New campaign from French gambling regulator targets illegal online casinos
Date: 2024-10-09 Author: Alex Crawford Categories: EVENTS
In June this year, the French gambling regulator, the Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), presented a campaign to combat gambling addiction in conjunction with the 2024 European Championships. However, its efforts are not over: the ANJ has launched a new information campaign aimed at combating illegal online casinos.
The "100% Win?" campaign is now live
Called "100% Win?", the new campaign aims to remind French players that online casinos are illegal in the country. The campaign also highlights the risks associated with gambling on the black market. According to a study conducted by the ANJ, half of all players in France are unaware that online casinos are completely banned.
To remedy this situation, the campaign uses a series of colorful ads styled as online casino sites to remind users that such sites are illegal and pose serious risks. The digital campaign was launched on October 7 and is distributed via platforms such as Snapchat, Twitch, interactive ads in gaming apps, web banners and TikTok videos.
ANJ’s messages emphasize that unlicensed gambling sites are prone to fraud, often do not provide protection for players and can steal personal data or install malware.
A broad strategy to combat the black market
The main objective of the ANJ strategy for 2024-2026 is to completely eradicate the black market. According to ANJ President Isabelle Falk-Pierrotin, illegal online gambling currently accounts for between 5% and 11% of the total gambling market in France. She stressed that such gambling causes serious harm to players, causing addictions, debt problems and family conflicts. In addition, the black market is a source of financial support for international criminal organizations.
ANJ has long used its powers to block and remove illegal gambling sites. Since March 2022, the regulator has issued 506 administrative orders, resulting in the closure of 2,365 URLs. This is a significant increase: in the last two and a half years, ANJ has blocked twice as many sites as in the previous 12 years.
The problem of mirror sites
One of the main difficulties remains the problem of blocked sites appearing under new URLs. These "mirror" sites are created to bypass blocking. In response, ANJ has begun to actively cooperate with payment systems, technology companies, search engines and social networks to interrupt the activities of illegal platforms.
In addition, the regulator has increased cooperation with national judicial authorities and governments in Europe. All these measures, along with information campaigns such as "100% Win?", are the basis of the ANJ's comprehensive strategy to combat illegal gambling in France.
Last month, France took another important step towards responsible gambling by announcing a new partnership between the ANJ and the National Union of Family Associations.
