Compliance Updates
The ANJ publishes its 2024/2026 strategic plan aimed at drastically reducing the proportion of excessive gamblers
Three years after its establishment and the introduction of the new gambling regulation, the ANJ is presenting its strategic plan for 2024-2026. The reduction of excessive gambling and the social damages it causes, as well as the protection of minors, are at the heart of its actions. To achieve this ambitious objective, which reflects a problem that is no longer individual but social, the ANJ is calling on all economic and institutional players concerned to work alongside it.
The first cycle of regulation under the aegis of the French Gambling Authority (ANJ) ended in 2023 with the observation that the gambling market was booming, with revenues of more than €13 billion, representing an increase of more than 50% since the opening of the market in 2011. Over the years, gambling has become a mainstream consumer product for people of all ages and from all walks of life: more than half of all French people now gamble, spending more than €55 billion each year. Gambling is at the heart of our societies, and this phenomenon can be observed in every European country.
However, gambling is not a product like any other, and it is the risks inherent in this activity that have justified the government’s implementation of a restrictive regulatory policy, which translates into a legal objective of limiting and supervising the supply and consumption of gambling. In 2019, the public authorities wanted to strengthen player protection and the ANJ was created with this objective in mind.
Although gambling operators have made significant progress in this area over the past three years, problem gambling still plays too large a role in the gambling market. In 2019, the Gambling Observatory estimated the number of at-risk gamblers at 1.4 million, including almost 400,000 at pathological level. In total, problem gambling accounts for more than 38% of the sector’s turnover and excessive gambling alone for 21%. These figures, which are due to be updated shortly, illustrate the reality of a social problem, particularly for young people, with collateral damage in the gambler’s in the gambler’s immediate environment: excessive debt, family problems, difficulties at school, etc.
In this context, the ANJ has been working with all stakeholders to define the new regulatory guidelines for the period 2024-2026. These place the protection of minors and the reduction of excessive gambling and the social damage it causes at the centre of the regulator’s activities, like a common thread that inspires all its actions.
The ANJ’s new roadmap is based on three fundamental pillars:
- The first of these pillars, which reflects the public health implications of regulation, aims to drastically reduce the proportion and number of excessive gamblers in the gambling market. This key objective for the ANJ will require major efforts on the part of operators. It cannot be achieved without a coherent and balanced regulatory policy aimed at consolidating the French gambling market model.
- At the same time, this requires the ANJ to continue its efforts to preserve the transparency and integrity of the sector, with the fight against illegal gambling at the forefront (second pillar), and to strengthen the economic dimension of regulation in order to gain a better understanding of market balances and provide solutions to the changes it is facing today (third pillar).
Finally, the strategic plan is based on three foundations that are the conditions for the success of its ambition: to make scientific knowledge of the market and gambling practices the compass of regulation; to embody, at national and European level, regulation based on dialogue and cooperation to drive the repositioning of the market; and finally, to position the ANJ as a laboratory for bold, effective and exemplary public action.
This is a critical time for the French gambling market: it can both destabilise and strengthen the French model. This strategic plan should help to strengthen the French regulatory model as an acceptable compromise between openness and protection.
Isabelle FALQUE-PIERROTIN, President of the ANJ, said: “After three years in office, we now believe that the regulation of gambling must take a turn that involves the market gradually moving towards a less intensive model. This voluntary target to reduce the number of excessive gamblers and to strengthen the protection of minors will be monitored over a period of 3 years and adjusted in line with monitoring indicators and prevalence studies. It can only be achieved if all the players join forces alongside the regulator to move the goalposts: gambling operators, public authorities, institutions, associations, etc. “
TaDa Gaming has added the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) licence to its business operations alongside its Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) Hellenic, Romanian ONJN and Swedish Spelinspektionen ones.
Following a successful conclusion to its application to the Gambling Commission, players across the UK – and other international jurisdictions – will now be able to play TaDa’s industry changing fishing-shooting games, immersive slots, crash and bingo releases.
As an established brand with over 30 years’ industry experience, TaDa Gaming has been making a name for itself in Europe, Latin American, Africa and, most recently, North America. The valuable UK market has been in TaDa’s sights for some time and the new licence will enable access to this exciting operator and player base.
Andy Huang, CEO of TaDa Gaming, said: “Whilst all gaming authorities rightly insist on rigorous standards and strict adherence to the rules, the UKGC has the reputation for being the most demanding. We are delighted to have had our game protocols and commitment to the highest standards of fair play verified in this way, allowing us to expand our presence, increase our trust levels and deliver ever more safe, reliable and innovative gaming experiences to players in the UK and beyond.”
The post TaDa Gaming Secures UK Gambling Commission Licence appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Responsible Wagering Australia (RWA) has expressed serious concern over the Northern Territory Government’s decision to double the annual bookmaker and betting exchange tax cap on licensed online Wagering Service Providers (WSPs), warning that the move is economically reckless and risks undermining the Territory’s reputation as a stable and competitive licensing jurisdiction.
The doubling of the cap, announced in the Northern Territory Budget, comes without any industry consultation and, perplexingly, before the final report of the Northern Territory Government’s own Racing Industry Review – a review explicitly commissioned to inform long-term sustainability settings for the wagering and racing sectors.
Responsible Wagering Australia CEO Kai Cantwell said the decision had blindsided the industry and would put investment from WSPs – who are some of the NT’s biggest employers – at risk.
“RWA have participated meaningfully in the review and eagerly anticipated a new strategic vision for racing in the Territory. This decision, made before the Review has had a chance to lay that strategic vision, has blindsided WSPs and materially undermines any outcome of the Review,” Mr Cantwell said.
“RWA members have proudly supported the Territory for years, investing in people, infrastructure, and long-term economic growth.
“We will continue to advocate for a licensing environment in the Northern Territory that upholds the highest standards of consumer protection while also incentivising business to invest in the local economy.
“RWA members are all licensed in the Northern Territory, directly employing around 600 Territorians in high-skilled roles across technology, customer service, and compliance – a figure that rises to over 1,000 when including all wagering service providers licensed in the Territory.”
In FY23 alone, the Australian licensed online wagering industry contributed more than $150 million to the Northern Territory economy, including:
• $47.7 million in taxes and levies
• $2.5 million in product fees to the NT racing industry – directly supporting prize money, operations and promotional activities
• $46 million in wages paid to local staff
“The NT Government was elected on a platform of driving economic growth, delivering a competitive tax and investment environment and attracting private investment, with Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro stating the Territory is ‘open for business’ and passing legislation to ‘strengthen our ability to deliver economic growth and attract investment’ – yet this policy decision directly contradicts that commitment and risks undermining investor confidence in the Territory,” Mr Cantwell said.
RWA questioned the timing of the announcement, noting that it comes before the outcomes of the Government’s ongoing Racing Industry Review have been released.
“This tax hike preempts the outcome of the Review, a process that was meant to guide long-term, evidence-based and sensible reform,” Mr Cantwell said.
“It sends a message that consultation, process and industry sustainability have taken a back seat to short-term revenue grabs.
“A financially sustainable and well-regulated racing and wagering industry is critical to ensuring its long-term viability and the significant economic and employment benefits it delivers to Territorians.
“Rather than imposing blunt tax increases, the Government should be working with industry to identify growth opportunities that will ensure the Territory’s continued leadership as a licensing jurisdiction.
“We are calling on the Treasurer and Chief Minister to reconsider this decision and to engage in genuine consultation with the industry before moving forward.”
The post RWA Expresses Concern Over Govt’s Decision to Double Tax Cap on Licensed Online WSPs appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
AUSTRAC has announced that it will expand its intelligence partnership, Fintel Alliance.
Fintel Alliance is a world leading public-private partnership where members and law enforcement work together and share data in real time to target serious crime.
AUSTRAC CEO Brendan Thomas said the Intelligence Division’s Fintel Alliance has been so productive that the agency will now make its collaborative data analytics hub a central function going forward.
“Together, we are able to do much more than any of us could do alone. Fintel Alliance members are working in partnership to fight financial crime – pooling data, sharing insights, and targeting major threats to strengthen financial systems and law enforcement action,” Mr Thomas said.
“This has generated real intelligence across a range of serious crimes including money laundering, child sexual exploitation, domestic violence, tax evasion, fraud and illegal phoenixing.
“For example, late last year we worked with our partners using the collaborative data analytics hub. We obtained all cash deposit transaction data under $10,000 from the four largest banks and jointly looked for criminal patterns. We had more than 50 million data points.
“Using the combined datasets, new software, and with our analysts and bank analysts working together in the same room, we were able to see things that were not visible before. In just a few days we identified major criminal networks now subject to law enforcement action. This shows the power of intelligence partnerships and collective effort.”
Fintel Alliance, first established in 2017, connects experts from major banks, remittance service providers and gambling operators, with law enforcement and security agencies in Australia and overseas.
AUSTRAC is building out the collaborative data analytics hub, a platform for data sharing which has helped identify criminal patterns and trends across the financial sector
This expansion also includes increasing its capacity with additional staff so that Fintel Alliance can contribute to more intelligence innovations and lay the groundwork for partnerships with tranche 2 entities. As part of the expansion, a seconded senior manager from ANZ Bank will help co-lead and build new pairings with industry and government members.
Last year Fintel Alliance produced a threat alert on money muling behaviour and identified an increase in micro-laundering, a process where funds are co-mingled with legitimate and illicit sources and moved at volume through low-value digital transfers.
Fintel Alliance also recently launched a campaign on “scambling”, a practice where unlicensed online gambling platforms advertise on social media and trick people to visit a scam website to participate in gambling.
Regional and remote Aboriginal communities are being targeted in this scam and Fintel Alliance is working with police, banks and other industry partners to raise awareness of “scambling”, to minimise harm to vulnerable Australians.
Fintel Alliance member and NAB Chief Financial Crime Risk Officer, Paul Jevtovic, said practical warnings for customers targeted by criminals is just one of many constructive outcomes achieved through Fintel collaboration.
“The nature of scambling – frequent small transactions – means it isn’t traditionally captured by mandatory reporting,” Mr Jevtovic said.
“However, combining data from multiple sources about cash transactions less than $10,000 allowed Fintel Alliance to more rapidly understand the nature and extent of criminality resulting in timely dissemination amongst members.
“I’ve seen this partnership and capability evolve since 2017 and its expansion is a modern approach not only to intelligence gathering, but more responsive regulation.”
Fintel Alliance Executive Board co-chair and ANZ Group Head of Financial Crime Risk, Cassandra Hewett, said ANZ is proud to have been actively involved in Fintel Alliance since its inception.
“The breadth of industry involvement reflects the value the financial industry sees from the public-private partnership,” Ms Hewett said.
“All members of Fintel Alliance continue to prioritise fighting financial crime and have strengthened our contribution to the collective effort – to prevent our businesses being infiltrated by organised crime, to protect our customers from being exploited, and to drive crime out of our communities.
“Criminals are adept at finding the weak points. By working together to develop and use new tools, technologies and fresh approaches to combat crime we can strengthen the ecosystem we all operate in.
“The collaborative data analytics hub allows Fintel Alliance members to connect our data in ways that weren’t previously possible, providing real time responses to criminal behaviour on already more than one occasion. We are excited to continue to develop these tools and drive real time responses, together.”
Fintel Alliance Executive Board co-chair and AUSTRAC Deputy CEO Intelligence John Moss, said Fintel Alliance expansion is key to AUSTRAC’s ability to disrupt criminal activity above and beyond the existing intelligence efforts and regulatory reach.
“Building even stronger partnerships is going to extend our ability to weed out criminal abuse of the financial system and hit organised crime where it hurts,” Dr Moss said.
“As AUSTRAC prepares to welcome tranche 2 industries to our regulated population, the expansion will no doubt continue to play an even bigger part in disrupting criminal activity.”
The post AUSTRAC Announces Expansion of Fintel Alliance appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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