France tightens oversight of gambling advertising with renewed ANJ–ARPP agreement
Renewal fixes six‑month pre‑submission and extends supervision to JONUM from 2026
Key Takeaways
- ANJ and ARPP renewed their cooperation on gambling advertising in France, maintaining the requirement to submit campaigns six months before launch.
- ARPP performs independent technical review of online gambling ads and ANJ assesses legal conformity under the renewed agreement.
- From 2026 the agreement explicitly includes JONUM and extends review rules to marketable digital objects, blockchain and NFTs.
- French law forbids presenting gambling as financial security, social success or an alternative to employment, and the renewal reaffirms this standard.
The Autorité Nationale des Jeux (Autorité Nationale des Jeux, ANJ) and the Autorité de Régulation Professionnelle de la Publicité (Autorité de Régulation Professionnelle de la Publicité, ARPP) have renewed their cooperation agreement on gambling advertising in France. The pact, published following the collaboration launched in 2023, keeps the obligation for operators to submit advertising and marketing initiatives to the regulator six months before launch for review under ARPP guidance.
What the renewal establishes for gambling advertising in France
The renewed text consolidates the framework started in 2023, under which ARPP carries out independent oversight of online gambling advertising to verify compliance with ANJ’s advertising code and applicable rules. ARPP reviews creative materials and issues technical observations; ANJ, as the sector’s regulator, assesses campaigns’ conformity with French gambling law.
The specific obligations include:
submission of advertising and marketing initiatives to ANJ six months before the planned launch;
review of those initiatives by ANJ applying ARPP’s guidance;
coordination between both bodies to resolve breaches of legislation and advertising standards.
ARPP retains the power to request ANJ’s view on specific campaigns, always respecting the confidentiality principles agreed between the parties.
Cooperation on JONUM and new digital products from 2026
From 2026, the renewal expressly incorporates cooperation between ANJ and ARPP relating to JONUM, ANJ’s initiative to provide official regulation of online games that use marketable digital objects. JONUM covers new market practices linked to technologies such as blockchain, non‑fungible tokens (NFTs) and other crypto products. The agreement states that the review rules and coordination channels between ANJ and ARPP will also apply to oversight of advertising for these products within the regulated market.
Including JONUM in the agreement means that advertising campaigns related to games offering marketable digital objects must follow the same submission and review process as other online gambling campaigns.
Legal limits on advertising content
French law prohibits presenting gambling as a route to financial security, social success or as an alternative to employment. The renewed agreement reaffirms this principle and positions ARPP as the technical body that checks creative assets against ANJ’s code and the legal rules.
In practice, campaigns that include references to economic stability, social advancement or replacement of income from work will enter the review regime and may be objected to by ARPP or require ANJ intervention.
Operational impact for operators and agencies
The timing and coordination obligations impose clear operational changes for operators and creative agencies. Practical consequences include:
planning the creative calendar with at least six months to submit to ANJ;
integrating pre‑clearance checks aligned with ARPP’s guidelines to avoid late returns;
managing confidentiality and document exchange flows between ARPP and ANJ when a campaign requires a specific consultation.
Houses that manage campaigns targeting the French market must adapt their internal approval processes to meet regulatory deadlines and possible requirements linked to JONUM and products based on blockchain and NFTs.
What the regulated market must monitor
Regulators designed this framework as part of a broader approach to supervise gambling advertising and promote responsible marketing practices in the French regulated market. The renewed agreement is an operational instrument: it sets procedures, deadlines and consultation channels between ARPP and ANJ, without introducing prohibitions beyond those already in law.
For affected companies, the immediate task is to comply with the six‑month schedule and ensure campaigns do not portray gambling as a means of financial security, social success or an employment alternative.
"ARPP will carry out an independent review of online advertising to verify adherence to ANJ’s code," the joint statement said, underlining the continuity of the review mechanism launched in 2023. — Miguel Sandoval, Corresponsal de regulación
"From 2026, cooperation will cover JONUM and practices related to blockchain, NFTs and crypto products," the joint note from both bodies adds.
Relevance for the B2B sector
Technology platforms, agencies and legal departments must review their go‑to‑market playbooks for the French market. Coordination between compliance, creative and commercial operations becomes mandatory when a campaign falls within the regulated market. Companies working with marketable digital objects should also consider the specific rules that ANJ and ARPP will apply under JONUM.
Readers interested in regulatory impact can consult our sections on [regulation](/regulation) and on [b2b](/b2b) for analysis and practical guidance on implementing compliance processes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the renewed ANJ–ARPP agreement require of operators?
Operators must submit advertising and marketing initiatives to ANJ six months before launch; ARPP conducts independent checks under ANJ’s code and both bodies coordinate to resolve compliance issues.
When does JONUM become part of the cooperation between ANJ and ARPP?
JONUM’s inclusion applies from 2026, at which point cooperation between ANJ and ARPP will cover advertising for games using marketable digital objects and practices based on blockchain and NFTs.
What advertising content is prohibited under French law?
French law prohibits advertising that presents gambling as a route to financial security, social success or an alternative to employment; campaigns with such references may be objected to by ARPP or reviewed by ANJ.
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About the author
Miguel Sandoval
Regulatory Affairs Correspondent
Miguel Sandoval tracks gambling legislation, licensing, and regulator enforcement — from Spain's DGOJ and the Latin American authorities to the UKGC, the MGA, and the state-by-state map in North America. The reports answer three questions precisely — what changed, where, and who it affects — with jurisdictions, dates, and penalties cited exactly as published. Operators and compliance officers read Miguel Sandoval to know which rulebook moved before their next meeting.
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