The French gambling regulator has blocked a total of 281 domain names belonging to 125 unlicensed gambling brands. While individual blocking orders are usually not announced, an exception was made for two recent cases due to the significant popularity of the sites. In June 2021, these two sites received approximately 560,000 visits from France. The regulator, known as the ANJ, emphasized the danger of these illegal sites and decided to promote the judgments publicly for the first time. The ANJ ordered internet service providers to block access to the gambling site Cbet and a mirror site linked to it, following a court judgment from the Paris Court of Justice in May.
The ANJ highlighted that Cbet offered games not authorized in France where only poker, sports betting, and lotteries are permitted. Additionally, the ANJ obtained approval to block the cryptocurrency betting site and casino Stake.com from the Judicial Tribunal of Paris, as gambling with cryptocurrency is also prohibited in France due to concerns about fraud, money laundering, and terrorism financing.
The ANJ follows a four-step process when dealing with suspected unlicensed activities. First, their agents create a report about the site, then they send a formal notice to the operator ordering them to block access for French customers. If this measure fails, the case is referred to the courts, which may issue a blocking order. The ANJ stressed that online casino sites are prohibited in France due to the significant risks of addiction, lack of player protection measures, and absence of recourse for non-payment of winnings.
The regulator’s fight against illegal gambling supply is a priority for 2021. In addition to the blocking of websites, the ANJ also announced plans to crack down on marketing activity following complaints of excessive advertising during Euro 2020. They issued an action plan, including a review of operators’ marketing plans and a stakeholder consultation at the beginning of the school year on advertising. The ANJ will also provide more detailed guidelines on advertising before the end of the year.
It is worth noting that Stake.com recently announced a sponsorship deal with the Premier League football club Watford FC. Stake.com plans to launch in the GB market through a partnership with Aspire Global.
