Legality of casinos, betting bets, lotteries

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1) The big picture: "allowed by exception"

France has a default prohibition principle: all gambling is prohibited except those expressly permitted by law. This logic is fixed in the Code de la Sécurité Intérieure (CSI) and refined by the 2010 and 2020 amendments.

Thus, each form - casino, betting, lottery - has its own operator, regulator and legal framework.

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2) Casino: strictly offline and under state control

Casinos are allowed only in specific cities defined by the Ministry of the Interior (Ministère de l'Intérieur).

The law allows their work exclusively in resort and tourist areas, where the game is considered as an element of recreation, and not mass leisure.

To open, you must:

• the decision of the municipal council;
• permission of the prefect and the Ministry of Internal Affairs;
• appointment of a director approved by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
• Control is constant: cash registers are audited, payments are reported, and security services are inspected.
• Online casinos are banned in France: no operator is licensed for online slots or roulette. This is a key difference from many other EU countries.

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3) Betting bets: Regulated market since 2010

Until 2010, betting (sport/hippique) was a monopoly of state operators - PMU (horse racing) and FDJ (sport).

Law No. 2010-476 of May 12, 2010 opened the online betting market to competition and created a licensing system.

In 2020, powers passed to the Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), the single regulator.

Three categories of online games are allowed:

1. sports betting, 2. horse racing bets, 3. online poker.

Online casinos (roulette, blackjack, machines) are still banned.

Licensed bookmakers are required to comply with:

• age and personality control, deposit and time limits, advertising restrictions (watershed, tone of messages), full reporting to ANJ.

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4) Lotteries: Monopoly Française des Jeux (FDJ)

Lotteries are historically a state prerogative. Their modern operator is Française des Jeux (FDJ), a former state-owned company partially privatized in 2019, but still operating under state supervision.

FDJ has exclusive rights to conduct:

• lotteries (Loto, EuroMillions), instant games (Cash, Astro, Mission Patrimoine), part of sports betting in retail.
• Revenues from lotteries go to finance public programs, sports and cultural projects.
• Lottery products are regulated by the ANJ, which tests advertising, transparency and consumer protection.

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5) Role of ANJ and interaction with other bodies

ANJ (Autorité Nationale des Jeux) is the main supervisory authority for all licensed operators (online and offline).

The Ministry of Internal Affairs (Ministère de l'Intérieur) remains the curator of physical casinos and clubs.

The Ministry of Finance is involved in taxation and revenue control.

ANJ is responsible for:

• licensing and monitoring of operators, control of advertising and communications, RG (responsible game), combating illegal sites, publishing market statistics.

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6) What is prohibited by law

Online casinos and slots are completely prohibited.

Unlicensed betting and poker sites - blocked and blacklisted by ANJ.

Games with minors are strictly prohibited: online via KYC, offline via access control.

Aggressive advertising ("easy money," youth-appeal, without warning about risk) - sanctioned by the regulator.

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7) How licensing works

Online operators submit an application to ANJ with technical and financial documentation, as well as:

• RG and KYC process plan, anti-laundering measures, payment reporting, internal security protocols.
• Casinos receive permission at the city/region level and are required to keep a daily turnover report, store video recordings of tables and cash desks, comply with safety and audit standards.

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8) Responsible play: uniform standards

Since 2020, France has introduced universal RG tools for all forms of gambling:

• deposit and time limits, reality check (notifications about the duration of the session), self-exclusion and the national register of players, expense reports, age verification and risk communication.
• These standards are equally binding on FDJs, PMUs and online bookmakers.

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9) Practical examples

PMU. fr is the largest online platform horse racing betting operator licensed by ANJ.

Betclic, Unibet, Winamax, ParionsSport (FDJ) are legal online bookmakers.

Casino Barrière, Partouche, Joa - examples of offline casinos with a state license.

FDJ. fr is the only official site for lotteries and instant games.

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10) Bottom line: the structure of legality

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TL; DR

In France, gambling is allowed only in strictly defined forms:

• Casino - only offline, with the permission of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
• Online betting and poker - licensed by ANJ.
• Lotteries and scratch cards are the exclusive right of the FDJ.
• All other formats, including online slots and roulette, remain prohibited.
• The ANJ regulator provides control, Responsible Gambling, advertising and blocking of illegal sites, creating a transparent and secure gaming environment.