French Online Gambling Regulator ARJEL Disciplines Online Casinos

After a December 03 meeting of the Sanctions Committee of France’s national online gambling regulator ARJEL (L’Autorité de régulation des jeux en ligne), three unnamed online gambling license holders are being subjected to sanction proceedings for failure to comply with the regulator’s guidelines.

ARJEL has not released details about the exact nature of the violations, stating only that these online gambling sites in France have violated Article 43 of Law No. 2010-476, which calls for openness and competition in the nation’s online gambling industry. Notifications have been sent to the offending operators, though ARJEL must still decide what actions will be taken against them.

The sites may receive a simple warning, but the consequences could be more severe, resulting in financial penalties amounting to as much as 5% of the total turnover from the last financial year. The punishment, ARJEL explains in a document available on their website, will depend on the severity of the breech.

In the meantime, ARJEL continues their battle against offshore operators who offer internet gambling in France without a proper license. Coordinating their efforts with the Ministry of Interior and French Customs officials, ARJEL has so far sent 125 infringement notices to offending sites that target French players illegally.

To date, there are only 46 sites that have been licensed offer internet gambling services to French players. Twenty-three sites offer online poker, eight focus on horse racing, and the remaining fifteen provide internet betting in France.