Regulatory Authority Imposes €75,000 Penalty on Data Operator Due to Severe Compliance Lapses
The French gambling regulator, l'Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), has taken a firm stance against non-compliance with data compliance rules, issuing a €75,000 fine to a licensed online betting operator for repeated failures to meet the required standards.
The breaches, spanning over two years, involved significant shortcomings in data processing, including the operator's inability to archive and transmit essential gaming data, and the submission of hundreds of thousands of defective records. This compromised the regulator's ability to verify betting operations and track risky gambling behavior, particularly in the detection of pathological gamblers.
According to the ANJ, these failures violated key regulatory provisions requiring gambling businesses to ensure the regulator can access accurate data on all transaction records and player account balances in real-time and with permanent access. The archived data must be continuously accessible, allowing the regulator to oversee gaming operations effectively and detect any irregularities.
The operator was also found to have neglected to archive millions of euros in betting activity, omitting these transactions from the secure hardware-based archiving system mandated by law. This case serves as a reminder that authorized operators in France's regulated market could face substantial consequences if they don't comply with their obligations, especially where data integrity is concerned.
The ANJ's mission is to maintain market integrity, player protection, transparency, and fight against fraud, money laundering, and gambling addiction. Failure to comply with these rules compromises this mission. In response, the ANJ has intensified its clampdown on unauthorized gambling sites and systematically targeted financial channels favored by black market entities.
In 2024, the ANJ imposed nine individual penalties above €400,000 for regulatory violations. The offending operator has pledged to introduce new controls and measures to prevent future data integrity violations. Furthermore, the ANJ blocked over 1,250 illegal gambling websites from targeting French consumers in 2024.
The ANJ remains vigilant in ensuring French consumers can wager safely and responsibly, promoting responsible gambling and minimizing harm. The regulator's strict data compliance rules demand real-time, full, and accurate archiving of all player and betting data with uninterrupted regulator access, supported by secure approved systems to uphold safety, transparency, and integrity in the French online gambling market.
- The gambling industry in France, including casinos and online betting operators, must adhere to strict data compliance rules to ensure responsible gambling and prevent fraud, as demonstrated by the ANJ's intensified clampdown on non-compliance.
- Failure to ensure real-time, full, and accurate archiving of all player and betting data, as well as providing the regulator with continuous access, can result in substantial fines, as evidenced by the €75,000 penalty issued to a licensed online betting operator for repeated failures.
