REGULATION | France Warns All E-Sports Betting Remains Illegal as the 2026 E-Sports World Cup Gets Underway

France’s gambling regulator has warned that all esports betting remains illegal under French law as the $75 million Esports World Cup gets underway in Paris, France.

The Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) said esports competitions are not among the sporting events approved for betting, meaning wagers on tournament outcomes are prohibited whether offered by traditional sportsbooks or prediction market platforms that let users trade contracts on match results.

The regulator urged consumers to avoid unauthorized operators, saying only betting on officially approved sporting competitions is permitted under French law.

Under French law, betting is only permitted on sporting events that have been formally approved by the regulator. While traditional sports such as football, tennis and horse racing are authorized, esports competitions have not been added to the approved list, effectively making all esports betting illegal in the country.

The warning comes as prediction markets increasingly expand into sports, raising fresh regulatory questions over whether event-based contracts should be treated as financial products or gambling.

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