In 2021, the French online gambling market achieved its most successful year yet. It broke the €2bn turnover threshold for the first time.
However, the uncertain political landscape recently has caused some experts and enthusiasts to be concerned about the future of regulated online gambling in France. Football fans who enjoy placing a wager on their favourite teams and players have been wondering if they will be able to continue to do so.
Now that Emmanuel Macron has been confirmed for another term the online gambling landscape seems set to continue as outlined in this gambling guide from France. Let’s take a closer look at what this means for betting on football.
Regulation of online gambling in France
The ANJ is the public authority that regulates gambling and games of chance. It was created by Ordinance No. 2019-1015. The authority was adopted on 2 October 2019 and came into action on 1 January 2020.
This authority replaced the ARJEL which was put in place when the Online Gambling Law was instigated, in 2010.
The responsibilities of the ANJ include:
- Granting licenses to online gambling providers
- Enforcing online gambling regulations
- Dealing with illegal gambling websites
- Identifying and eliminating fraud and money laundering
- Taking action to alleviate gambling addiction issues
Any provider that wants to offer online gambling services in France, whether they are based in the country or not, has to apply to the ANJ for a license to do so.
The ANJ looks at online operators to consider whether they are targeting potential customers in France. It determines whether this is the case by taking into account factors such as whether the site has a .fr domain name, whether it makes reference to French users, and whether it offers a French language version of its content.
If a provider is considered to be offering a service to French customers, it must have a relevant license in place.
Which games and events can be subject to gambling in France?
The authorities in France have provided a list of those activities that can be subject to online gambling in the country. Gambling is only permitted on these specific activities.
Football fans have the opportunity to place bets on their team, players, and other outcomes such as goals scored and the final score of a game. This is because sports betting is one of the online gambling options permitted under French law.
Gambling on poker games such as Texas Hold’em limit, Texas Hold’em pot limit, and Texas Hold’em no limit is also permitted as they are considered to be games of skill.
In addition, the authorities provide a list of horse races during the year where gambling is permitted.
This is the legal landscape in terms of online gambling in France at present. Given Macron’s victory, it would seem that this landscape is unlikely to change. This is good news for football fans across the country who enjoy placing an online wager on their favourite sport.
