Gambling operators demonstrate a positive trend towards compliance improvement

The ANJ has declined one action plan. The French gambling regulatory body has completed its evaluations of operators’ anti-money laundering (AML) action plans.

The French gambling regulator, Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), has concluded its review of operators’ anti-money laundering (AML) action plans for 2023. The ANJ reported that it had approved the majority of plans, acknowledging “significant progress” compared to the previous year. However, it also noted that some operators still need to make improvements in their AML measures.

The ANJ conducted three assessments of the action plans, which included evaluating operators’ implementation of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing rules, their adherence to the ANJ’s recommendations for 2022, and the content of their action plans for 2023.

The ANJ stated that “to a significant extent, the operators have adhered to the prescriptions and recommendations provided by the ANJ in 2022, and are now on a positive trajectory towards compliance improvement.”

The ANJ rejected the action plan of Pari-Mutuel Urbain (PMU), stating that the operator had not fully implemented all the prescriptions from the previous year, and that its 2023 action plan was deemed insufficient. The ANJ also noted that PMU’s lack of human resources was hindering its ability to conduct proper point-of-sale checks and risk analysis.

Additionally, PMU was found to have “incomplete and speculative” measures in place for handling large international bettors, as per the ANJ’s assessment. As a result, PMU has been given a deadline of one month to submit a revised action plan to address the identified deficiencies.

The ANJ has outlined three priority areas for operators in 2023, which include operator alerts, staff compliance with AML procedures, and procedures for financial sanctions. In addition, the ANJ has advised operators to be attentive to rules regarding asset freezes, politically exposed persons (PEPs), and guidelines for emergency procedure declarations. These areas are deemed crucial for operators to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and promote effective AML measures.