The French government has set out plans to replace current regulator ARJEL with a new public body known as the National Gambling Authority (ANJ).

According to iGaming Times, France-facing operators will soon find themselves under the new gambling authority, which will be responsible for regulating and overseeing the activities of the gambling industry, with lottery, sports-betting, online gambling, and horseracing all falling under its jurisdiction. Still, land-based casino will be the sole sector that will continue to be regulated by the Ministry of Interior, ‘because of its specificities’.

The move comes as the government prepares to sell off the bulk of its shares in state-owned lottery firm Francaise des Jeux (FDJ), paving the way for private entities to steer the direction of the sector. The government will nonetheless retain a 20% stake in the company after it is listed on the French stock exchange, giving it a certain amount of influence over FDJ’s future.

Although the need for a more comprehensive regulator had been on the government’s radar for several months, the impetus to reform the system came from the decision to privatise the FDJ and thereby introduce another major player to the market.

https://thepaypers.com/news/france-decides-on-a-new-gambling-regulator-to-tighten-polices-on-the-market--1239770