France Online Gambling: What ANJ Regulation Covers

Have you ever heard of anyone playing online roulette legally in France? If so, they must have tricked you! As strange as it may seem, online casino games have been completely banned in France for over 16 year. Even though the French system may seem like a maze at first glance, we’re here to help you make sense of it all. Here’s the guide we’ve put together for you today:

• The French Gambling Market at a Glance
• ANJ: From a Betting-and-Poker Regulator to France’s Full Gambling Authority
• Why Online Casino Games Remain Off-Limits in France
• The Offshore Reality: How ANJ Polices the Unlicensed Market
• The Bottom Line for Players
• How We Verified This

The French Gambling Market at a Glance

Although the French regulatory system may seem complicated at first glance, it’s not really that complicated. It all boils down to a single idea: there are games you can play and games that are strictly prohibited. We’ll summarize all the rules of the regulatory system in a single table to help you better understand how it works:

ANJ: From a Betting-and-Poker Regulator to France’s Full Gambling Authority

Did you know that onlin gambling in France was first regulated in 2010? At that time, the ARJEL authority licensed sports betting, horse racing betting, and poker. But that was as far as it went. The Ministry of the Interior and local prefectures held a monopoly.

A few more years passed and in 2019 a new change took efect. The PACTE Law and the ordinance of October 2 dissolved ARJEL and created ANJ in its place. Sounds interesting, doesn’t it? The new authority also has much broader powers. Now ANJ regulates land-based casinos as well and has even managed to rise above the monopoly I mentioned earlier.

What’s hapening now? ANJ issues licenses and renews existing ones. But it doesnt stop there! It also sets advertising limits and ensure that responsible gaming requirements are met. Now you can play at many more legal casinos, including Unibet, Bwin, PokerStars, and Betclic.

Why Online Casino Games Remain Off-Limits in France

As far back as 2010, online casino games were banned in France. Although online sports betting and poker were available, slots, roulette, and blackjack remained prohibited. Why? They were considered riskier for players, but they also posed a threat to brick-and-mortar casinos. Don’t think there’s a casino where these games are available. No! No operator was allowed to offer you these games.

Was there pressure to open up the market?

Of course! But it didn’t produce any concrete results. There was a proposal two years ago, but it was blocked by the land-based casino sector. This year, there was discussion of a compromise model, called the “digital mirror,” which would allow only land-based casinos that are already licensed to operate online as well. However, we’re being honest with you and telling you that it’s just a proposal. Be patient. It’s unclear whether something like this will even be approved. If you’ve seen a rumored launch date circulating online, ignore it. There’s no clear evidence, and if there is any, you’ll find it on our website!

The Offshore Reality: How ANJ Polices the Unlicensed Market

As I mentioned above in France you don’t have a legal option for slots, roulette, or blackjack. For this reason, many French players choose to play at unlicensed casinos or at casinos licensed in jurisdictions such as Curacao. How is this posible? Well, a casino that doesn’t hold a French license has no obligation to comply with ANJ regulations. Right?

The ANJ isn’t backing down and is fighting against these sites. If an official notice goes unanswered for 5 days (note: just 5 days), the president can order internet service providers to block access to that illegal site. Impressive. And no, these aren’t just empty words! From 2022 to the present, 152 blocking orders have been issued for 532 URLs. The media reports that 1,000 websites were blocked last year alone. Hold on a second. I got this data from secondary reports, not from an official tally provided by the French authority, okay?

In any case, you and I can both draw the same conclusion. The ANJ doesn’t mess around when it comes to enforcing the law.

The Bottom Line for Players

We’ve reached the end, and together we can draw a simple conclusion. The regulated market in France is real. Very real! And it’s closely monitored. If you live in France, unfortunately the only legal online gambling options are sports betting, horse racing betting, and poker. Be sure to choose only licensed casinos, okay? Online casino games aren’t legally available, and this restriction has been in place for over 16 years.

You’ve probablly seen while browsing the internet that some sites promise to offer you roulette sessions or slot spins. Don’t be fooled! Those casinos aren’t legal in France, so we don’t recommend opening accounts there.

How We Verified This

We are honest with you, which is why we choose to verify every piece of information at least twice before publishing a guide on our website. Therefore, we have verified the history and scope of the ANJ’s authority based on the information published on its official website. We have also reviewed FDJ’s corporate history, public statements by FDJ United, and press articles. For current tax rates, we relied on reports from the specialized press.

Always gamble responsibly!

Gambling should be treated as a form of entertainment. It is not intended as a way to make money. If that’s what you’re doing, it’s best to take a break. You can self-exclude or set deposit limits. If you’re under 18, this article isn’t for you!

We’ve written this guide for general informational purposes. The rules can change from one day to the next, so it’s best to check them directly on the website of the French national authority.