2026 Review: French Gambling Operators Boost Promotions, But Regulator Sets Limits

Reminder of the Legal Framework

Each year, gambling operators, both monopoly and competitive, must submit their promotional strategy for the coming year to the approval of the National Gambling Authority (ANJ). The ANJ reviews these strategies in light of the objectives of the State’s gambling policy, particularly the prevention of excessive or pathological gambling and the protection of minors. Where appropriate, it issues requirements or recommendations to operators.

When examining these promotional strategies, the ANJ’s analysis framework considers the balance to be struck between the legitimate use of advertising by operators to promote the legal gambling offer and the need not to encourage excessive or pathological gambling and to protect minors. The practical implementation of these obligations is guided on the one hand by the 2021 reference framework for the prevention of excessive and pathological gambling and the protection of minors, and on the other hand by the 2022 guidelines and recommendations.

Analysis of Strategies and Approvals with Conditions

The ANJ carried out an analysis of the 2026 promotional strategies of the 17 licensed online operators and the 2 exclusive rights operators (FDJ and PMU).

On this occasion, it found that most of the requirements and recommendations made during the previous review had been respected by the operators.

In 2025, operators’ promotional investments (marketing and rewards) were ultimately lower than the initial forecasts announced (-8%), which can partly be explained by the introduction of the new 15% tax on marketing, effective from July 2025.

In 2026, most operators intend above all to consolidate their player base in a dynamic market driven by major sporting events. To do so, operators plan to focus on rewards that encourage player retention. In a highly competitive market, operators resort to cross-selling, allowing them, for example, to convert a player recruited through sports betting into a poker player by offering attractive financial rewards (“bonuses”).

The review of the 2026 promotional strategies highlighted several points of attention:

Promotional investments up 25% (+€156M) compared to 2025, reaching €785M. These promotional expenses cover both marketing expenditures (€319M) and the distribution of financial rewards (€466M);

Marketing investments up 28% (+€69M), representing 40% of the overall budget. The months of the Football World Cup (June and July) account for 21% of the budget;

Due in particular to a sports year rich in major events, traditional media such as TV and outdoor advertising are being redeployed but remain below digital media, which still dominate with 44% of spending. There is also an increase in TV and radio sponsorship, allowing operators to access traditional media at lower costs than classic advertising space;

Financial rewards up 23% (+€87M), representing 60% of the overall budget;

An upward trend in sports sponsorship (+14%).

Conditions Attached to Approvals

Given these points of vigilance, the ANJ approved the promotional strategies but attached demanding conditions, requiring:

For the first time, all operators not to exceed the overall announced budget and to strictly limit any reallocation of a specific budget to another expenditure item. This requirement may, if necessary, lead to specific control operations;

For certain operators, to reduce their budget allocated to marketing operations or to social networks, or to exercise moderation in the execution of sports partnerships;

For one operator, to significantly reduce its retention reward expenditures.

As part of its partnership with the ARPP, the ANJ will be particularly attentive to the content of new advertising creations in this year of the Football World Cup.

Finally, in anticipation of this major sporting event, the ANJ reiterates the proposals it has already made to more strictly regulate operators’ marketing expenditures, such as:

The introduction on television of the “whistle to whistle ban” (prohibition of sports betting advertising 5 minutes before the match, during the match, and 5 minutes after);

Stricter regulation of sponsorship;

Enhanced protection for the most vulnerable (loss limiter for 18–25 year-olds).