French Regulator Launches Campaign to Combat Illegal Online Casinos
The French National Gaming Authority (ANJ) has launched a new campaign called “100% winning?” to remind consumers that online casinos are illegal in France. This is part of a wider plan to tackle the growing black market in gambling which is a problem for both players and authorities.
Raising Awareness About Illegal Gambling
The “100% winning?” campaign seeks to highlight the risks associated with black market gambling offerings, including addiction, financial troubles, and involvement in criminal activities.
The campaign is particularly focused on addressing the fact that many French players are unaware that online casinos are completely illegal in the country.
According to ANJ studies, between 5% and 11% of the overall gambling market in France is made up of illegal online gambling.
ANJ President Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin commented on the severity of the issue, stating:
“The illegal supply of online gambling represents between 5% and 11% of the overall gambling market in France. It is particularly harmful for the players who consume it: addiction, over-indebtedness, family problems, etc. This parallel market constitutes a real financial support for multiple international criminal organisations.”
Digital Only Campaign
The campaign launched on October 7 and is digital only. Ads are designed to look like online casino sites, with colorful and eye-catching visuals.
They then deliver the message that these sites are illegal and the risks: no player protection, cheating, personal data theft or malware.
The campaign will use several digital channels: Snapchat, Twitch, TikTok, web banners and interactive ads within gaming apps.
The goal is to reach younger and tech-savvy audiences who are more exposed to illegal online gambling platforms.
Tackling the Black Market: A Global Strategy
This awareness campaign is part of the ANJ broader plan to combat illegal gambling.
The regulator has already focused on blocking illegal gambling websites through administrative measures.
Since March 2022, ANJ has issued 506 blocking orders which led to 2,365 URLs being shut down.
But one of the challenges is the rapid comeback of these blocked websites through mirror sites – clones of the original site with different URLs.
To reinforce this strategy, ANJ is working more closely with various stakeholders: payment providers, tech suppliers, search engines and social networks.
These partnerships will disrupt the illegal sites even more. ANJ is also stepping up cooperation with judicial authorities in France and other European countries to create a united front against illegal gambling.
The persistence of illegal sites
Despite all this, the black market is still a threat and mirror sites are a problem.
ANJ is looking for new ways to prevent these sites from coming back after being blocked.
This includes working with businesses that indirectly support illegal gambling sites: payment processors to technology suppliers.
ANJ will launch more awareness campaigns targeting different publics as part of its anti-black market strategy.
These campaigns will inform the public about the risks of illegal gambling and the legal French gambling sector.
