In February 2025, the French Council of State upheld ANJ's authority over gambling supervision and the approval of gambling harm actions plans is something that has been welcomed.
Action Plan Approval and Directives
Since October 2019, all French gambling operators have been required to submit action plans to the ANJ for approval. These action plans detail the steps they will take to prevent of excessive play and underage gambling.
Problem gambling is on the rise with the ANJ estimating that there were approximately 1.2 million people affected in France with 360,000 of these being classified as excessive gamblers. This is one of the reasons that the French government withdrew the online casino legislation from the 2025 budget.
A study that was also used by the ANJ stated that in 2021, 34.8% of the minors that were surveyed were gambling and that 1 out of 4 nine-year-olds had played a game of chance during that same year.
The action plans were submitted by two gambling operators with exclusive rights, 235 racetracks, 203 land based casinos, and 16 online gaming operators.
The review of the action plans coincided with the ANJ annual gambling activity report which provided details on the number of people that had approached the French Board of National Gaming Authority for help with gambling related issues.
ANJ Strategic Plan (2024-2026)
The ANJ has prioritized the reduction of excessive gambling in its strategic plan for 2024-2026. It wants to see a drastic reduction in numbers.
FDJ and PMU (exclusive rights holders) are required to become stricter, ban any sales to minors, and strengthen the systems they have in place for identifying and supporting problem gamblers.
The 2024 Gambling Activity Report highlighted a number of sports betting mediation requests (88% of all requests). During 2024, a total of 1,541 mediation requests were submitted. 741 of these were officially processed by the mediator with 728 being deemed inadmissible. 92% of the unsuccessful applications were dismissed as a written complaint had not been submitted to the operator. Of the 741 processed applications, 46.7% of the solutions were accepted by both parties. The average processing time was 37 days which is well under the maximum 90-day period set out by the ANJ.
Online Gambling
The ANJ pointed out the success of the regulation of the online gambling market in France, but has called for more action. The 16 approved online casinos in France have been asked to identify more excessive gamblers so that they can bring them in line with the size of their player pools and studies. Early detection should be a focus along with intervention for cases of a severe nature. Gaming limits are to be implemented on live betting and fast-paced poker tournaments.
Land Based Casinos
For the 203 land-based casinos, only one was not approved. There was some praise with the ANJ noting overall improvements in compliance as well as the use of best practices. To help casinos with gambling harm reduction, the ANJ developed the e-learning system that was introduced in November 2024. It can detect difficulties and respond to them with solutions.
Racetracks
The 235 racetracks also received praise with the ANJ stating that significant efforts have been made to inform new players, create training modules for volunteers, and the introduction of control actions by the National Federation of Horse Racing. The ANJ has asked racecourses to ensure that any content produced that details activities for children does not add up to an indirect introduction to gambling. They are also required to make a clear distinction between the areas dedicated to betting and children.
A Step Forward in France's National Fight Against Gambling Harm
The ANJ's approval of the action plans shows France's commitment to safer gambling and it looks like the regulator is sending a clear message that all operators will have to take responsibility for minimizing risk and protecting players that are vulnerable.
Operators will have to comply with the new directives set out by the ANJ and be able to show measurable progress in not only identifying and supporting problem gamblers, but also in the reduction of excessive gambling behaviour. With stronger regulations being rolled out, France is definitely moving forward and will be the one to watch in Europe as regulators around the world insist that online casinos focus on responsible gambling.
