France ANJ Autorité nationale des jeux
It is France's gambling regulator. The 2010 online gambling law opened only sports betting, horse racing and poker, and online slots and casinos are still banned. France is one of two EU countries that block online casinos.
| English | Autorité nationale des jeux |
|---|---|
| Classification | Licenses & Regulation |
| Organization | National Gaming Authority (ANJ) |
| Launch | June 2020 (replaced ARJEL) |
| 이전 기관 | ARJEL (2010-2020) |
| Location | Paris, France |
| Governing law | Online Gambling Law 2010-476 (in force May 13, 2010) |
| 온라인 허용 | Sports betting, horse racing betting, poker |
| Online slots and casino | Not permitted |
| 국영 독점 | FDJ (lottery and offline betting, until 2044), PMU (offline horse racing) |
| Land-based casinos | 202 (2023) |
| 불법 온라인 카지노 이용자 | About 3 million (2023 estimate) |
Overview
ANJ (Autorité nationale des jeux, National Gaming Authority) is France’s gambling regulator. It launched in June 2020, replacing ARJEL, which was created along with the 2010 online gambling law. It is based in Paris. Beyond online gambling, the ANJ also oversees the monopoly businesses of the state lottery company FDJ and the horse racing betting company PMU.
France partly opened online gambling with the Online Gambling Act (Law 2010-476), which took effect on May 13, 2010. Only sports betting, horse racing betting, and poker were permitted, and more than 1.2 million accounts were created in the first month alone.
Why are online slots banned?
French lawmakers left casino games such as slots, roulette, and blackjack out of online licensing because they are too addictive. That is why online slots and online casinos are still illegal in France today. In the European Union, only France and Cyprus ban online casinos.
As a result, many people use overseas sites outside the official market. An estimated 3 million French people used overseas online casinos in 2023.
History
Scope of permission
| Field | Status |
|---|---|
| Sports betting | Online permitted (licensed) |
| Horse racing betting | Online permitted (licensed), land-based under PMU monopoly |
| Online poker | Permitted (licensed) |
| Lottery | FDJ monopoly (until 2044) |
| Online slots and casino | Not permitted |
| Land-based casinos | Permitted, 202 venues (2023, 195 mainland and 7 overseas territories) |
2025 legalization attempt
In October 2024, the French government included legalizing online casinos in its 2025 budget. It expected about 1 billion euros a year in tax revenue and argued that bringing the illegal market under regulation would also strengthen addiction prevention.
But the opposition was fierce.
| Opposing side | Argument |
|---|---|
| Land-based casino industry (Casinos de France) | Concerns of a 20% to 30% revenue drop, a third of casinos closing, and 15,000 jobs lost. They proposed granting licenses only to companies that own land-based casinos |
| Gambling addiction groups | Addiction risk of online slots |
In the end, the government put the plan on hold in January 2025 and began collecting further input.
Land-based casino market
France has one of the largest numbers of land-based casinos in Europe. Four major groups account for three quarters of revenue. Most land-based casino revenue comes from slot machines. Many analysts therefore say land-based casinos would be hit hardest if online slots were allowed.
Rating
France is a leading example of a “partial opening” model that opened only part of the online market. This contrasts with its neighbors Spain and Italy, which allow online slots. Whether the legalization debate resumes is a key point of interest for the European slot industry.
Location
The ANJ is based in Paris, France.