The French Gambling Authority (ANJ) is making it easier for people in France to step back from gambling by redesigning the national register, the “Interdiction Volontaire",...
ANJ plans to reduce problem gambling across France by 2026
France’s gambling regulator, L’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), urges the entire gambling industry to stop relying on high-risk players and decrease revenue driven by their excessive gambling habits.
France is one of the few countries that has a self-exclusion system, which allows people to block themselves from gambling. Day by day, the country records list growth. Currently, more than 85,000 people are registered on the list. This is more than double the number of 2021.
On June 27, the ANJ will host a major event at the French Senate where experts, lawmakers, educators, and regulators will gather to discuss better ways to prevent and treat addiction.
ANJ president Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin said:
“Driven by a very dynamic market that has been fostered by digitalisation, gambling — while not a product like any other — has nevertheless become a common consumer product. The objective of reducing excessive gambling set by the ANJ must now translate into an obligation of results that involves reducing the number of excessive gamblers and their contribution to the revenues of gambling operators.”
Since its debut in 2020, the ANJ has deliberately worked to balance regulation and player protection. Now, the sector is changing. Many operators are starting to include safer gambling practices in their business plans.
Falque-Pierrotin added:
“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, the regulator, associations, educators, parents, etc.”
The ANJ is also tightening enforcement. In 2024, it issued nine sanctions, including a record €800,000 fine to Unibet for a serious failure in its self-exclusion system. It also blocked more than 1,300 illegal gambling sites.
FAQs
Is gambling legal in France?
Gambling in France is legal but is strictly regulated by the Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ).
What is the legal gambling age in France?
The legal gambling age in France is 18 years old.
France’s gambling regulator, the Autorité nationale des jeux (ANJ), has reported record growth in the first half of 2025, with gross revenue reaching €5.7 billion, a 3.5%...
