Gaming Mediation

The aim of gambling mediation is to promote the amicable settlement of disputes that may arise between players and gaming or betting operators licensed by the ANJ or holding exclusive rights (Française des Jeux and PMU).

Jérôme Gallot was appointed gaming mediator on December 2, 2024. He is responsible for reconciling points of view to pave the way for an amicable solution.

Before contacting the mediator via the mediateurdesjeux website, individuals must first contact the operator in writing. Depending on the response received, or if there is no response from the operator within 20 days, players may then contact the mediator. The parties may withdraw from the mediation process at any time. The mediator's proposal is non-binding; each party is free to accept or reject the solution adopted by the mediator. Finally, participation in mediation does not preclude the possibility of recourse to a court.

Key Figures

1,541 requests received in 2024, a number almost equivalent to 2023.

Sports betting accounts for the vast majority of mediation requests, with an 88% share of admissible requests. These disputes overwhelmingly concern the outcome or cancellation of bets or the management of their accounts (blocking, closure, difficulty withdrawing funds, etc.).

728 requests declared inadmissible. The lack of a prior written complaint to the operators is the main reason for inadmissibility (92%).

741 cases processed.

The average processing time is 37 days. This average processing time is well below the maximum period of 90 days set by the Consumer Code. 46.7% of the Ombudsman's proposals are accepted by the parties

In 2024, the Ombudsman's proposals were better received, particularly with regard to commercial gestures and compensation. This positive trend stems from improved cooperation with a large number of operators.

The Ombudsman's Recommendations

In his 2024 report, the Ombudsman made four recommendations to operators:

1 - Refund the player account balance in the event of account closure due to suspected fraud

At the beginning of 2024, the Ombudsman emphasized that serious suspicions regarding the authenticity of documents could justify account closure as a measure to prevent a potential risk of fraud. However, he considered it inappropriate for the operator to confiscate the player's initial deposit on its own authority.

This recommendation was generally well followed by the operators, who adjusted their practices. Indeed, in the majority of cases, operators refund players' deposits. However, in specific situations, such as the risk of proven fraud, operators may retain deposits and place them in reserve.

2 - Improve the management of live betting with the immediate cancellation of bets after the event occurs

In live betting, where events are highly dynamic and occur in real time, operators must ensure that bet management is seamless and consistent with the actions taking place.

To prevent bets from being placed after an event has occurred, operators must implement an automated mechanism that instantly blocks bets as soon as the event, such as a goal being scored, occurs, even if the official announcement takes a few seconds.

The Ombudsman suggests adding an explicit notice when taking live bets to clearly inform players of the timeframe between the occurrence of an event and the cancellation of a bet offered on the site. Players should be aware that bets placed after the event has taken place cannot be validated.

3 - Increase vigilance regarding temporary accounts

When opening an account, players have 30 days to provide their supporting documents to the operator (proof of identity, address, bank details). Once submitted, they are verified by the operator and the account is then validated.

However, during the 30-day period, the player can play. In some cases, minors who have provided a false date of birth, or those banned from gambling who have slightly changed their first or last name, may play. Proof of this will be requested if they wish to make a withdrawal request. The temporary account therefore allows some players, wishing to circumvent a provision, to lose significant amounts of money, but not to win any.

Operators must therefore be particularly vigilant regarding temporary accounts and must verify the supporting documents submitted as quickly as possible. It would also be advisable, if they have any doubts, particularly regarding a player who may be banned from gambling, to block the account pending receipt of supporting documents.

4 - Take measures to prevent excessive gambling

In 2024, the Ombudsman handled few disputes relating to the prevention of excessive gambling. Nevertheless, it remains essential, in line with the strategic priority set by the ANJ on this subject, to ensure that operators implement proactive policies to:

Strengthen communication on the consequences and risks associated with the use of third-party accounts, particularly with regard to gambling bans;

Implement enhanced monitoring to ensure that individuals banned from gambling do not attempt to circumvent this ban by using third-party accounts;

Improve internal alerts and verification protocols to quickly detect any attempted fraud in the event of a suspicious change in personal information.

Synergy between mediation and the actions of the ANJ

Referrals to the Ombudsman, like the numerous questions addressed to the ANJ, constitute very useful qualitative sensors for identifying trends in operator and player practices and guiding certain regulatory actions. Several examples of ANJ actions illustrate this virtuous cycle of synergy: the reminder of the rules on the execution of bets that must be implemented following the first official announcement of results, the intensification of enforcement actions for monitoring and sanctioning, the ongoing clarification of fraud rules, the issue of the persistence of the provisional account, etc. The ANJ and the Gaming Ombudsman form a unique governance structure that provides players with maximum protection, combining general measures from the regulator and individual actions aimed at players by the Ombudsman. This gives regulation its full effect.