The French Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), the National Gaming Authority, has inspected the marketing campaigns of gambling operators for 2024. Following an in-depth analysis of the plans of licensed gambling and betting companies, the regulator insisted on compliance with some further requirements and partially expressed disapproval of one operator’s strategy.
According to the guidelines published by the gambling regulator, operators must submit their marketing strategies for approval on an annual basis. This way, the monitoring body ensures that they comply with the national policy on gambling. The practice also serves as an important tool to inhibit problem gambling and protect vulnerable groups of society, especially minors.
The ANJ examined a total of 18 marketing strategies. Although the regulator approved 17 of them, it focused on areas for improvement, adding some exacting requirements. The complete list of sports, horse racing, and poker betting sites in France can be checked on the official website of the authority, under the section ‘Authorized operators’.
As per the evaluations of the regulator, most operators would continue to implement their 2023 marketing strategies. According to the regulatory body, they pay particular attention to customer retention, considering the upcoming major sporting events for 2024, such as the Olympics.
Some of the important considerations following the evaluation of the strategies indicate a 14% increase in investments in promotions. Some 46% of all media investments were funneled to online outlets, with bonuses and promotions being the key marketing tools.
As the ANJ noted, gambling operators must temper their marketing strategies to avoid putting too much pressure on media channels. Additionally, they are required to reconsider their marketing strategies concerning promotional offers and incentives, aiming to reduce the risk of problem gambling. More specifically, operators are obligated to moderate the financial rewards offered to attract new customers and retain existing ones. Last but not least, special attention must be paid to problem gamblers. Companies must not offer promotional incentives to players whose gambling has been identified as excessive or pathological.
ANJ Partially Rejects Winamax’s 2024 Marketing Strategy
Winamax, a Paris-based gambling company, offering online poker and sports betting, was the only operator whose 2024 marketing strategy was partially rejected. It was not approved due to the promotional offers and financial rewards the said operator intended to offer. Winamax must submit a new plan for approval by February 15, 2024.
Similarly, France’s national gambling regulator rejected the marketing strategy of the same company back in 2022. Winamax was required to resubmit it due to an advertisement showing a man improving his and his mother’s standard of living through gambling. It violated national standards for advertisements. The operator resubmitted the application, which was subsequently approved in June 2022.
