France’s gambling regulator, the ANJ, has imposed a €500,000 fine on an unnamed online operator for failing to identify and support players exhibiting signs of excessive gambling. The Sanctions Committee reached this decision on June 30, 2026, following a review of player activity between October 2023 and March 2024.
The watchdog did not disclose the brand's identity but confirmed that the company failed to comply with its obligations regarding "problem or pathological gamblers." The investigation focused on the gambling habits of 30 specific players. To assess the situation, the committee analyzed seven key indicators: deposit frequency, the volume of lost deposits, play frequency, modifications to legal gambling moderators, the use of self-exclusion tools, and the number of accounts opened by each player during the period.
Committee Findings and Penalties
The Sanctions Committee concluded that the operator failed to fulfill its identification obligations for "almost all" players involved in the case. According to the ANJ, some players were not identified as posing a risk, while others were incorrectly classified as having an insufficient risk level based on their actual gambling habits.
Furthermore, the committee noted that the operator did not implement graduated and proportionate support measures intended to curb gambling behavior. The €500,000 penalty was determined to be suitable given the seriousness, impact, and duration of these breaches.
This enforcement action coincides with the ANJ’s implementation of a new responsible gaming algorithm. The regulator recently stated that 600,000 players, representing 8.7 percent of the national player base, are "highly likely" to be gambling excessively. The ANJ added that the current number of players identified for showing signs of problem gambling remains inconsistent with the size of operators' player bases and prevalence studies.