France Toughens Online Gambling Advertising Rules for 2026

France is significantly tightening the screws on its gambling market. The French gambling regulator, Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), has signed a new cooperation agreement with the independent advertising control body, Autorité de Régulation Professionnelle de la Publicité (ARPP). This partnership, which has existed since 2023, is now being substantially expanded to address the challenges posed by new technologies and the increasing volume of advertising. The new President of the ANJ, Pascal Chevremont, who took office in June, signed the pact following a meeting with Christine Albanel, President of the ARPP.

The new framework requires licensed operators to submit their advertising and marketing campaign plans six months in advance for review and approval by the ANJ. This does not just cover simple ads. The regulator will assess entire communication strategies, including expenditure on sponsorship, social media, and bonuses. This preventive control is designed to ensure that no campaigns are published that present gambling as a route to financial security or an alternative to employment. Such content has been strictly prohibited under the 2022 guidelines.

Numbers and facts

A central element of the update is the JONUM project (Jeux à Objets Numériques Monétisables). Launched at the start of 2026, this project aims to establish a common regulatory framework for games involving monetizable digital objects such as NFTs and cryptocurrencies. The ARPP will now be involved in monitoring these new vertical markets. Furthermore, operators must have their annual promotional strategies approved in advance.

"Licensed operators must submit their annual promotional strategies for regulatory approval, allowing the authority to review content, messaging and promotions." - Pascal Chevremont, President of the ANJ

Data regarding player safety is also noteworthy. In 2024, France's player information service recorded over eight million visits, a 44 percent increase compared to 2023. This highlights the immense pressure on regulatory bodies. The ANJ also plans to introduce automated systems and algorithms by 2026 to detect problematic gambling behavior at an early stage.

Background

The tightening of advertising rules comes against the backdrop of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The ANJ views this major event as a critical moment to shift public perception of gambling and launch a large-scale responsible gambling campaign. Proposals include a whistle-to-whistle ban, which would prohibit gambling ads during sports broadcasts, similar to practices already seen in the United Kingdom.

The authority has taken tough action in the past. At the beginning of 2025, France's four largest operators were ordered to cut their marketing budgets. The ANJ is now strictly monitoring that declared budgets are not exceeded. Pascal Chevremont has stated he will closely assess the collected data before deciding whether a comprehensive review of existing advertising laws is necessary.

Why it matters for German players

For German players, these developments in France serve as a signal, even though the legal situation in Germany is already strictly regulated by the 2021 Interstate Treaty on Gambling (GlüStV 2021). In Germany, the Joint Gambling Authority of the States (GGL) ensures compliance with similar protection measures. Advertising bans between 9 PM and 6 AM for certain formats and the mandatory registration in the LUGAS system are already a reality here.

The French plans for a whistle-to-whistle ban and specific loss limits for young adults aged 18 to 25 could serve as a model for future adjustments in Germany. German players using GGL-licensed sites already benefit from a monthly deposit limit of 1,000 Euros and a 1 Euro per spin limit for virtual slots. The stricter rules in France show that the European trend is clearly moving toward even more intensive player protection, which will likely influence German regulatory debates in the long run.

What it means for GGL-licensed casinos

Operators with a German license must prepare for the possibility that marketing requirements could be harmonized across Europe. While France now requires a six-month advance review, German providers must also follow strict GGL guidelines. A violation of advertising restrictions can lead to the loss of a license in both countries. The cooperation between ANJ and ARPP illustrates that monitoring is no longer conducted solely by gambling authorities but increasingly by specialized advertising regulators. For GGL-licensed casinos, this means increased administrative effort in campaign planning but also ensures fair competition against illegal offshore providers who often advertise aggressively without player protection measures.