The ANJ’s new Chair remained tight-lipped on the prospect of online casino regulation in France as he prepared to take control of the country’s gambling market.
Pascal Chevremont, who will replace Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin after being nominated by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, was questioned by a committee of the National Assembly before being appointed earlier this week.
When asked to provide his views on the potential for online casino regulation, he emphasised that the ANJ’s role is simply to assist legislators. Any push for a change in regulation must be led by the government.
He said: “For me, the role of the authority is to inform parliament if the discussion ever comes up. This legalisation could only happen following the discussion by the legislature.
“I think that the debate in parliament is very important and will allow us to discuss all various issues and the authority will shed light on the exercise of regulation over a potentially legalised sector.”
‘Highly controlled’ online casino market
The prospect of regulating online casinos has been a consistent talking point within French gambling and was proposed by the government as an amendment to the country’s 2025 budget.
However, the proposal was withdrawn after facing strong opposition from France’s land-based casino sector and public health advocates concerned about the impact on gambling addiction rates in the country.
During this period, the ANJ emphasised that opening the online casino market must be done in a ‘highly controlled’ manner to mitigate the public health risks.
Chevremont’s stance throughout his questioning by MPs hung on protecting the regulated market and curbing the impact of the illegal sector. He emphasised that a cornerstone of this process involves ensuring that ‘the legal offer becomes more attractive than the illegal one’.
As it stands, the lack of regulation surrounding online casinos appears to represent a major obstacle to this directive as players seek alternative options outside of the regulated market.
However, even if Chevremont was in favour of online casino regulation, departing Chair Falque-Pierrotin reiterated that a decision in favour of online casinos would not be a silver bullet when it comes to the black market.
Speaking to SBC News ahead of her departure, she said: “Legalising online casino will not kill off the illegal market, as we can see with the online sports betting market in France.
“When it comes to tax revenues, yes, it will likely generate some income, but what will be the impact on [France’s 202] land-based casinos? It would be as important a decision as the opening of the market in 2010.”
Falque-Pierrotin added that there are key considerations that must be assessed before online casino regulation can begin to progress as it’s ‘one of the most addictive products in the market’.
