Regulatory
ANJ
Definition
Autorité Nationale des Jeux. The French national gambling regulator established in 2020, replacing ARJEL with expanded scope across online betting, poker, and land-based products.
Why it matters
France has a partially open licensed online market, with sports betting, horse racing, and poker available to licensed private operators while online casino remains prohibited at the national level. ANJ regulates the licensed segment and oversees the wider gambling ecosystem including the lottery monopoly and land-based casinos. Its scope is wider than the predecessor ARJEL, which was online-only.
For operators, France is a meaningful Tier 1 market but one with structural limits. The absence of online casino is a persistent commercial constraint and a recurring topic of industry advocacy. Sports betting and poker license processes are well established but tax and contribution structures are heavy by European standards. ANJ has been active on responsible gambling enforcement and advertising restrictions, including limits on bonus offers and creative content.
Frequently asked questions
Why is there no licensed online casino in France?
Historical policy choice tied to protecting the state lottery and the land-based casino sector. There has been intermittent debate about opening online casino, but no legislative progress at the time of writing. Operators serving French players with online casino content are doing so from offshore licenses outside the regulated framework.
How does ANJ differ from ARJEL?
ARJEL was a single-vertical regulator for online gambling. ANJ has a broader mandate covering online and land-based, including supervisory roles over the state lottery and casino sector. The change in 2020 was both organizational and a signal of policy direction toward integrated oversight.