French regulator l’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) has geo-blocked Polymarket.com, a cryptocurrency-focused prediction betting platform that has been illegally offering online gaming in the country.
ANJ monitored Polymarket.com, operated by Web3 developer Adventure One QSS, throughout November. It said that the type of gambling offered by the website was “likely” in breach of French law.
Among this offering were online games of chance, more commonly known as slots, which are currently not legal in France.
ANJ approached Adventure One QSS, which is licensed in Panama, over the matter in late November. It was agreed the operator would put in place a geoblocking system to prevent access from players in French territory.
Incidentally, the case first came to light around a month ago when Bloomberg reported that the ANJ could take action against Polymarket.com. The geolocation block came into effect on 21 November, according to other reports.
The regulator said any players impacted by the decision should contact Adventure One QSS for more information.
Polymarket has faced similar issues in the US where is not legally allowed to operate. It paid a $1.4 million fine to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in 2022 after it failed to register with the agency. Trading was paused at the time.
Illegal games of chance can lead to jail time
Offering illegal games in France is deemed a criminal offence and could lead to jail time. This could result in three years’ imprisonment and a €90,000 (£74,557/$94,609) fine. However, this increases to seven years’ imprisonment and a €200,000 fine if the offence is committed by an organised group.
To date, the ANJ has blocked more than 944 URLs for breaching gambling laws in France. Its blacklist is frequently updated and available on its website.
“In general, the ANJ would like to warn people who play on illegal sites because they are exposing themselves to particularly serious risks,” the ANJ said. “These include the non-payment of winnings, payment method fraud, identity theft and installation of malicious computer programmes.
“If you have any doubts about the legality of the gambling website, consult the list of sites approved by the ANJ.”
Could we see legal online slots in France next year?
The possible legalisation of online slots in France has been a topic of discussion for some time. In October, the French government showed its strongest indication yet that it could move forward with such plans.
The government put forward an amendment to its 2025 budget to legalise online casino games. Budget minister Laurent Saint-Martin then confirmed a six-month consultation on the matter will take place next year.
Due to the length of this process, it is unlikely any new law will pass during 2025. However, should the consultation come back with positive results, it could lead to legislation for legal slots to launch in 2026.
