French Government announce plans for new gambling regulatory authority

French Government announce plans for new gambling regulatory authority - Banner
Sam Gascoyne
by Sam Gascoyne Last updated:

Gambling regulatory body to be replaced and FDJ privatised

The French Government have announced that they are set to make sweeping changes to gambling regulation across the country. 

They plan on replacing the current gambling regulatory body l’autorité nationale de régulation des jeux en ligne (ARJEL) with a new national authority called L’autorité nationale des jeux (ANJ).

It has also been announced that the government are also planning on privatising the operator of the current national lottery games, La Française des Jeux (FDJ).

Why are these changes taking place?

As it currently stands who regulates what across the country is fractured, with ARJEL regulating online gambling across the country, whereas the Ministry of Economy and Finance regulates casinos and horse racing in Paris, the countries capital.

The creation of FDJ will look to unite all of France's regulatory bodies under one body. 

Focusing the fight against excessive gambling

Expanding on the decision to make this move, a statement from the country's Council of Ministers said: "This new independent administrative authority will be endowed with reinforced powers, over a broad scope of competences.

“In the competitive online sports betting sector, the ANJ will take over the mission of issuing the licenses to online gambling or betting operators, now exercised by ARJEL. It will see its powers of supervision strengthened: the authority will indeed be able to prescribe to an operator the withdrawal of any commercial communication inciting to play excessively.

“On the casino sector: the skills of the ANJ will focus on the fight against excessive gambling. The regulation of this activity for its other aspects, however, will continue to be the responsibility of the Ministry of the Interior, because of its specificities.”

Sam Gascoyne
by Sam Gascoyne Last updated:

Sam is an online slot aficionado and die-hard purveyor of fair and honest casino bonuses. When he's not throwing himself into the latest game releases he's scouring the net for top-notch no wagering deals.