ANJ Reframes Gambling Warnings During Roland Garros

ANJ Reframes Gambling Warnings During Roland Garros

France's national gambling authority, L'Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), has returned to a familiar communication strategy to address the continued tension between sports betting promotion and public awareness. Timed with the high-profile Roland Garros tennis tournament, the regulator has revived its “Derrière les Mentions” campaign—a public messaging effort originally launched in 2024 during the UEFA European Championship.

The campaign highlights the disclaimers that accompany gambling advertisements, expanding their presence in a visually distinct and content-focused format. Rather than functioning as fine print at the bottom of a screen or page, the disclaimers are presented on prominent yellow banners that feature actual stories from individuals impacted by gambling-related harm. This structure allows the campaign to shift the nature of responsible gambling messaging—from a regulatory formality to a central component of the communication.

The campaign's return during Roland Garros appears deliberate. Major sporting events often coincide with increased betting volumes, particularly in regulated markets such as France. By aligning the campaign with a surge in public engagement around sports and wagering, the ANJ is targeting moments when individuals are most susceptible to the influence of advertising. This timing reinforces the regulator's objective: not just to inform but to intervene at points where risk levels tend to rise.

“Derrière les Mentions,” which translates to “Behind the Disclaimers,” has a tagline that underscores its premise: Two lines at the bottom of an ad will never be enough to tell the story of the spiral of sports betting addiction. This message challenges the adequacy of standard regulatory warnings. In most cases, such disclaimers fulfill legal obligations without necessarily prompting the viewer to consider the broader implications of frequent or impulsive betting. The campaign counters this dynamic by enlarging the disclaimer's footprint—both visually and narratively.

Visitors are directed to Evalujeu, a government-supported website that offers tools and resources for individuals affected by gambling-related problems. These include self-evaluation mechanisms, family support links, and information on treatment and prevention. The inclusion of a tangible call to action provides a practical dimension that moves beyond awareness and into potential behavioral impact.

The reintroduction of this campaign carries consequences for operators within the online casino and sports betting sectors. It signals a continued regulatory focus not just on content compliance, but on content interpretation. In other words, it is no longer sufficient for legal messaging to be present—it must also be perceived as meaningful and accessible. This raises new expectations regarding the structure of promotional material, particularly in France's tightly regulated gambling market.

For industry stakeholders, the timing and presentation of the campaign suggest that regulators are assessing more than adherence to technical requirements. They are also evaluating whether communication methods reflect the broader intention of consumer protection laws. The French regulator is not proposing new rules; instead, it is demonstrating how message framing can influence public understanding of risk. This could set a precedent for similar actions across other jurisdictions.

The shift toward more contextual and human-focused messaging could also affect how gambling companies approach their compliance and marketing strategies. If disclaimers are no longer treated as peripheral but as potential touchpoints with audiences, then content creation may need to evolve to accommodate this dual purpose. Promotional material should strike a balance between commercial objectives and a more direct acknowledgment of the risks involved in real-money betting.

The choice to ground the campaign in personal narratives rather than statistical arguments reflects a broader trend within regulatory communication. Data remains essential for policy formation, but its limitations in public persuasion are well understood. First-hand accounts offer emotional relevance and may encourage individuals to reconsider their betting behavior more than impersonal facts or legal references alone.

This model, anchored in timing, clarity, and emotional access, presents a low-cost yet high-engagement strategy. It does not rely on legislative change, yet it modifies the perception of existing regulatory requirements. The implication for the industry is clear: although the rules may not have changed, their interpretation and enforcement can evolve through public pressure and strategic media management.

Ultimately, ANJ's decision to reintroduce “Derrière les Mentions” is more than a campaign refresh. It marks a strategic recalibration in how regulatory bodies choose to engage with the public and the industry. It pushes both sides—regulators and operators—to reconsider not just what is said about gambling risks, but how and when those messages are delivered. With major sporting events serving as high-visibility platforms, the tension between promotion and protection is likely to remain central to the regulatory discourse in the years to come.