France's Autorité nationale des jeux (ANJ) has completed its annual review of anti-fraud and anti-money laundering action plans submitted by licensed gaming operators, revealing substantial compliance improvements alongside areas requiring further strengthening.
The regulatory assessment examined plans covering fraud prevention and measures against money laundering and terrorism financing (LCF/LCB-FT) from operators holding licences or exclusive rights. ANJ's analysis shows operators have largely met prescriptions and recommendations issued in 2024, with most now maintaining satisfactory human, material and procedural resources.
Enhanced Focus on Organised Crime Prevention
The review placed particular emphasis on measures targeting organised crime, reflecting France's commitment to Law 2025-532 aimed at removing the country from drug trafficking networks. ANJ scrutinised operators' enhanced due diligence measures for players identified as holding public or private positions exposing them to corruption risks.
This targeted approach allowed the regulator to assess each operator's compliance level and issue specific prescriptions where strengthening was required.
2025
Year Law 2025-532 was enacted
2
Annual compliance support meetings per operator
9 September 2021
Date of decree establishing AML/CFT framework
2025 Performance Assessment
ANJ's individualised monitoring of operators included two annual compliance support meetings – the first in spring 2025 to clarify college decisions on action plans, and the second in autumn 2025 to measure implementation progress.
This structured oversight yielded advances across several critical areas:
- Customer identification and due diligence systems, including enhanced detection of atypical behaviours
- Internal control mechanisms showing measurable improvement
- Suspicious activity reporting to TRACFIN, France's financial intelligence unit, with improvements in both quantity and quality of declarations
The regulator acknowledged operators' commitments to further strengthen their LCF/LCB-FT frameworks in 2026, including enhanced staff training programmes, improved customer risk classification criteria, and reinforced internal control measures.
TRACFIN Integration
TRACFIN operates under France's Ministry of Economy and Finance, processing over 100,000 suspicious transaction reports annually across all financial sectors. Gaming operators' reports are cross-referenced with banking, real estate, and cryptocurrency transaction data to identify complex money laundering schemes spanning multiple industries.
Compliance Framework Foundation
The annual submission requirement enables continuous dialogue between operators and the regulator, with ANJ empowered to issue binding prescriptions. Assessment criteria draw from comprehensive applicable regulations, particularly the reference framework established by the 9 September 2021 decree defining anti-fraud and AML/CFT standards.
ANJ evaluated both 2025 implementation results and operators' 2026 commitments, ensuring alignment with joint expectations from the regulator and TRACFIN for enhanced suspicious activity reporting.
2026 Prescriptions and Expectations
Despite acknowledged progress, ANJ identified improvement opportunities requiring continued operator attention. The regulator expects comprehensive efforts across three priority areas for 2026:
Alert system enhancement – operators must refine their detection capabilities to strengthen vigilance regarding players exposed to corruption risks through professional activities.
Declaration activity consolidation – continued improvement in suspicious activity reporting quality and consistency remains essential.
Retail network oversight – operators with exclusive rights must strengthen retailer monitoring and implement proportionate, deterrent sanctions for compliance failures.
Compliance Best Practice
Operators should establish dedicated corruption risk assessment teams with access to publicly available sanctions lists, PEP databases, and adverse media screening tools. Regular training on identifying red flags such as unusual betting patterns from high-risk jurisdictions or transactions involving shell companies can significantly reduce regulatory scrutiny.
Regulatory Implications for Market Participants
ANJ's systematic approach signals intensifying compliance expectations across France's regulated gaming sector. The regulator's emphasis on corruption risk detection reflects broader European trends linking financial crime prevention with organised crime disruption.
Operators face increasing pressure to demonstrate sophisticated risk assessment capabilities, particularly regarding politically exposed persons and those in corruption-vulnerable positions. The dual-meeting compliance framework suggests ANJ views ongoing supervision as essential rather than annual box-ticking exercises.
The specific focus on retail network compliance for exclusive rights holders indicates recognition that distribution channels represent potential vulnerabilities in the anti-money laundering framework. This prescription acknowledges that effective compliance requires control throughout the entire operational chain.
According to ANJ.
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