The end of March has seen the French gambling regulator, Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), take decisive measures to protect consumer rights and ensure legal compliance. Following the receipt of a series of customer complaints regarding specific clauses in the general terms and conditions of legal gambling operators, the supervisory body has conducted a general review of the contractual documentation and ordered them to revise it.
In the wake of this global review, the authority has singled out the clauses, which must be either modified or removed due to their ambiguous or abusive nature.
To begin with, the ANJ noted that clauses partially or totally exempting operators from liability have been removed. Thus, in the event of potential breaches, consumers would be entitled to compensation by the gaming operator.
Apart from enabling gambling companies to avoid liability, other clauses were found to limit consumers’ rights to take legal action. As a result, the French regulator has put under scrutiny such terms and conditions. Consequently, they have been revised to allow customers to refer matters to courts within their local jurisdiction regardless of where the gambling operator is based.
Next, gambling operators were required to revise clauses pertaining to the period during which players can assert their rights, which is five years, according to current regulations.
Last but not least, gambling operators were obliged to overhaul clauses enabling them to arbitrarily limit players’ bets without providing a legitimate reason. The gambling authority warned that such limitations could violate France’s consumer laws or represent deceptive commercial practices.
The regulator has specified what a legitimate reason for limiting players’ bets may refer to, such as the prevention of excessive gambling, protection of underage players, or the implementation of anti-fraud and anti-money laundering practices.
ANJ Identifies Results from the Review of Anti-Consumer Terms and Conditions
The ANJ has briefly summarized the results from the review. The regulator said that while some operators have corrected the said clauses, others have chosen to completely overhaul their general terms and conditions. The gambling authority has further noted that operators remain solely responsible for the contractual documentation and that the review did not constitute validation. The regulatory overview has eventually sought to reach a satisfactory level of legal compliance, ahead of potential audits in the future.
As reported by CasinoGamesPro, the French regulator has recently posted its latest strategic plan for the gambling industry encompassing the period from 2024 to 2026. Its fundamental focus will be directed at reducing problem gambling and protecting underage players.
This regulatory strategy, along with the latest global review of legal operators’ contractual documentation have underscored the gambling authority’s commitment to ensuring a fair and transparent environment and the protection of consumer rights.
