ANJ Flags Progress, Gaps in France Betting Compliance

France’s gambling regulator, the Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), has completed its annual review of operators’ efforts to combat financial crime, assessing the action plans submitted for the 2025 cycle.

Licensed betting companies are required each year to outline how they intend to prevent fraud, detect money laundering and address risks linked to terrorist financing. Following its evaluation, the ANJ acknowledged overall progress across the sector, while identifying areas that still need improvement.

Focus on Customer Identification

One of the key areas highlighted in the report is the strengthening of customer identification processes. Operators have made notable enhancements to their “Know Your Customer” (KYC) procedures, improving their ability to better understand and monitor user activity.

The regulator emphasized the importance of identifying individuals in politically exposed or sensitive roles, as high-value gambling activity from such profiles may indicate potential corruption risks. Improved verification systems now allow operators to detect irregular patterns more effectively and flag potentially suspicious behaviour.

Improved Cooperation with Authorities

The ANJ also pointed to progress in how operators share information with TRACFIN, France’s financial intelligence unit responsible for tracking illicit financial flows.

According to the regulator, both the volume and quality of suspicious activity reports have improved. More detailed and structured reporting enables authorities to carry out investigations more efficiently and strengthens the overall fight against financial crime.

Mixed Outcome for One Operator

Out of 19 decisions issued by the ANJ, 18 operators received full approval for their compliance plans. However, Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU) was granted only a conditional approval.

While the regulator recognised improvements made by the operator, it requested further adjustments before granting full validation. Areas requiring attention include ensuring consistent oversight of retail betting outlets and strengthening internal reporting processes.

Priorities for the Year Ahead

Looking forward, operators have outlined additional measures to reinforce their compliance frameworks. Planned initiatives for 2026 include enhanced staff training to identify financial crime risks, improved internal monitoring systems and more refined approaches to customer risk classification.

The ANJ expects companies to continue developing their detection tools, streamline reporting practices and maintain closer supervision of retail networks as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen industry standards.