France’s gambling regulator, ANJ, has unveiled a new strategy focused on curbing excessive gambling, urging the industry to move away from dependence on high-risk players and intensive play models.
In its 2024-2026 roadmap, outlined in the latest annual report, the ANJ aims to transform existing requirements around identifying and assisting problem gamblers into tangible outcomes. The regulator is targeting a clear reduction in both the number of excessive gamblers and the proportion of revenue they generate for operators by the end of this period.
The country’s self-exclusion registry continues to expand, growing 20% annually and now listing 85,000 individuals-more than twice as many as in 2021.
To further address the issue, a major symposium on gambling addiction will be held on 27 June at the French Senate, bringing together regulators, policymakers, addiction specialists, and educators to examine current shortcomings and explore solutions.
Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, ANJ president, mentioned:
Driven by a very dynamic market that has been fostered by digitalisation, gambling – while not a product like any other – has nevertheless become a common consumer product.
The objective of reducing excessive gambling set by the ANJ must now translate into an obligation of results that involves reducing the number of excessive gamblers and their contribution to the revenues of gambling operators.
More broadly, the fight against gambling addiction requires going beyond sectoral considerations and considering the more global and societal dimension of the phenomenon, which concerns operators, public authorities, the regulator, associations, educators, parents, etc.
Since its launch in June 2020, the ANJ has built a regulatory framework aimed at balancing market control with safeguarding players.
Now that its first regulatory cycle is complete, the agency sees the industry at a pivotal moment. According to the ANJ’s report, operators are beginning to embed harm-reduction objectives into both their compliance frameworks and business strategies.
The regulator’s assessment of operator-submitted action plans highlights concrete progress in spotting excessive gambling behavior and fulfilling anti-money laundering requirements.
In 2024, two rulings by France’s Council of State further reinforced the ANJ’s authority, affirming its right to oversee gambling offerings and marketing by state-run operators. These legal victories, the ANJ stated, confirm its role in protecting the public interest.
As part of its new strategic direction, the ANJ has taken a tougher approach to enforcement. In 2024, the regulator issued nine sanctions, with fines reaching up to €150,000.
In January 2025, it imposed its largest fine yet – an unprecedented €800,000 penalty against Unibet for a serious malfunction in its self-exclusion system.
The ANJ also ramped up efforts to combat illegal gambling. Over the course of 2024, it blocked 1,335 unauthorized gambling websites, initiated 231 administrative procedures, and began freezing financial transactions linked to unlicensed operators.
