TITLE: France's National Gambling Authority Sanctions Online Operator for Excessive Player Identification Failures
BODY:
On June 30, 2026, the Sanctions Commission of the National Gambling Authority (Autorité Nationale des Jeux — ANJ) imposed a €500,000 fine against an online gambling operator for failing to identify and support players engaged in excessive or pathological gambling. The ANJ's sanctions body confirmed breaches of player protection obligations during an administrative investigation conducted as part of the regulator's control programme.
The ANJ examined 30 players presenting a manifest risk of excessive or pathological gambling between October 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024, using seven indicators derived from the ANJ's reference framework for preventing excessive gambling and protecting minors. These indicators included deposit frequency, number of lost deposits, gaming frequency, high bet amounts, modifications to legal gaming moderators, self-exclusion activation, and multiple accounts opened by individual players. The investigation revealed the operator failed to identify almost all sampled players as presenting a risk, with some players not identified at all and others classified at insufficient risk levels relative to their actual gaming behaviour. The operator also failed to implement graduated and proportionate support measures to moderate players' gaming activity.
The Sanctions Commission determined the breaches were serious, substantial in nature, significantly impactful, and sustained over the investigation period. The €500,000 sanction reaffirms the ANJ's position that operator compliance with player identification and support obligations is central to the regulatory framework. The operator may appeal the decision to the French administrative court (Conseil d'État) within two months of notification.