SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
French online gambling operators have pledged to reduce their advertising coverage during the World Cup, observing new rules and standards imposed by l’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ).
Yesterday, ANJ, France’s unified gambling regulator, published its ‘Four Commitment Charter’ introducing new rules to ‘de-intensify’ gambling advertising across the media verticals of TV, radio, display and digital marketing.
At the start of the year, ANJ had launched a consultation with ARPP France’s Professional Advertising Regulatory Authority and ARCOM, the Audiovisual Communication Regulator, to establish new rules for gambling operators.
Endorsed by ARCOM, the ANJ has revised existing rules on TV and radio ad-breaks that will be limited to a maximum of three advertising slots allowed for gambling content – which previously stood at four slots allowed.
French operators will adopt a ‘new charter for display advertising’ to significantly reduce the coverage of gambling ads in public areas such as train stations and metros whilst also banning adverts from being near schools and other academic institutions.
The fourth segment of the charter brings all licensed operators and advertising professionals who are members of the Digital Alliance to observe new rules on digital advertising.
The pact is recognised as a “major sectoral agreement signed by operators”, who have pledged to “better control the commercial communications of operators published on social networks, platforms, mobile applications, websites, as well as those of influencers and ambassadors.”
French operators and networks have pledged that digital marketing must “protect minors from advertising on gambling and not to exert advertising pressure on vulnerable audiences, in particular young people and excessive gamblers.”
The publishing of the new advertising charter sees the ANJ complete its 2022 agenda of regulatory reforms. In October, the regulator published its new rules on the player rewards and bonuses that will be observed during World Cup 2022.
“Following Euro 2020, the ANJ initiated an ambitious action plan to moderate the content of advertisements for gambling and the advertising pressure to which the public is exposed, “ explained ANJ President Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin
“A few days before the start of the World Cup, the signing of these charters in a spirit of co-regulation is a strong signal from all the players concerned to promote responsible advertising.
The period ahead of us is crucial because it will allow everyone to verify that advertising in the gambling sector has changed and that the commitments made are respected. The implementation of these four charters will be subject to annual monitoring by the ANJ.”
