Jake Pollard
The Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), France’s gambling authority has updated its framework related to how operators should protect minors and players at risk of excessive or pathological gambling.

The French gambling regulator said the framework was set up to implement a sustainable and recreational business model among land-based and online operators in the country and while new studies set to be carried out this year should provide updated figures.

The authority cited that between 2014 and 2019, the number of “moderate risk gamblers” had stabilised, but was still at a high level of 1 million people.

However, it added that the number of excessive and problem gamblers had risen significantly over the same period, affecting almost 370,000 people in 2019, compared with 200,000 in 2014. There has also been evidence that minors have been gambling.

ANJ noted, therefore “the prevention of excessive or pathological gambling, and, beyond that, the protection of gamblers, app..

Jake Pollard
France’s gambling regulator Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) has placed reducing excessive gambling and the protection of minors at the heart of its 2024-26 strategic plan and has called on all economic and institutional stakeholders to work alongside it to reach those targets.

ANJ’s plan marks the end of its first cycle of regulation since it succeeded ARJEL as industry regulator in 2020 and arrives at a key juncture for the French gambling sector.

Industry revenues have increased by over 50% to more than €13bn since 2010 when the market opened to regulation and in 2024 “gambling has become a mainstream consumer product for people of all ages and from all walks of life”, said ANJ.

French gambling in the spotlight….

On the commercial side, France’s largest gambling group Française des Jeux (FDJ) this week tabled a €2.6bn offer for the European online operator Kindred Group, which the Swedish group has accepted. In terms of regulatory developments, in the past year t..

A public statement by the Dutch Gaming Authority Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has revealed that the regulator has renewed its collaborative project with the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM).

Both organisations exhibit shared values and responsibilities towards consumer protection, and it is understood that the renewed cooperation agreement will increase their mutual efficiency to strengthen the Dutch market in the years ahead.

Recently, the KSA took additional steps to control the sports betting scene in the Netherlands after several reports suggested that there is currently an increased risk of match-fixing in amateur sports competitions due to a fragmented approach towards the analysis of matches.

These developments reflect the evolving gambling landscape, which is why the renewed cooperation between the KSA and ACM will aim to create a tighter regulatory belt around the challenges that could potentially endanger Dutch consumers.

The new protocol is being enf..

Kindred has donated its branding space on Middlesbrough FC’s first team shirts to the MFC Foundation logo for this weekend’s match against Rotherham.

As the Championship club’s principal sponsor, Kindred supports the move as part of the club’s ‘Foundation Weekend’ in removing its Unibet branding for the cause.

The initiative aims to highlight the Foundation’s ‘life-changing work’ for participants of all ages in the local community, as well as how people in the area can access its projects and services.

Sam Mead, General Manager of Kindred Group, said: “It’s important for all of us at Kindred to use our position as principal partner to help the Foundation achieve the visibility and recognition that its work deserves.

“We’re proud not just of our relationship and partnership with Boro, but also our sponsorship model that has helped so many people in the local community.”

In detail, the MFC Foundation works to ‘raise aspirations’ and ‘improve the life chances’ of young people and ad..

More than half of compliance professionals from the international betting and gaming industry believe the implementation of financial risk checks in the UK will have a negative impact, the SBC Media Challenges in Compliance Survey, commissioned by IDnow, has found.

The study surveyed 100 senior compliance representatives from operators in Europe, North America and Latin America about existing issues and concerns over upcoming changes to market conditions. The full report will be published in late February 2024.

One topic that garnered strong and polarising views was the UK’s proposed financial risk checks – the affordability checks that the UK Gambling Commission is currently running a consultation on – and their impact on the domestic and international market.

When asked about the impact the checks would have, 67% of respondents said they would lead to a reduction in customer sign-ups at licensed operators, compared with 26% who predicted the move would have no effect.

Interesting..