France Introduces New Regulations for Online Gambling Advertisements

The French government has put forth a set of new requirements concerning the inclusion of responsible gambling messages in online gambling advertisements. As per a draft decree, a mandatory warning message regarding excessive or pathological gambling is proposed for introduction.

The French government has presented a series of proposed requirements for the inclusion of responsible gambling messages in online gambling advertisements. If approved, operators would be mandated to incorporate the message, along with information about available support for customers facing gambling-related harm, such as the Jouer service.

To ensure visibility, responsible gambling messages must be displayed in black writing on a yellow background, covering at least 15 percent of the space in online adverts and 7 percent of cinema and poster ads.

In the case of video adverts, a five-second packshot containing the message must be included at the end. It should be noted that users must not have the option to skip this portion of the advert. Implementation of these requirements would be required within 30 days following the approval of the rules.

The decree highlights that research conducted by the French Public Health Agency revealed that 73 percent of gamblers find prevention messages useful as a warning against gambling addiction. However, it acknowledges that previous health messages have become less effective and need to be adapted to accommodate new types of advertisements.

Furthermore, the decree notes that while the number of moderate-risk gamblers remains steady at approximately one million, the number of individuals experiencing severe gambling problems has risen from 200,000 in 2014 to 370,000 in 2019.

These proposed new rules are introduced in response to the French gambling regulator ANJ’s recent guidance, which prohibits the use of athletes in gambling advertisements. While the ANJ’s guidance is not legally binding, it has indicated that it may advocate for legislative changes if operators fail to comply with it.