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ANJ Reports a Doubling in France’s Online Sports Betting Activity
Publishing its “Trimestre Deux” market update, the ANJ revealed that it had recorded 3.3 million online gambling player accounts during the period of 1 April-30 June – approximately 260,000 accounts up on previous quarter results.
Market growth was attributed to French sportsbooks maintaining their “peak performance” with period wagering amounting to €2.15 billion, as French sports betting reported back-to-back record-breaking quarter results during 2021.
Branded the “market’s accelerator”, French sportsbooks registered a combined turnover of €420 million catering for total player accounts of 2.8 million, up 12% on previous quarter comparatives.
Of significance, the ANJ noted that sports betting turnover had nearly doubled against 2019 “normalised pre-COVID results” of €214 million.
“The particularly attractive calendar of the quarter, with in particular the Euro football and the Grand Slam of Roland Garros, had an undeniable impact on the practice and on the recruitment of new players. In fact, bets on these competitions represented 22% of the quarter’s activity,” ANJ’s report explained.
Further positives saw French horse racing continue its progress towards its “pre-COVID stabilised results”, registering a turnover of €95 million generated from total wagers of €400 million (+11%) as 360,000 online players made bets on French syndicated racing events.
Meanwhile, online poker recorded a 27% decrease in turnover to €103 million, which ANJ attributed to France easing its “intense Winter lockdown restrictions”.
Yet, in maintaining 900,000 accounts French poker retains a player participation well-above its pre-COVID results. Additionally, no metrics for online casino were reported as the vertical remains banned under France’s federal online gambling laws.
ANJ concluded its report by underlining that it had begun its review of French gambling advertising standards, in which licensed online operators must submit their activity reports for the remainder of 2021 trading.
“The Euros boosted the segment of sports betting whose turnover reached another record this quarter. This growth testifies to the fact that the French model, although very supervised, is not a brake,” stated ANJ President Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin.
“However, it asks us about the societal issues that these new uses come to question. This is particularly the case with advertising, a subject on which the ANJ is currently consulting all stakeholders to promote a rebalancing of operator practices. Finally, under the leadership of the ANJ and in collaboration with other administrative or judicial institutions, the toxic offers of tipsters have been severely hampered in recent months.”
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bet365
Octoplay launches with bet365 in the UK
Octoplay has gone live with bet365 in the United Kingdom, adding the operator to its roster of tier-one partners in the regulated UK market.
The supplier said the bet365 rollout follows recent UK launches with Virgin Bet and BetVictor as it expands distribution with major local brands.
Outside the UK, Octoplay pointed to recent go-lives with Paf in Finland, PokerStars in Spain and Italy, and Superbet in Brazil.
“Our partnership with bet365 represents another step in our accelerating UK expansion,” says Ralitsa Georgieva, CEO at Octoplay. “Working with one of the industry’s most recognized operators validates our approach and builds on the momentum we’ve established through successful integrations with leading UK brands throughout 2025.”
“We are pleased to partner with Octoplay and introduce their game portfolio to our UK players,” says Clement Le Scanff, Head of Gaming at bet365. “Their focus on quality content and player engagement aligns with our commitment to providing the best entertainment to our customers.”
Octoplay said it holds active licenses in 17 jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom, Malta, Romania, Sweden, Slovakia, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Greece, Spain, Finland, Brazil, New Jersey, Michigan, Ontario, and Georgia.
The post Octoplay launches with bet365 in the UK appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Barcelona Technology Campus
Zitro Achieves ISO 27001 Recertification at its Barcelona Technology Campus
Zitro has successfully renewed its ISO 27001 certification for the Information Security Management System (ISMS) at its Barcelona Technology Campus. This achievement, framed within the company’s ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) commitments, reinforces its ongoing commitment to cybersecurity and ensuring the confidentiality, integrity and availability of sensitive customer and employee data.
ISO 27001 is part of the ISO 27000 family of international standards for information security. This framework enables organisations to identify risks, implement effective controls and ensure information protection in line with global best practices, while also ensuring compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
For Zitro, this recertification confirms the rigorous and continuous work the company carries out in the field of information security. The Barcelona Technology Campus—dedicated to the development of software and hardware for the gaming industry—maintains the highest standards, and this recognition reflects the level of commitment embedded across all its processes.
The post Zitro Achieves ISO 27001 Recertification at its Barcelona Technology Campus appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Asia
Kazakhstan Orders Telecom Providers to Block Illegal Online Casino Payments via Mobile Balances
Kazakhstan authorities have moved to tighten controls on illegal online gambling payments after uncovering schemes that use mobile phone balances to fund unlicensed casino activity.
The Financial Monitoring Agency (FMA) issued instructions to telecom providers to strengthen monitoring and introduce systems to detect and block suspicious transactions.
According to the FMA, mobile operators including Tele2, Altel, Beeline, Kcell and Activ were called to a working meeting where regulators demonstrated how illicit payment flows to online casinos are being processed.
To verify the issue, the FMA carried out test purchases across 10 illegal online casino websites using services from all major mobile operators. The tests confirmed that payments via mobile balances were possible.
The agency stated that the goal is to cut off financial access to illegal operators and reduce public exposure to unregulated platforms. Further enforcement actions are expected as monitoring continues.
Meanwhile, Kazakhstan is preparing to significantly tighten rules on the promotion of illegal gambling. A group of senators is advancing an initiative to introduce criminal penalties for influencers who advertise online casinos and organise “giveaways.”
In related developments, a Kazakhstani influencer has recently been arrested in Vietnam on suspicion of running an illegal gambling operation.
Furthermore, the country is also restricting citizens’ access to legal gambling options, indicating a broader anti-gambling stance towards locals while still pursuing gambling tourism.
Lawmakers introduced rules restricting access to casinos, slot machine halls and betting venues in several regions to foreign nationals only. The changes will take effect on 17 May.
In March, President Tokayev signed a law establishing four new gambling zones for foreigners in the country.
The post Kazakhstan Orders Telecom Providers to Block Illegal Online Casino Payments via Mobile Balances appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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