France

France's licensed gambling market operates under the Autorite nationale des jeux, and this period's record is dominated by two developments rather than a change to market structure. First, the ANJ referred a licensed operator to the commission nationale des sanctions, the Monetary and Financial Code's AML/CFT sanctions body, for the first time in its history, and the commission confirmed sanctions on 8 July 2026. Second, Loi no 2025-199 du 28 fevrier 2025 (LFSS 2025), article 32, reset levy rates across casino, lottery, sports-betting and poker verticals with effect from 1 July 2025. Together these developments point to a regulator and fiscal authority both tightening their grip on an already-licensed market, rather than to any change in which operators or products may participate in it.

Decree No. 2026-60 of 4 February 2026 activated the JONUM experimental trial framework for games involving monetisable digital objects, entering into force on 7 February 2026 and supervised by ANJ. JONUM operates via declaration rather than authorisation, a distinct and lighter-touch route compared with the standard ANJ gambling licensing regime, and is structurally excluded from the gambling test because JONUM winnings cannot be paid out in legal tender. This corroborated finding (ANJ primary source plus National Law Review, Pinsent Masons and Esports Insider secondary commentary) is confirmed as to the decree's existence and effective date, while the declaration-route characterisation itself carries probable rather than confirmed confidence, and the instrument overall carries mixed durability as an experimental trial decree rather than primary legislation. Standard licensing for existing verticals is otherwise unchanged this cycle.

Advertising is permitted but heavily controlled: broadcast watershed restrictions, mandatory responsible-gambling messaging, and ARPP standards. A new 15% tax on online sports betting advertising/promotional spend took effect 1 July 2025. ANJ scrutinises cross-selling and bonus practices; marketing budgets reached ~EUR 144.5m in 2024 (+23%).

The Autorite nationale des jeux referred a licensed gambling operator to the commission nationale des sanctions, the Monetary and Financial Code's dedicated AML/CFT sanctions body, in July 2025 — the first such referral in the ANJ's history. The referral followed an ANJ inspection that found the operator had apparently failed to meet its anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorist-financing obligations. At a hearing held on 8 July 2026, the commission nationale des sanctions confirmed the failings the ANJ had identified and imposed financial penalties together with a two-month suspended prohibition on carrying on online-gaming activity. The prohibition was applied not only to the operator but individually to one of its directors and to its compliance officer. The ANJ's public release does not name the sanctioned operator. The case establishes that the commission nationale des sanctions route is now an active enforcement channel against licensed operators for AML/CFT failings, with personal liability extending to individual directors and compliance officers rather than resting on the corporate licence-holder alone.

The dominant question is online casino liberalisation. An October 2024 government amendment to the Draft Finance Bill 2025 (proposing a 55.6% GGR tax) was withdrawn within a week after fierce land-based casino opposition, replaced by ongoing consultation and three working groups. Outcome remains uncertain into 2026. Separately, the JONUM monetisable-digital-objects experiment under the SREN law was scheduled to begin September 2025.