Compliance Updates

ANJ, the new French gambling regulator is launched

Published

6 years ago

June 22, 2020

Reading Time: 3 minutes

On Monday 22 June, the members of the ANJ met for the first time around the President, Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin. This first meeting of the ANJ Boardmarks the launch of the new regulator, which is now competent in all segments of the gambling market.

An extended regulatory scope

In 2019, France has amended its legal framework of gambling and its regulation. A new gambling regulatory authority (ANJ) has been set. It follows ARJEL with a significantly extended regulatory scope and enhanced powers.

The ANJ is now responsible for all components of the legal gambling market, both online and offline:

online games that ARJEL regulated, such as sports betting and horse racing betting and poker offered by the 14 licensed operators ;
all the games of La Française des Jeux or the PMU sold in physical points of sale or online;
228 racecourses;
202 casinos, with the exception of anti-money laundering issues and the integrity of the games offered, which remain under the responsibility of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

While ARJEL regulated 11% of the French gambling legal market, the ANJ now regulates 78%, which represents a market of more than 50 billion euros in bets

The foundations for a consolidated regulation are therefore laid to have an overall gambling policy in France under the control of the ANJ. It will be able to implement a complete “toolbox” including preventive, prescriptive and control activities, as well as sanction measures throughout the entire gambling industry.

The ANJ missions are structured around four objectives:

Prevent excessive or pathological gambling and protect minors;
Ensure the integrity, reliability and transparency of gaming;
Prevent fraudulent and criminal activities, as well as money laundering and financing of terrorism;
Ensure the balanced, fair development of various types of games, in order to avoid any economic destabilisation of the sectors concerned.

Enhanced powers

The ANJ has enhanced powers to fulfil its missions, such as the ability to require the withdrawal of a commercial communication involving an inducement to excessive gambling or the ability to carry out on-site controls.Regarding operators under exclusive rights, it authorizes their games offer and it annually approves their games program, their promotional strategy as well as their action plans in the fight against fraud and money laundering on the one hand, prevention of gambling addiction and the protection of minors on the other hand. The ANJ will exercise greater control over these operators in these different fields.

The methods of regulation

The ANJ will set up a regulation that combines support and control.

In the short term, the ANJ will use pedagogy to explain to economic actors the new rather complex legal framework. It has already planned to bring them together shortly to present their new obligations.
It is currently finalising two reference frameworks, one on the prevention of gambling addiction and the protection of minors and the other on the fight against fraud, money laundering and the financing of terrorism. These new compliance tools will be submitted for consultation with the stakeholders concerned in order to develop standards that are as close as possible to the sectoral realities and to secure their practices.
It will also ensure compliance with the obligations of the law, which implies a credible and appropriate control strategy, and even sanctions for the most serious breaches. In this respect, it will sign an agreement with the Race and Gaming Central Service of the Ministry of Home Affairs for on-site inspections in points of sale and casinos.

Protecting players: a priority for the ANJ

In France, one person out of two is a gambler. Problem gamblers are estimated around 1,2 million. So, preventing excessive or pathological gambling is a public health issue to which the ANJ attaches the utmost importance.

The ANJ will place the players at the heart of the regulation. For that to be real and effective, the ANJ will be as close as possible to the gambling experience and the uses of the players, by articulating its action around the three fronts: information, service and capitalization on the collective intelligence of the players.

The transfer of the management of the file of banned players from the Ministry of Home Affairs to the ANJ starting from September will be an opportunity to make players more responsible. Indeed, the ANJ will propose a new registration process and a real tool for self-protection and control of the game, faster and less guilt-ridden. Concretely, a motivational interview with the ANJ staff will be carried out with the players in order to direct them, if necessary, to health-care professionals.

For Isabelle FALQUE-PIERROTIN, Chairwoman of the ANJ: “The ANJ is not an enlarged ARJEL, it is a new project that requires rethinking regulation. It has to adapt its intervention to monopolies (FDJ and PMU) and to players gambling mostly anonymously in points of sale. I would like to set up a regulation that combines support and control in order to better serve and protect players”.

Compliance Updates

ELA Games scales up its presence in Europe by certifying a suite of 9 hit games in 5 key markets

Published

1 day ago

April 7, 2026

Wladimir P.

ela-games-scales-up-its-presence-in-europe-by-certifying-a-suite-of-9-hit-games-in-5-key-markets

ELA Games is accelerating its European expansion strategy after securing certifications for nine of its top-performing titles across five major regulated markets: Sweden, Denmark, Greece, Romania, and Malta.

This latest milestone enables operators in these regions to access a diverse portfolio of proven games, featuring award-nominated mechanics and modern takes on classic casino experiences.

A Balanced Portfolio for Local Markets

With a strong focus on localisation, ELA Games has curated a selection designed to resonate with varied player preferences across Europe. The newly certified lineup is built around three core pillars:

High-Performing Hits: Titles such as Buffalo Force, Piñatas Festival, and Riches Express have delivered strong GGR growth and demonstrated high player engagement in competitive markets.
Innovative Mechanics: The rollout introduces ELA Games’ Winpot feature to new jurisdictions. This mechanic, which allows players to control their cash-out strategy, is now available through titles like Zeus Winpot and Rabbit Winpot Deluxe.
Modernised Classics: Games such as Juicy Crystal and Noble Crown bring updated visuals and smooth gameplay to traditional slot formats, appealing to players who prefer familiar mechanics with a modern twist.

Market Availability

The certified titles are now live across multiple operator platforms, with game selections varying by jurisdiction:

Sweden: Betinia, Swiper, CampoBet, QuickCasino
Denmark: Betinia, CampoBet, Swiper, Betoro
Romania: Don.ro, TopBet, Swiper
Greece: ElaBet

Strengthening European Partnerships

These certifications build on ELA Games’ growing presence across Europe, supported by strategic partnerships with leading operators. The company has recently expanded in Denmark through a notable collaboration with Stake.dk, alongside integrations with Danske Licens Spil (Tivoli Casino), RoyalCasino, and Casino House.

Further expansion has been driven by partnerships with major industry players such as Betsson, as well as regulatory approval from the Hellenic Gaming Commission in Greece.

With a steadily growing footprint and a portfolio tailored for regulated markets, ELA Games is well positioned to capture additional market share and deliver strong returns for its partners across Europe.

The post ELA Games scales up its presence in Europe by certifying a suite of 9 hit games in 5 key markets appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Anjouan B2B licence

VeliGames secures Anjouan B2B licence to expand operator reach

Published

1 day ago

April 7, 2026

Wladimir P.

veligames-secures-anjouan-b2b-licence-to-expand-operator-reach

VeliGames, the game aggregation platform by VeliTech, has secured an Anjouan B2B licence, marking a major step in its international expansion. The new licence allows VeliGames to provide its portfolio of in-house and third-party content to Anjouan-licensed iGaming operators, opening doors to a wider network of partners.

For operators, the licence provides confidence and regulatory assurance when selecting a content provider, while simplifying the onboarding process and accelerating access to VeliGames’ extensive catalogue.

Irakli Kakhidze, CEO of VeliGames, said: “Securing the Anjouan B2B licence is a key milestone in our global growth strategy. It strengthens our position as a trusted aggregation partner and enables us to collaborate with more licensed operators, supporting faster content delivery and smoother integration.”

Recently recognized as an Industry Rising Star at SiGMA Africa 2026, VeliGames continues to expand its reach across emerging markets including Africa, Asia, and LATAM. The company combines exclusive in-house titles with a growing library of third-party games, providing operators with a diverse and scalable content offering.

The Anjouan licence is part of VeliGames’ broader strategy to grow its international footprint while maintaining a strong focus on regulatory compliance, technology reliability, and long-term industry partnerships.

The post VeliGames secures Anjouan B2B licence to expand operator reach appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Central Register for Exclusion from Gambling

KSA Publishes Studies and Provides Guidance on the Duty of Care

Published

6 days ago

April 2, 2026

Wladimir P.

ksa-publishes-studies-and-provides-guidance-on-the-duty-of-care

The Dutch Gambling Regulator (KSA) has published two studies and provided additional guidance on the fulfillment of the duty of care by online gambling licensees. The documents provide insight into practice and offer clarification on personal interviews and the submission of notifications for registration in the Central Register for Exclusion from Gambling (Cruks).

The KSA conducted research into these topics in 2025. The results were discussed in December 2025 during a roundtable discussion with license holders. During this discussion, practical experiences and bottlenecks were gathered. Based on this, the KSA has drawn up guidelines to provide more clarity regarding implementation.

Personal maintenance

The personal interview is a far-reaching intervention that license holders are required to implement when there is a suspicion of excessive gambling behaviour or gambling addiction. Research shows that license holders implement this differently and encounter bottlenecks, such as a low response rate from players. The guidance explains, among other things, the timing of the intervention, the form of contact and the content of the conversation. In doing so, room remains for customisation and professional judgment.

Notices

If a license holder observes serious signs of problematic gambling behaviour or suspects a gambling addiction, the player must be advised to register with Cruks. If the player does not follow this advice, the license holder must report this to the KSA (a notification). The KSA may subsequently decide to involuntarily register the player in Cruks.

The research shows that license holders apply this measure differently and that there are questions in practice regarding its implementation. For example, it is difficult for the license holder to verify whether a player has actually registered, and it is not always clear when a notification must be submitted.

The guidance provides practical explanation regarding this, including the timing of reporting and the information required.

Guidelines

The guidelines do not contain new rules, but provide further explanation regarding the application of existing obligations. This gives permit holders more clarity regarding the fulfillment of their duty of care.

The post KSA Publishes Studies and Provides Guidance on the Duty of Care appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.