L’ANJ published its annual report 2024

Substantial progress has been made by operators in meeting their obligations regarding the prevention of excessive gambling and the fight against money laundering; these efforts are beginning to be measured in the action plans reviewed by the ANJ, notably through the identification of more excessive gamblers. Operators now appear to have better integrated the regulatory framework and, in particular, the objective of reducing excessive gamblers in their customer base. Two decisions of the Council of State have also confirmed the ANJ's power to regulate the gaming offering and the promotional strategy of monopolies, which it uses to protect players and combat excessive gambling.

On the enforcement front, the policy of controls and sanctions was strengthened in 2024 with nine sanctions imposed, some of which involved significant amounts of up to €150,000. Regarding excessive gambling, the ANJ's Sanctions Committee issued a public sanction of €800,000 in January 2025. This decision, unprecedented in terms of the amount of the sanction and its public nature, initiated a new cycle and sent an important signal to the entire market.

The fight against illegal gambling was also significantly strengthened in 2024, with 1,335 blocked URLs, 231 administrative actions, and the activation of new levers such as the initiation of financial flow blocking. This action is particularly important since illegal gambling is widely used by at-risk gamblers.

However, the risk of excessive gambling is not yet fully under control. The voluntary ban file, for example, is seeing its registrations grow by 20% per year and currently numbers 85,000 people, compared to 40,000 in 2021.

Therefore, in 2024, for its second regulatory cycle covering the years 2024-2026, the ANJ has decided to set the effective reduction of excessive gambling over three years as the central focus of its strategic plan. This objective must necessarily translate into a reorientation of the sector's economic model towards less intensive gambling and less focused on at-risk players.

To make progress on this issue, which concerns all stakeholders, the ANJ is organizing a conference on gambling addiction on June 27 at the Senate. The aim is to take stock of the obligation to identify and support excessive gamblers, which has been imposed on economic actors since 2019 and which mobilizes public policies, and to discuss improvements to be made. A comparative approach and cross-examination will allow for a perspective on best practices and paths to follow.

Improved coordination between the various stakeholders and, where appropriate, an adaptation of the regulatory framework could be proposed.

For Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin: "Driven by a highly dynamic market fostered by digitalization, gambling, which is not a product like any other, has nevertheless become a mainstream consumer product. The objective of reducing excessive gambling set by the ANJ must now translate into a requirement for results that includes 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, regulators, associations, educators, parents, etc."