![\"\"](\"https:\/\/valloni.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/The-Regulation-of-Sports-Betting-in-France-VALLONI-2025.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The French market for sports betting is governed by a\u00a0robust and sophisticated legal framework<\/strong>, designed to enable\u00a0regulated competition<\/strong>,\u00a0protect consumers<\/strong>\u2014particularly minors\u2014and\u00a0safeguard the integrity of sport<\/strong>.<\/p>\n A key illustration of this framework lies in the regulation of online football betting, which remains a major focus for operators, clubs, and legal advisors alike.<\/strong><\/p>\n The\u00a0National Gambling Authority (Autorit\u00e9 nationale des jeux<\/em>, \u2018ANJ\u2019)<\/strong>\u00a0oversees the market;\u00a0granting licences (agr\u00e9ments<\/em>); ensuring integrity and transparency<\/strong>;\u00a0preventing fraudulent or criminal activities, including money laundering and the financing of terrorism<\/strong>; monitoring compliance; and enforcing sanctions.<\/p>\n The overarching objectives, enshrined in\u00a0Article L. 320-3 of the Internal Security Code (Code de la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 int\u00e9rieure<\/em> \u2013 \u2018CSI\u2019)<\/strong>, include\u00a0limiting the scope and harmful effects of gambling<\/strong>, protecting minors, ensuring integrity, and\u00a0preserving the balance of regulated gaming sectors<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Whilst many forms of online gambling\u2014such as online casino games\u2014remain prohibited in France,\u00a0online sports betting, including football,<\/strong>\u00a0is authorised\u00a0subject to licensing<\/strong>. For football, in particular, operators must hold a\u00a0specific licence from the ANJ<\/strong>\u00a0and ensure that the bets that they offer correspond exclusively to authorised types.\u00a0Prohibited models<\/strong>, such as betting exchanges or spread betting,\u00a0are excluded from the French regime<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Moreover, operators may only offer bets on\u00a0events and competitions authorised under French sports regulations<\/strong>; for example, in accordance with the\u00a0French Sports Code \/Code du sport\u00a0<\/em>or in cooperation with sports organisers. They must also\u00a0respect any exclusive or event-rights restrictions applicable in France<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The licensing system for online sports betting is rigorous. Applicants must demonstrate\u00a0technical, financial, and organisational reliability<\/strong>\u2014including\u00a0secure information systems; anti-money-laundering controls; robust age verification<\/strong>; and\u00a0responsible-gambling mechanisms<\/strong>. Licences are granted for a\u00a0limited duration<\/strong>, and renewal is conditional upon continued compliance.<\/p>\n Ensuring the integrity of sport and preventing manipulation in football betting are\u00a0core pillars of the French regulatory regime<\/strong>. As football remains\u00a0one of the most betting-intensive sports<\/strong>, regulatory scrutiny is particularly strong to counter risks of match-fixing and other forms of manipulation. Licensed operators are bound to detect and report any irregular betting patterns and to cooperate fully with the ANJ and sports organisations.<\/p>\n In parallel, sports bodies must uphold transparency in their commercial partnerships and adopt active integrity policies to mitigate betting-related risks.<\/strong><\/p>\n The ANJ represents France in the\u00a0European standardisation process for online gambling monitoring, an initiative requested by the European Commission. Within this framework, the ANJ chairs the\u00a0CEN Technical Committee 456, tasked with developing a voluntary European standard for data reporting and regulatory oversight of online gambling. This standard aims to harmonise information exchange between regulators and strengthen integrity-monitoring across the single European Union market.<\/p>\n At the international level, the ANJ was amongst the founding members of the\u00a0Copenhagen Group, created in July 2016 under the auspices of the\u00a0Council of Europe. This network brings together the\u00a0national platforms against the manipulation of sports competitions\u00a0as provided in\u00a0Article 13 of the Macolin Convention. Its mission is to enhance cooperation, information-sharing and coordinated responses to match-fixing at both European and global levels.<\/p>\n The ANJ also plays an active role within two key European coordination bodies: the\u00a0Gaming Regulators\u2019 European Forum (GREF)<\/strong>, which unites 41 regulators from 34 States to exchange expertise and best practices;\u00a0and the Regulators\u2019 Group<\/strong>, which brings together the French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, British, German and Austrian authorities to address cross-border regulatory issues and share operational experience.<\/p>\n Through this multi-level engagement, France, via the ANJ, contributes decisively to the protection of sporting integrity.<\/p>\n