France Escalates Enforcement
The Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) said Friday that Polymarket’s webpage would be blocked on French territory, adding to a November 2024 ban on financial transactions to the site. Polymarket had implemented IP-based geoblocking for French users in late 2024 after direct regulatory intervention by the ANJ, but users were still accessing the platform through VPNs and other workarounds. Sstartpolymarket
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The ANJ has long classified prediction markets as unauthorized gambling services. In February 2026, the regulator issued a formal warning stating that prediction markets are illegal in France, noting they share addictive properties with online gambling but lack consumer protections such as spending limits and self-exclusion mechanisms. France’s enforcement is part of a wider European push — the Netherlands rejected an appeal by Polymarket in July 2026, and Italy re-added the platform to its list of unauthorized gambling websites the same month. Aaffpapa
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Arizona and Maricopa County Target Insider Trading
In the United States, the focus has been on preventing government insiders from profiting on prediction markets. Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs signed Executive Order 2026-02 on July 8, prohibiting state executive branch employees from using nonpublic government information to profit on platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket. Violations can result in dismissal, additional sanctions, and referral to law enforcement. Aazgovernor
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Following that order, Maricopa County’s Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a parallel policy on July 15, extending the prohibition to an estimated 10,000 to 13,000 county employees. Under the new rule, workers cannot use insider or confidential information for personal profit in prediction markets. Aactionnetwork
A Growing Regulatory Wave
The regulatory pressure extends beyond government action. In June 2026, Kalshi announced it would begin collecting employment information from customers trading in markets at heightened risk of insider trading, allowing the platform to screen out presumptive insiders before trades are placed. Polymarket implemented similar policies in March 2026 after criticism from U.S. senators, prohibiting users from trading contracts where they may possess confidential information that would affect outcomes. Aapnews
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Ukraine ordered internet service providers to block Polymarket in January 2026 as part of a wider online gambling crackdown, and the platform remains restricted in more than 20 countries. Ccoindesk
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