The French national regulator l’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) has published a list of betting sites that have been subject to blocking and deletion orders. The list, which will be updated monthly, features sites operated by brands such as Campeonbet, Casinoextra, Dublinbet, Kahuna Casino, Winmachance, MyStake, WinUnique, VegasPlus and YBet.
Last March, the ANJ was given new powers to block and de-list illegal gambling sites, as well as those that advertise these sites. Since the first administrative blocking and withdrawal orders were sent in June last year, the ANJ has issued a total of 152 orders, after which around 532 URLs related to illegal gambling content were blocked.
The ANJ said that the procedure for blocking these sites has also been improved so that measures can be taken to stop access to illegal sites more quickly. Previously, it would take four to six months from identification to a judge approving a decision to block access.
However, the ANJ can now consult an administrative judge to ask French Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block access to websites identified as operating or advertising illegally.
Formal notice will be sent to the editor and host of a site; if this goes unanswered for five days and the operator does not cease operation, the ANJ can contact the ISPs to take the relevant measures to block access. This, said the ANJ, could reduce the length of the blocking process to one to two months.
Around 17 operators are currently licensed to operate in France, while La Française des Jeux holds a monopoly on the lottery in the country. A list of these approved operators is also available for viewing on the ANJ website.
“When a French consumer plays on an illegal website, he exposes him to multiple risks, such as unauthorized collection of personal data, payment fraud, installation of malicious computer programs, non-payment of winnings and the absence of measures to prevent gambling excessive amounts and access by minors”, said the French regulator.
“The ANJ also suggests that players report illegal gaming sites to the regulator”, concluded the ANJ.
