French gambling regulator orders ISPs to block Polymarket
Summary
France’s gambling regulator ordered ISPs to block Polymarket, saying prediction markets are illegal gambling unless authorized. It warned that advertising unauthorized gambling sites can bring fines up to 100,000 euros. The regulator said Polymarket lacks required consumer protections and may enable manipulation of event outcomes, citing suspicious weather contracts and possible sensor hacking. A Paris cybercrime unit opened an investigation and found no adequate identity checks, including KYC. Polymarket is already blocked in several countries and has been targeted by regulators in the US as well, where multiple states and the CFTC have filed lawsuits over whether its contracts amount to unlicensed betting or regulated event contracts.
