The L’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) has begun its enforcement of new player protection in France, which must be carried out by licensed operators including mandatory deposit limits and stringent customer care interventions.
The ANJ’s new executive team has formalised and approved a three-year action plan to take on the ‘growing public health issue’, led by President Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, which establishes ‘five key pillars’ designed to ensure that licensed gambling activities provide a ‘significant return to French society’.
In overseeing the new standards of French gambling, the ANJ has reaffirmed its intentions to develop a new regulatory system, allowing licensed incumbents to update its agency on technical updates, player incentives and platform enhancements.
It said: “ANJ must integrate this culture of innovation and digital technology, both with respect to the players it regulates and internally, in its operating mode and tools.”
From 2021-to-2023, France’s unified regulatory agency will place its ‘strategic focus’ on ‘ensuring that players are protected from harms’ across all gambling disciplines.
The ANJ stated that it will initially undertake a reform of France’s regulatory frameworks, with regards to placing new conditions on operator conduct and individual licensing requirements.
The regulator underlined that new conditions would be required in order for incumbents to maintain a positive public image for gambling, which is portrayed as a recreational pastime for consumers.
In its role as France’s new regulatory agency, the ANJ has underscored its duty to protect vulnerable players as the French health ministry estimates around 1.4 million problem gamblers.
Last week, the ANJ disclosed its new technical requirements and data obligations which all licensed incumbents must register with the agency.
Further objectives see the regulator emphasise the need for cross-border cooperation on AML and minimising criminal threats. At a European level, the ANJ stated that it wishes to play a ‘leading role in EU member state cooperation, building Europe’s new vision of gambling regulation’.
The ANJ’s final objective concerns broadening the agency’s network and resources to work effectively across France’s 18 regional communities.
