Polymarket in France: Navigating the 2025 ANJ Ban & Access Restrictions

The status of Polymarket in France has undergone a drastic change over the last year. Following the massive “Trump Whale” (a French national named Théo) who profited nearly $80 million on the 2024 U.S. election, French regulators took swift action to crack down on the platform.¹

As of December 29, 2025, Polymarket is officially restricted in France due to enforcement by the French National Gaming Authority (ANJ).

The ANJ Investigation and Ban

The “pause” on French trading wasn’t just a corporate decision; it was a response to intense regulatory pressure.²

• The Probe: In November 2024, the ANJ opened an investigation into Polymarket, examining whether its prediction markets constitute “unauthorized gambling” under French law.
• The Verdict: Under French legislation, any real-money gaming or betting activity requires a specific license.³ Because Polymarket operates as an offshore crypto-based exchange without French authorization, it was deemed illegal.
• The Geo-Block: In late 2024, Polymarket proactively agreed to implement a geo-block on French users to avoid severe legal penalties, which in France can include fines up to €200,000 and prison sentences for operators of unauthorized gambling sites.

Current Experience for Users in France

If you attempt to access Polymarket from a French IP address today, your experience will be limited:

1. View-Only Mode: You can still visit the Polymarket website to view charts, odds, and historical data. This is what Polymarket calls “accessing critical information about the events that matter most.”
2. Trading Block: The “Buy” and “Sell” buttons will be disabled. If you attempt to place a trade, you will receive a message stating that you are in a “restricted jurisdiction.”
3. Withdrawals: Users who had funds on the platform before the ban are generally allowed to withdraw their USDC, but new deposits and positions are blocked.

The “VPN Cat-and-Mouse” Game

While many “Polymarket Bros” in France attempt to use VPNs to appear as if they are in supported European countries (like Germany or Switzerland), the risk is significantly higher in 2026:

• Aggressive Firewalling: Following its 2025 U.S. regulatory breakthrough, Polymarket has tightened its detection of VPN and Proxy traffic to protect its new global licenses.
• Fund Freezes: If your account is flagged as connecting from a restricted region (France/US/UK) via a known VPN IP, Polymarket reserves the right to freeze your account for a terms-of-service violation.

Comparison: Prediction Market Legality in Europe

France is not alone in its stance; several other European nations followed their lead throughout 2025.⁴

Strategic Outlook for 2026

For traders in France, the best path forward is to wait for the results of the Polymarket engagement with European stakeholders. With the company’s recent acquisition of a CFTC-licensed exchange and its multi-billion dollar backing from the NYSE-parent (ICE), it is widely expected that Polymarket will seek formal EU-wide licensing (under the MiCA or local gambling frameworks) in late 2026.