France to Replace ARJEL Regulatory Agency with ARJ in Spring 2020

As regulated iGaming markets all over Europe enter into a new phase of development, including the official relaunch of the Swedish online gambling landscape on January 1st, 2019, other regulatory agencies follow the same business model to address consumer protection, including addiction, fraudulent activities and money laundering.

France’s ongoing gambling regulator ARJEL (Regulator l’autorité nationale de régulation des jeux en ligne) has reiterated in a press release that the country’s supervising agency will be restructured and renamed in Spring, with Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin as the new president.

Falque-Pierrotin currently occupies the position of state councilor for France’s National Commission for Data Protections and her appointment has been confirmed last week by the country’s Prime Minister Edouard Philippe.

ANJ to Regulate All Forms of Gambling

Aside from replacing the country’s online gambling regulatory agency ARJEL, France’s remodeled supervisory authority ARJ will regulate casinos, horse racing in Paris and lottery games. As stated by the PM’s office, the new body will take over the entire regulation process in relation to gambling.

“With its scope extended to cover all forms of gambling, additional powers and increased resources, this new body will become the main player in the regulation of gambling in France. The Agency will have the power to tackle gambling addiction, to ensure minors are protected, to prevent fraudulent or criminal activity by combatting money laundering, and ensuring economic stability across the various gaming sectors,” concluded Philippe’s spokesman.

The new president of ANJ, Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, graduated at the HEC business school in Paris and built her career in the French courts before she got appointed vice-chair of the National Commission for Data Protections in 2009 and the state councilor in 2011.

France has announced a modification of its GGR tax plan for 2020 back in January, stating the tariff will be imposed on gross gaming revenues instead of gaming turnover. Under the new regulations, L’autorite nationale des jeux will act as a single body that oversees gambling in the country. Therefore, online gaming in France will remain under the supervision of ARJEL and the Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of the Economy and Finance until Spring 2020.

ARJEL Reforms Ahead of FDJ Privatization

The introduction of new gambling regulations in France precedes another major event that includes full privatization of lottery monopoly La Française des Jeux or FDJ for short. This organization was owned and operated by the French government until its shares were sold to institutional and private investors in an initial public offering. Despite the privatization process, Council of Minister said the state will continue to hold a partial degree of influence.

“In the competitive online sports betting sector, the ANJ will take over the mission of issuing the licenses to online gambling or betting operators, now exercised by ARJEL. It will see its powers of supervision strengthened: the authority will indeed be able to prescribe to an operator the withdrawal of any commercial communication inciting to play excessively.

The skills of the ANJ will focus on the fight against excessive gambling. The regulation of this activity for its other aspects, however, will continue to be the responsibility of the Ministry of the Interior, because of its specificities,” concluded the country’s Council of Ministers.

The privatization program of the French government was also approved by the French Supreme constitutional court in May 2019.

Source:

“New French regulator expected to launch in spring 2020”, igamingbusiness.com, February 12, 2020.