The French Gaming Authority (ANJ) has teamed up with the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) to curb online harassment of players.
To protect players, as well as coaches and referees, from cyberbullying, the ANJ and LFP have started a video campaign whose message is reinforced by the hashtag #ParierSansClasher, which roughly translates to “betting without confrontation” in English.
In this way, this campaign is aimed at aggrieved bettors, who the ANJ alleges “regular” level attacks on football players on social media, blaming them for losing bets.
“Many sportsmen, including professional football players, are regularly attacked by bettors on social media, accusing them of being responsible for losing sports bets,” the ANJ said.
“These behaviors often reflect an erroneous view of sports betting, perceived as a game of pure skill related to sporting events devoid of risk. They also illustrate the risk of seeing the sports betting issue overtake the sports issues themselves.”
To raise awareness of this problem, the ANJ and the LFP produced a 33-second film, which through “absurdity and visual shock” emphasizes “the core values of respect and fair play”.
The play features a 3D soccer match, but the animated players are invisible, only their uniforms can be seen. In the background, a voice can be heard commenting, but instead of describing the game in sporting terms, everything is framed from the perspective of betting.
The ANJ explained that this “reminds us that there is always a human behind the shirt and that insults uttered online behind a screen have real consequences for players, coaches and referees.”
About the ANJ
The ANJ is an independent authority and reports to Parliament. Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin was appointed president of the entity by decree of the French president for a term of six years, non-revocable. Currently, the Council is composed of 9 members (five women and four men).
Therefore, the organization regulates licensed games and betting (online, at points of sale and at racetracks). And, oversees the casinos’ responsible gaming policy.
