Polymarket plans to challenge France’s decision to block its website, arguing that the order prevents users from accessing its market probabilities even though trading from the country has been disabled since November 2024.
France’s National Gaming Authority last week ordered internet providers to block the platform, saying it exposed users to potential losses and offered markets open to manipulation.
Polymarket said it would challenge the decision in the French court system and called the order disproportionate because it covers users who visit the site for information purposes rather than to trade.
“We were surprised by the ANJ’s decision to block access to our entire website because this measure targets people visiting Polymarket solely for information purposes,” the company said in a statement.
“We are proud that most people come to Polymarket only to learn the probability of future events relevant to their daily lives, without the intention of transacting,” the company added. “Prediction markets help find the truth.”
The dispute centers in part on how Polymarket’s contracts should be characterized. The company describes them as blockchain-based financial instruments, exchanged directly between users, whose prices are set based on market activity.
