ANJ Blacklist 2026: Blocked Sites, the Polymarket Case and Risks for Players

The ANJ blacklist of blocked sites 2026 lists illegal gambling platforms, including Polymarket, which are subject to administrative blocking. The National Gaming Authority requires internet service providers such as Orange and SFR to filter these web addresses. The goal is to protect players from addiction and fraud. You must consult the official registry to verify the license before depositing money.

2026 Update: The Polymarket Case and Prediction Markets

The ANJ blacklist of blocked sites 2026 has been expanded with a significant decision regarding Polymarket. This prediction market platform is operated by ADVENTURE ONE QSS INC. On July 16, 2026, Pascal Chèvrement, president of the ANJ, ordered the administrative blocking of the site for promoting illegal gambling. This measure serves as a reminder that betting on unauthorized events, without legal guarantees, exposes French players to serious financial and legal risks.

Why was Polymarket blocked in July 2026?

This blocking follows extensive monitoring by the ANJ, the authority that regulates gaming in France. As early as November 2024, the services offered by the company ADVENTURE ONE QSS INC. via Polymarket were identified as an unauthorized offering of gambling and games of chance. Partial geoblocking was implemented in February 2026 to prevent transactions from France, but bypasses persisted.

It was this persistent promotion of an illegal offer that prompted Pascal Chèvrement to sign the blocking order on July 16, 2026. In France, only sports betting, horse racing betting, and club poker are legal. Prediction markets on various topics (politics, weather) do not fall into any approved category. The operator ADVENTURE ONE QSS INC. holds no license. Its activity therefore constitutes a violation of the Internal Security Code.

Specific Risks of Prediction Markets

The lack of regulation on Polymarket means there is no KYC (Know Your Customer) procedure. However, this process is essential for verifying the identity and integrity of users. This loophole exposes players to major risks of money laundering and fraud. They have no protection against addiction or operator insolvency.

Data integrity is also an issue. Investigations have shown that certain bets, such as those on the weather, could be distorted by the hacking of sensors. An investigation was opened on May 4, 2026, by the cybercrime unit of the Paris Prosecutor's Office. It was entrusted to the OCLCTIC (Central Office for the Fight against Information and Communication Technology Crime). This highlights the links between these decentralized platforms and cybercrime. Unlike licensed operators who guarantee randomness and data security, these illegal sites leave players with no recourse in the event of manipulation.

Bypasses and False Security

Attempting to bypass the geoblocking imposed by the ANJ via a VPN or other technical means exposes the user to increased dangers. By crossing this barrier, the player steps outside the protective framework of French law. They lose all legal recourse in the event of a dispute, non-payment, or data theft.

French banks, aligned with anti-money laundering directives, can freeze funds linked to transactions with entities on the ANJ blacklist of blocked sites 2026. The illusion of access does not protect against the financial toxicity of these platforms. Voluntary self-exclusion and deposit limits, which are mandatory for licensed operators, are non-existent on these offshore sites. This drastically increases the risk of addiction and financial loss.

Consulting the Official Blacklist and Verifying a License

Consulting the ANJ blacklist is the first step of verification. This database, managed by the National Gaming Authority, lists platforms that have been subject to an administrative blocking order. However, the absence of a site from this list does not guarantee its legality. The optimal protection lies in cross-checking with the positive registry of operators holding a valid ANJ license. Only these operators are authorized to offer legal guarantees to French players.

How to Access the List of Banned Sites?

The National Gaming Authority makes a specific registry of illegal gambling and chance games sites available to the public. This blacklist is not static. It is regularly updated to include new URLs subject to administrative blocking and de-indexing from search engines. It is important to understand that this list remains non-exhaustive in the face of the proliferation of illegal sites. Consequently, the ANJ recommends not relying solely on the absence of a name from this list to validate a platform's reliability. Many fraudulent operators still operate without having been formally identified.

Verifying the Validity of a Legal Operator

The most reliable method to secure your funds is to consult the registry of licensed operators rather than looking up who is banned. Only holders of an ANJ license, issued for a renewable five-year term in accordance with Law No. 2010-476, are authorized to operate in France. Major players like Winamax, Betclic, PMU, and FDJ (Française des Jeux) appear in this positive registry. They guarantee compliance with legal obligations, such as setting deposit limits and protecting personal data. Conversely, any activity offering unauthorized games (such as online casinos or virtual slot machines) cannot obtain this license and therefore operates illegally. Verifying the license's expiration date on the ANJ website confirms that the operator, such as Winamax or Betclic, is still under the regular supervision of the authority.

Reporting a Suspect Site to the ANJ

If you identify a platform offering gambling without mentioning its license, report it to strengthen the effectiveness of the blacklist. The official procedure allows the National Gaming Authority to investigate and, if infractions are proven, order a new administrative block. Players can make this report via the Signal.conso.gouv.fr platform, which connects consumers to the DGCCRF, or directly to the ANJ services. This collective effort is essential to maintain the integrity of the French market and protect players from operators trying to bypass current legislation.

Major Risks: Addiction, Fraud, and Lack of Recourse

The ANJ blacklist of blocked sites 2026 signals platforms that lack legal guarantees. They expose players to serious financial and psychological risks. By bypassing these blocks, you lose all protection against addiction and expose your data to cyber threats, without any official recourse in the event of a dispute.

Lack of Protection Against Addiction

Illegal operators ignore the responsible gaming obligations imposed in France. Unlike licensed sites, they do not offer deposit limits or access to the national self-exclusion database. This lack of framework fosters addiction, a major risk highlighted by the ANJ. These platforms exploit incentive mechanisms without a safety net to prevent player isolation or financial distress.

Data Security and Money Laundering

Registering on these sites directly exposes you to cyber threats. Your banking and personal information is not secured. This increases the risk of identity theft and loss of funds. Furthermore, the absence of KYC (Know Your Customer) checks makes these platforms potential channels for money laundering. The gaming software is neither approved nor audited to guarantee its integrity.

What to Do in the Event of a Dispute or Scam?

In case of a problem, the ANJ has no jurisdiction over unlicensed sites. Your only recourse is to report the infraction via Signal.conso.gouv.fr, the official DGCCRF platform dedicated to consumer disputes. For proven criminal activities such as organized fraud, it is imperative to file a complaint with PHAROS, the national platform for reporting illicit content, in order to alert the competent authorities.

Technical Mechanisms of Administrative Blocking in France

Administrative blocking is the primary coercive tool of the National Gaming Authority (ANJ) to neutralize illegal offers in 2026. Based on the Internal Security Code, the regulator orders internet service providers (ISPs) to filter unlicensed domains. This technical measure aims to make online gambling and chance games websites that do not comply with Law No. 2010-476 inaccessible. It thus protects French players from the financial and legal risks associated with illegal operators.

The Legal Framework of ISP Blocking

The legitimacy of administrative blocking relies on a precise legal architecture, anchored in Law No. 2010-476 of May 12, 2010, and reinforced by the provisions of the Internal Security Code. These texts explicitly authorize the ANJ to request that access to sites offering gaming services without a French license be blocked. Unlike a simple recommendation, this is a legal injunction: any site absent from the registry of licensed operators is considered illegal and must be made inaccessible within the national territory.

This procedure is part of a public protection approach. The ANJ's mission is to fight against illegal offerings by identifying platforms that bypass player protection obligations, such as deposit limits or the ban on online casinos. Administrative blocking is not a direct criminal penalty against the user, but a preventive measure aimed at cutting the digital flow to unregulated entities. These entities are often involved in practices contrary to European security and anti-money laundering standards.

Role of Telecom Operators

The technical implementation of filtering relies on the mandatory collaboration of major French internet service providers. Major players like Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom, and Free are required to apply the blocking decisions made by the ANJ. These telecom operators integrate the lists of banned domains into their DNS resolution or IP filtering systems. This prevents French users from connecting to servers hosting the illegal sites.

This link is crucial because it acts at the source of connectivity. Without the cooperation of Orange or SFR, administrative blocking would remain a symbolic measure with no concrete effect in the digital realm. By blocking access at the network level, these ISPs ensure that the majority of internet users, even those with limited tech skills, cannot accidentally access unauthorized betting or gaming platforms. This filtering infrastructure is regularly updated to include new sites identified as dangerous or non-compliant with Law No. 2010-476.

Effectiveness and Limits of Filtering

While administrative blocking is a deterrent for the general public, it has technical limitations when dealing with savvy users. Bypassing tools, such as virtual private networks (VPNs) or alternative DNS servers, theoretically allow access to blacklisted sites. However, bypassing this blocking exposes the player to major risks: by stepping outside the regulated scope of the ANJ, they lose all legal protection in the event of a dispute, non-payment of winnings, or theft of personal data.

The effectiveness of the mechanism thus lies less in perfect impermeability than in its role as a psychological and technical barrier for the mass of users. It clearly signals that a site is not licensed in France. For legal operators, this filtering guarantees a healthy competitive environment, where only actors complying with security and addiction prevention standards can operate. In 2026, administrative blocking remains an essential pillar of regulation, complemented by de-indexing actions from search engines to reduce the visibility of illegal offers.

About this Article - Editorial & Responsibility

• Author: Sarah Weber - Casino tester & bonus analyst

• Verified by: Dr. Markus Hoffmann - Senior iGaming compliance analyst

• Last updated: 2026-07-31.

This article on "ANJ blacklist of blocked sites 2026" was written by Sarah Weber and reviewed by Dr. Markus Hoffmann. Both regularly update the content to reflect regulatory changes, licenses, and bonus conditions. All references to licenses, authorities, or legal frameworks refer to public sources (ANJ (National Gaming Authority), Law of May 12, 2010 on the opening of online gambling).

About the Author

8+ years of testing casinos, 200+ platforms personally tested in the EU and internationally. Former member of the eCOGRA Player Advocacy Program (2018-2022). Specialization: wagering requirements, withdrawal processes, customer support evaluation.

About the Reviewer

12+ years in the iGaming industry, including 5 years in compliance consulting for licensed operators under the French ANJ framework. PhD in economic mathematics. Fields: bonus mathematics, wagering analysis, player protection mechanisms.

Responsible Gaming

Gambling can become addictive. If you feel you are losing control, contact Joueurs Info Service, SOS Joueurs, or use the national self-exclusion registry (file of banned players (FIJ)). Set deposit and loss limits before playing for real money. Breaks and cooldown tools are key to sustainable enjoyment.

Legal Disclaimer

The information in this article is provided for editorial and comparative purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice. Players remain responsible for complying with local regulations.