Compliance Updates
ANJ, the new French gambling regulator is launched
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.
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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
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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”.
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An investigation by the Delaware Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) into VGW Luckyland Inc. – a subsidiary of the Australian-based VGW Holdings Ltd. – revealed that VGW Luckyland Inc. was operating illegal online gaming. Delaware officials concluded that VGW misrepresented its services as a promotional sweepstakes while enabling players to purchase coins for casino-style games, leading to potential cash winnings. These types of real-money games offered to Delaware residents by an unlicensed entity violate the Delaware Constitution, the Delaware Penal Code and the Delaware Gaming Competitiveness Act of 2012.
With the support of the Delaware State Lottery, DGE issued a cease-and-desist order to VGW. Effective April 2, 2025, Delaware residents can no longer participate in VGW Luckyland’s unlicensed online gaming platforms.
The DGE and Delaware Lottery emphasize the importance of legal and responsible gaming practices to protect residents. Unregulated gaming poses significant risks, including limited withdrawal options and potential exposure to cybercrime, identity theft, and fraud. Officials caution that unauthorized online gaming has become a prime target for schemes where cybercriminals attempt to steal not only your money, but personal information, bank account details, and other personal information. Gaming on these unregulated sites can expose players to serious risks such as unauthorized transactions, identity theft, or other types of fraud. Unlike regulated Delaware Casinos, these illegal platforms don’t follow any oversight or consumer protection rules.
Some of these unregulated websites can give the false impression that they are legitimate by copying the branding of Delaware Casinos. They may employ tactics such as using similar-sounding names, matching logos, and lookalike URLs to appear legitimate. This can make it harder for consumers to tell a legal platform from a fake one.
The post Delaware Shuts Down Illegal Online Slots appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
The GRAI would like to hear the views of stakeholders, including operators and the public on the proposed regulations concerning licensing which will be commenced on a phased basis.
Consultation Published: Monday 7th April 2025
Submission period closes: 5pm on 5th May 2025
About us
We are the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland. We were established on 5 March 2025. Our role is to regulate gambling activities in Ireland.
The law that established us, and sets out what we do, is the Gambling Regulation Act 2024.
Those who wish to provide gambling activities in Ireland will need a licence from us. We can issue different types of gambling licences for in person or remote gambling activities, including the following:
1. Business to consumer gambling licences
This type of licence applies to those providing betting, gaming or lottery activities to consumers.
2. Business to business gambling licences
This type of licence applies to those selling or supplying a gambling product or gambling related service.
3. Licences for a charitable and philanthropic purpose
This type of licence applies to those who wish to provide betting, gaming, or lottery activities for charitable and philanthropic purposes.
We intend to start our licensing function in a phased way, with different licence category types opening at different times.
Our current plan is to first open for Business to Consumer betting licence applications in December 2025 (both in person and remote). This will be followed by opening for gaming licence applications (remote only) towards the end of the first quarter of 2026. However, the order and timing of commencement maybe subject to change. The license application process will take a number of months. Once an application is submitted it will be reviewed to ensure all necessary information and documentation has been submitted. We will then undertake various checks on the applicant and on the Information and documentation submitted to verify the information and to ensure it is given due consideration when making the decision to grant or refuse the license application.
What is the purpose of this consultation?
We have the power to make regulations. Regulations are laws created by Ministers or public bodies under powers given to them by Acts of the Oireachtas.
The first set of regulations we plan to make will:
a. Set the application fee for applications for betting (in person and remote) and gaming (in person and remote) licences. This is provided for in section 38 of the 2024 Act.
The second set of regulations we plan to make will:
b. Set the duration for which a gambling licence remains in force. This is provided for under section 108 of the 2024 Act.
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c. Set out some additional conditions which will apply to gambling licences. This is provided for under section 129 of the 2024 Act.
We would like to hear the views of stakeholders, including operators and the public on the proposed regulations.
For more information including how to submit a response please visit: Live Consultation page.
The post GRAI: Join the Ongoing Public Consultation appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The Dutch Gaming Authority (KSA) has intensified its supervision of illegal gambling apps. Since the start of 2025, 20 apps have been removed from the app stores. The regulator calls on consumers to always report suspicious apps.
In the fight against illegal gambling, the KSA also focuses on tackling illegal gambling offers in app stores. This problem is becoming increasingly urgent, especially with the increasing number of apps that refer users to illegal websites. These websites are also often accessible to minors, which makes the situation even more worrying. Many of these apps are advertised via social media.
Illegal providers often use underhand techniques to convince consumers, for example by displaying logos of licensed providers. An app was recently reported in the App Store that misused the Holland Casino logo. Also, an “ordinary” game is often advertised (in many cases a variation on “plinko”), but after downloading it links to illegal gambling websites.
In the past three months, the KSA has had 20 of these apps removed, so that they are no longer available to users. It is of great importance to the KSA that consumers continue to report these apps, so that this process can continue throughout the year. When reporting gambling advertising, it is essential that the name of the app in question that is being advertised is mentioned in the report.
In addition to reports from consumers, the KSA is also increasingly receiving reports from industry associations and licensed casinos. For example, via Meld Vals Spel, a platform set up by the industry for reporting illegal gambling sites. Reports received via that platform are also investigated by the KSA. The KSA has working agreements with app stores to report illegal apps to them and then have them removed.
The post Dutch Gaming Authority Focuses on Tackling Illegal Gambling Apps appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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