France Tightens Operator Guidance On Player Fraud

France’s gambling regulator, the Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), has published new guidance setting out how licensed operators should handle suspected player fraud.

The guidance does not introduce new legal obligations but provides operators with a clearer framework for deciding when accounts can be closed, bets cancelled or player balances withheld.

The document follows consultation with licensed operators and France’s gambling ombudsman and places greater emphasis on the evidence required before action is taken against players.

Evidence Required For Operator Action

The ANJ states that suspicion alone is not sufficient to refuse winnings or return some or all of a player’s account balance.

Operators are expected to demonstrate fraud through evidence, with factors such as IP addresses, device information, connection timings, payment details and betting behaviour potentially forming part of a wider case.

The regulator also notes that individual indicators may not be sufficient on their own. For example, the use of the same device or IP address does not automatically establish that accounts are being shared.

Fraud Categories Covered

The guidance addresses several forms of player fraud, including identity fraud, payment fraud, abusive chargebacks, gameplay fraud, money dumping between poker accounts and sports manipulation.

It also distinguishes fraud from other activities that may breach an operator’s terms, such as exploiting obvious odds errors, late betting or repeatedly opening and closing accounts to obtain bonuses.

Where fraud has been established, the ANJ generally recommends that affected accounts are closed. The treatment of remaining balances depends on the circumstances and type of fraud involved.

The guidance also covers account takeovers, poker collusion, bot use and bets linked to proven sports manipulation.

Review Of Operator Procedures

The ANJ describes the document as a soft-law compliance tool rather than a new set of regulations.

However, the guidance provides operators with a more detailed benchmark for their fraud procedures and the evidence supporting decisions affecting player accounts and balances.

Operators are encouraged to review their account management, fraud detection systems and contractual terms against the recommendations.