Italy once again takes the lead in combating and preventing pathological and problem gambling. French gaming authority ANJ has imposed restrictions on sports sponsorship and gaming advertising.
Tightening of game and sports sponsorships in France
Gaming and advertising: crisis comes to France
France is also preparing to align with European standards on the control and regulation of sports sponsorships by gaming and betting companies and operators. Sports sponsorship of companies in the legal gaming sector will increase from 34 million Euros in 2022. 40.7 million planned for 2023.
An increase of around 20% to which sports partnerships of around €15m with authorized operators should be added. A little too much for not raising ANJ’s antennae, short for Autorite Nationale des JeuxIt is roughly equivalent to what the Customs and Monopoly Authority means to us. The official noted these increases, but did not stop there.
Sighting includes various athletes whose images are used to promote the game, many commercial messages without warning messages, direct affiliate links, naming of sports facilities by game operators, and of course the presence of illegal operators. To avoid being dragged into pathological and child gambling, ANJ announced strong pressure.
What will change and the limits of Italian precedent
ANJ presented some new guidelines to followon sports sponsorships provided by companies and gambling operators. The directives give priority to the protection of minors, hence exemption from the sale of products bearing gaming brands to minors, more explicit bans for minors, ban on the use of athletes and sports professionals as references for gaming and betting companies.
We are aware that all this has already taken place in Italy, where the Decree of Honor has been in effect since 2018. Advertising the game in any form is prohibited. The Meloni government has repeatedly speculated reintroduce gambling-related sponsorships In Serie A, however, the M5S declared very fierce opposition. However, Italian experience teaches that absolute prohibitions involve various problems.
Even the latest Eurispes data mentions one. increase in illegal gamblingBenefiting from the advertising ban imposed on legal companies for 5 years. They should have benefited from this experience, given that the fight against illegal gambling is an important part of the guidelines in France. For the rest, the industry itself has already shown itself to be capable of self-regulation.
