French Gaming Landscape Sees Surge in Player Disputes and Regulatory Overhaul

Frances gaming regulatory body, ANJ, has published figures on the volume of conflicts between gamblers and providers that were escalated to its intermediary in 2023. A year-over-year surge of 11% in grievances was observed, reaching a sum of 1,523 lodged. The overwhelming bulk of these (91%) pertained to wagering on sporting events.

The ANJ indicated that punters chiefly contested the operators’ handling of their bets, including disagreements over the result of a wager or its voiding. Account administration matters, such as difficulties with payouts, account terminations, or limitations, also constituted a substantial fraction of grievances.

Out of all the petitions received, 752 were rejected. The most prevalent justification (89% of the instances) was the player’s omission to initially attempt a direct resolution with the betting firm.

Regarding the complaints that proceeded to mediation, the typical processing duration was 31 days, significantly lower than the 90-day ceiling stipulated by France’s consumer protection legislation. Approximately one-third of all disputes reached either partial or complete resolution.

The ANJ’s report concluded by offering four suggestions for operators to enhance their operational procedures.

Frances online gaming laws are getting a serious makeover. The focus is on fairness and player protection. For instance, gaming platforms now need concrete evidence before suspending users, unfair terms are being eliminated, and players will receive notifications before inactivity leads to account closures. Additionally, there’s a significant push to address problem gambling.

The regulatory body, ANJ, has been hard at work. They’ve scrutinized and reduced the permitted sports betting options, removing a substantial 179 choices. This revised roster is currently in place. Furthermore, they are enhancing communication strategies to safeguard players, particularly those susceptible to excessive gambling.