France Draws Clear Lines on Gambling Promotion

France Draws Clear Lines on Gambling Promotion

As France prepares for a year marked by major international sporting events, its gambling regulator is moving to set firmer boundaries around how licensed operators promote their products. The Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) has formally instructed operators not to exceed the promotional budgets they declared for 2026, a measure designed to limit advertising pressure during periods of intense public attention to sport.

The timing is deliberate. With the FIFA World Cup and the Winter Olympics both scheduled for 2026, the regulator anticipates a surge in betting activity and marketing visibility. Past tournament cycles have shown how global events can reshape advertising strategies, often leading to increased spend, broader media coverage, and more frequent use of financial incentives. The ANJ’s latest intervention reflects an effort to prevent that momentum from translating into unchecked promotional escalation.

Seventeen licensed online operators have already submitted their promotional strategies to the regulator, including long-established domestic players such as FDJ United and Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU). These submissions outline expected expenditures across marketing channels and player incentives, providing the ANJ with a consolidated view of how the market intends to position itself during a commercially significant year. Once approved, these budgets are now effectively fixed, with limited room for adjustment.

According to the ANJ, the objective is not to halt marketing activity but to introduce a clearer sense of proportion. Operators have been advised not to compensate for restrictions in one area by aggressively shifting funds into another. While some internal reallocations may still occur, the regulator has signalled that large-scale changes, particularly those tied to sporting events, will be examined closely.

This approach is likely to influence how operators structure their commercial priorities. Rather than pursuing aggressive expansion, many are expected to focus on maintaining their existing customer base. Retention strategies, including cross-selling between products and targeted incentives, are likely to remain part of the toolkit. However, the ANJ has also cautioned that spending on retention bonuses may need to be scaled back, noting that incentives aimed at existing customers can still contribute to problematic behaviour if used without restraint.

Advertising content itself will be subject to heightened oversight. In cooperation with France’s advertising self-regulatory body, the Autorité de Régulation Professionnelle de la Publicité (ARPP), the ANJ plans to monitor World Cup-related campaigns more closely. This joint supervision will focus on how betting is presented during high-profile matches and how frequently gambling messages appear alongside sports coverage.

The regulator has also used the 2026 budget review to reiterate its support for broader policy discussions around marketing reform. Measures under consideration include tighter sponsorship rules, stronger protections for vulnerable players, and limits on in-play advertising during live broadcasts. While not all of these proposals are scheduled for immediate implementation, their continued presence in regulatory discourse suggests a gradual tightening rather than a one-off intervention.

Despite these constraints, overall promotional spending in the French gambling market continues to grow. For 2026, operators have announced combined promotional budgets of €785 million, up 25% from the previous year. This rise reflects both the expanding online market and the commercial pull of global sporting competitions, even as regulators seek to moderate their impact.

Of this total, €319 million has been allocated to marketing activity, while €466 million is set aside for financial rewards. Marketing spend alone has increased by 28% year-on-year and now accounts for around 40% of total promotional budgets. Approximately one fifth of this marketing investment is linked directly to the FIFA World Cup, highlighting how central the tournament remains to operator planning.

Media allocation trends provide further insight into how operators are adapting. Digital channels continue to command the largest share of marketing budgets, accounting for 44% of spending. Online advertising remains attractive due to its reach and targeting capabilities, though its scale has also made it a focal point for regulatory attention. At the same time, traditional media formats are regaining ground. Television and outdoor advertising are seeing renewed investment, while radio and TV sponsorships are increasingly viewed as cost-efficient ways to maintain visibility within established regulatory frameworks.

Bonuses remain the dominant component of promotional budgets, accounting for around 60% of total spend, up 23% year on year. Sports sponsorship spending has also grown, rising by 14% compared to 2025. These figures underline why the ANJ has chosen to act before the tournament cycle fully gathers pace, rather than responding after market practices have already shifted.