France Tightens Regulations on Online Gambling Advertisements

The French government has implemented new regulations regarding responsible gaming practices for online gambling advertisements within the nation.

The central aspect of this legislation necessitates that all promotional materials incorporate cautionary messages pertaining to excessive or compulsive gambling, along with details about online gaming activities.

The legislation mandates that this information should encompass specifics regarding accessible resources designed to assist individuals grappling with gambling-related issues, including the readily available Joueur Info service, accessible both online and via telephone.

The legislation further stipulates that the provided information should occupy a minimum of 15% of the total area of online advertisements to ensure clear visibility. For advertisements displayed in film and poster formats, this proportion is set at 7%.

Online advertisements are also required to incorporate a five-second “wrap-around shot” showcasing the mandated information at the conclusion of the video content. Consumers will not have the option to skip this portion of the advertisement.

The legislation additionally mandates that the information be presented in black text against a yellow background to enhance its prominence.

The timeframe for integrating this information into online advertisements will be established within a period of 30 days following the official implementation of the regulations.

The legislation also acknowledges the contributing factors that prompted its proposal.

An investigation carried out by the French Public Health Agency uncovered that a significant majority, 73%, of individuals who engage in gambling perceive the cautionary messages displayed in advertisements as valuable alerts against the potential for developing a gambling dependency.

The proposed legislation also highlights the fact that the quantity of individuals categorized as moderate-risk gamblers remained steady at approximately 1 million between the years 2014 and 2019. Nevertheless, the number of gamblers experiencing severe difficulties related to gambling witnessed a substantial increase, climbing from 200,000 in 2014 to a total of 370,000.

The official document, known as a decree, asserts that “Surveys have indicated that the health-related information previously incorporated into advertisements has become less effective and necessitates adaptation to contemporary advertising approaches in terms of both content and presentation.”

“Although gambling continues to be considered a recreational activity for the majority of participants, research suggests a growing trend towards excessive behavior.

“The development of online gambling platforms and the emergence of a highly competitive market have led to a parallel evolution in advertising and promotional strategies employed by the gambling industry.”

Steps to Prevent Harm

The decree represents the most recent initiative undertaken by French authorities with the aim of mitigating the detrimental effects of gambling and safeguarding consumers from associated problems.

Earlier this month, the regulatory body responsible for overseeing gambling, the National Gambling Authority (ANJ), announced its decision to prohibit the use of images depicting athletes in gambling advertisements.

The ANJ has implemented new regulations pertaining to gambling sponsorships for sports teams, along with non-binding recommendations for gambling sponsorships within France, with the objective of “enhancing the regulation of these commercial practices,” which include a ban on the use of role models.

The regulatory body has also prohibited the use of visuals depicting “sportspeople, officials, and other competitors” in commercial promotions. Furthermore, the ANJ will prevent sporting organizations and athletes from entering into agreements with companies that operate unlawfully in France.

The regulatory body highlighted the abundance of large-scale marketing campaigns planned for this year, and the tactic of transforming lotteries into everyday consumer goods; as well as promotional strategies that directly link gambling to popular interests. These new regulations are the outcome of a task force on gambling sponsorship initiated in the summer of 2022.

Additionally this year, the ANJ rejected the promotional advertising strategy of the French national lottery operator Française des Jeux (FDJ). The ANJ stated that FDJ’s response to its 2022 concerns about its promotional strategy was not sufficiently comprehensive.

**Strict Measures**
All of this follows the ANJ’s commitment in February of last year to take strict measures against advertising, following an overabundance of advertising in 2021.

The ANJ stated that it would diminish the intensity of gambling advertising by implementing new guidelines and issuing new recommendations to licensees. The ANJ explained that its approach is based on a rigorous interpretation of existing laws.

At the time, the ANJ stated it would prohibit advertising that “makes light of gambling,” as well as those that contain “unfounded claims about winning probabilities” or equate gambling with an increase in social standing, or as a replacement for paid employment.

The ANJ also put forward a few non-binding “recommendations.” These included capping gambling advertisements to a maximum of three per advertising slot on television and radio, and three per day on each online platform.

In the weeks that followed, the ANJ cautioned operators that they were not doing enough to “moderate” their marketing efforts. This came after an assessment of operators’ promotional tactics in 2022.

Later in the year, the ANJ also declared plans to prohibit bonuses for “excessive” bettors and advocated for a €100 limit on welcome bonuses.

These actions appear to have had an effect, with some operators and advertisers signing onto a marketing charter during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. These charters included a pledge to decrease the number of advertisements per advertising slot from four to three.

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