As of September 6, 2026, the “Next French presidential election” market on Polymarket shows $128,026,232 in traded volume, according to the platform’s public data. It is one of the most active political markets in the world, and it concerns a vote that will not take place until April 2027. At the same time, this market is legally inaccessible from France: the National Gaming Authority ordered its blocking on July 16, 2026. A financial instrument built on the blockchain, a real French audience, and a regulator who qualifies it as illegal gambling: the issue is not the race; it is the mechanics.