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French regulator Autorité nationale des jeux has fined an unnamed online betting operator, referred to as Company XYZ, €500,000 ($572,797) after finding gaps in problem gambling detection and customer support.
Good to Know
- Company XYZ misclassified or missed 29 high risk players.
- The group lost a combined €683,355 during the review period.
- French law treats risk detection and player intervention as separate duties.
Bonuses Continued for High Risk Players
ANJ investigators found that Company XYZ failed to provide suitable support to 25 customers showing harmful gambling patterns. Automated emails and promotion restrictions were used in some cases, but the sanctions commission ruled that those actions did not match the level of risk.
Some high risk customers continued to receive bonuses, which the regulator said could encourage further betting.
The 29 players recorded combined net losses of €683,355 between October 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024. Company XYZ generated €190,501.86 in net gains from their activity.
Six customers received no high risk classification. Another 23 were placed in risk tiers that were too low.
ANJ reached its findings after reviewing account data held in the operator secure data vault. The assessment covered deposit frequency, betting intensity, losses, self exclusion history and other behavioural indicators.
French Law Requires Detection and Action
The commission said operators must first identify risky gambling and then provide suitable support. Success in one area does not excuse failure in the other.
French gambling law does not require one fixed detection algorithm. However, licensed operators must show that they use all available information and make every necessary effort to identify harmful play.
Company XYZ argued that French law did not clearly define excessive or pathological gambling. It also challenged how ANJ counted completed bets and assessed voluntary limits across reopened accounts.
The commission rejected those arguments. It ruled that the 2021 ministerial reference framework gave operators enough guidance on loss chasing, deposit patterns, account activity, playing time and limit changes.
Historical behaviour could also be considered. Recent self exclusions before the inspection period remained relevant when regulators assessed current risk.
Company XYZ pointed to upgrades to its detection system, a larger player protection team and a reported 28% reduction in customer losses after intervention. The commission accepted that changes had been made but found the earlier failures serious enough to justify the fine.
ANJ introduced a new risk detection algorithm in May 2026 designed to identify more likely problem gamblers across online betting and live wagering.
The operator received a separate fine in 2024 for breaching payout rate rules. Regulators treated the latest player protection failures as a different offence and did not increase the penalty ceiling.
The July 10, 2026 decision will now be formally delivered to Company XYZ. The operator has two months to file an administrative appeal.
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