Autorité Nationale des Jeux, France’s gambling authority, has published its 2024-2026 strategic plan to tackle several objectives in the country’s gambling market, including problem gambling.
Reducing excessive gambling and the social damage it causes, as well as protecting minors, are the key objectives of ANJ’s plan and the authority is calling on support from all industry stakeholders.
ANJ noted that gambling operators have made substantial progress when it comes to player protection in the past three years since the authority was established.
However, ANJ claimed that data from an upcoming Eropp survey – conducted by the OFDT – shows more work must be done, as the report states that problem gambling generates more than 38 per cent of the sector’s turnover and 21 per cent from excessive gamblers alone.
To address this, the authority’s strategic plan is broken down into three different pillars to improve regulation as well as preserve the sector’s transparency and integrity.
These three pillars are: drastically reducing the share and number of excessive gamblers within the gambling market; fighting against illegal gambling; and strengthening the economic dimension of regulation to better understand market balances and provide solutions.
ANJ added that the strategic plan builds on its three core principles: make scientific knowledge of the market and gaming practices the compass of regulation; embody at national and European level regulation based on dialogue and cooperation to drive the repositioning of the market; position the ANJ as a laboratory for bold, effective and exemplary public action.
“After three years of operation of the ANJ, we consider today that the regulation of gambling must take a turning point which implies that the market gradually pivots towards a less intensive model,” commented Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, President of the ANJ.
“This proactive objective of reducing the number of excessive gamblers and strengthening the protection of minors will be monitored over three years, adjusted based on monitoring indicators and prevalence studies.
“It can only be achieved if all stakeholders join forces alongside the regulator to move the lines: gaming operators, public authorities, institutions, associations, etc.”
