ANJ Imposes $572,799 Penalty on French Online Gambling Operator
French Gambling Authority Imposes Significant Fine
The French gambling regulator has imposed a substantial fine of $572,799 on an unidentified online betting operator for violating national gambling regulations. The authority detailed the severity of the offense without naming the company directly.
Failure to Identify and Manage High-Risk Gamblers
An investigation revealed that the operator did not adequately monitor and control the gambling activities of 29 high-risk individuals. Among these, six players completely escaped detection, while an additional 23 were wrongly classified under a lower risk level, according to the regulator.
The scrutiny covered the period from October 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, during which these compliance breaches were identified, leading to the enforcement action.
To pinpoint these violations, the regulator employed a sophisticated evaluation system analyzing factors such as self-exclusion history, deposit amounts, betting frequency, and loss patterns. This approach helped recognize nearly 70 problematic cases linked to the operator.
Operator Responsibilities Under French Law
French legislation mandates that operators must actively intervene when gambling harm risks are apparent. They hold a critical responsibility to protect consumers from developing pathological gambling behaviors by implementing effective measures to detect and mitigate such risks.
Operators must demonstrate vigilance in identifying players whose gambling exceeds their financial capacity. Failure to establish these safeguards leads to regulatory penalties, as evidenced in this recent case.
Past Infractions and Regulatory Expectations
The operator contended that it used an automated messaging system to warn gamblers suspected of excessive betting. However, the regulator rejected this defense, emphasizing that proactive risk identification and timely intervention were essential to preventing gambling harm.
This is not the first time this operator has faced regulatory consequences. A previous investigation in 2024 resulted in fines related to violations dating back to 2022, specifically concerning the allowed maximum payouts to players.
