ANJ tells land-based casinos to enhance monitoring of problem gambling

The French regulator has approved action plans for casinos and racing companies.

France.- The gambling regulator, l’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), has approved responsible gaming action plans submitted by land-based casinos and gaming clubs but recommended several areas for improvement.

It said casinos should improve their monitoring systems to identify excessive gambling using existing player management tools. It also told casinos to promote France’s self-exclusion system, LVA, and said operators should provide more information on the risks of excessive gambling.

Racing companies represented by La Fédération Nationale des Courses Hippiques (FNCH) were advised to tighten controls to prevent minors from betting at racetracks and to ensure a strict distance between betting areas and spaces for family activities,

Some 202 casinos and seven gaming clubs submitted plans to the regulator as part of the annual review. It comes after the ANJ criticised the intensity of gambling advertising in France, particularly sports betting advertising around Euro 2020.

French gaming revenue up 7% in 2021

Earlier this week, the ANJ reported that gross gambling revenue in France totalled €10.70bn in 2021. That’s a rise of 7 per cent year-on-year, but despite the recovery this figure remains below pre-pandemic levels. GGR in 2019 was €11.10bn.

The two big French gaming monopolies, the lottery operator La Française des Jeux (FDJ) and horse racing monopoly Pari Mutual Urbain (PMU), along with French land-based casinos were together responsible for €8.60bn, up 3.6 per cent year-on-year. Land-based casinos accounted for just €1.08bn of that as casinos were closed until October 30.