Polymarket Faces French Ban Ahead of World Cup Final

French gambling authority ANJ surprised the team at Polymarket last week by ordering local internet service providers to restrict access to the site. The move came just before the World Cup final, a major event for betting activity on the platform.

Polymarket representatives stated they were caught off guard by the decision. The platform argues it provides information and data rather than traditional gambling services. The company is now preparing a legal challenge to address the sudden restriction.

This situation highlights how difficult it is for decentralized prediction markets to operate under national gaming laws. Traders are watching closely to see if the legal team can reverse the block and if other European regulators might follow suit.