French gambling regulator introduces new bonus rules
The ANJ says it wants to introduce more transparency and consumer safeguards ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
France.- The French gambling regulator L’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) has published new guidelines on bonuses and rewards as part of its review of gambling marketing. The new rules aim to ensure commercial transparency and consumer safeguards.
The regulator said that it wanted to improve the transparency of incentives ahead of the FIFA World Cup and that “specific guidelines are required to improve market standards“. It’s drawn up a list of information that operators must display to players who take advantage of offers.
Transparency requirements include showing the duration of the offer, the deposit and wagering requirements, how the offer will be rewarded (i.e., real-money or game credits) and any further conditions. Full terms and conditions must be provided and written in a legible and transparent way.
It said: “The ANJ is regularly contacted by players who complain about the lack of clarity of commercial offers, which can also be the source of many disputes. Terms such as “free” or “offered” are often used incorrectly.”
Meanwhile, the ANJ said that it would monitor the volume of bonuses that operators promote in order to moderate their use. It told operators to be vigilant to ensure that they do not send offers to players who have self-excluded or who show signs of problematic gambling.
It recommended that welcome offers be no more than €100. Operators must also give players the option to opt-out of receiving any offers.
It said: “The ANJ emphasises that the nature of these welcome or loyalty offers will be the subject of particular attention during the annual review of the operators’ promotional strategies and their action plans to prevent excessive gambling.”
French regulator forms new Sanctions Committee
Earlier this week, the ANJ announced the creation of a new independent Sanctions Committee to oversee disciplinary duties. The committee comprises six members representing the government, judiciary and legal systems.
The committee will work independently from the ANJ and deal with issuing sanctions “such as warnings, suspensions, penalties and criminal charges” against companies who are found to have broken French gambling law. It will have the power to order reviews into licensees’ key personnel and management.
State Council rapporteur public Frédéric Dieu has been named to chair the committee. State Council officer Dorothée Pradines will also represent government interests.
The legal system will be represented by the judges Nicolas Brunner and Maud Choquet from the French Court of Auditors, while two advisers from the Court of Cassation, Fabrice DelBano and Véronique Boisselet, will provide expertise on judiciary matters. All members will serve a six-year tenure.
Earlier this month, the ANJ announced that it had updated its player self-assessment tool, Evalujeu. It’s updated the site’s branding and visual identity and added new features, including the ability to adapt the assessment to different types of gaming.
