has also brought intense regulatory scrutiny. While French users may try to bypass the block using virtual private networks, the official ban represents a significant hurdle for the platform's European growth.