France online gambling license (ANJ)
A large EU market open to licensed sports betting, horse-race betting and poker under the ANJ, with five-year licenses and no application fee. Online casino stays prohibited, and entry needs a French tax representative, a .fr site, a frontal data vault in France and an approved annual promotional strategy, with some of Europe’s highest betting levies.
- Best for
- Sportsbook and poker operators ready for a high-tax, tightly supervised market
- Who can be licensed
- B2C operators (betting and poker only)
- Markets it serves
- EU regulated markets
France licenses online gambling through the Autorité nationale des jeux (ANJ) under Law 2010-476 of 12 May 2010, but only for three products: sports betting, pari-mutuel horse-race betting and poker. Online casino games such as slots, roulette and blackjack remain banned, and lotteries are reserved to FDJ. Each license (agrément) runs for five years and is renewable. Applicants are companies seated in the EU or a cooperating EEA state, with a French tax representative, a .fr site and a frontal data vault in metropolitan France. Since 1 July 2025 online sports betting carries total levies of about 59.3% of gross gaming revenue.
- Status
- Licensing open
- Regulator
- Autorité nationale des jeux
- Legal basis
- Law 2010-476 of 12 May 2010, as amended
- Status checked
- October 16, 2026
License types in France
Each vertical needs its own five-year license, with no cap on numbers and no application window. Online casino is not licensable, and lotteries, shop betting and land-based horse betting stay with FDJ and PMU.
Online sports betting
Betting on competitions and bet types on the ANJ list, with a maximum payout ratio of 85% to players.
Online horse-race betting
Pari-mutuel betting only on approved races; fixed-odds horse betting is not allowed.
Online poker
Cash games and tournaments in peer-to-peer form; no other casino games.
Online casino
Slots, roulette, blackjack and live casino are banned online; offering them in France is a crime and foreign casino licenses have no value.
Who can hold an ANJ license
| Requirement | Under Law 2010-476 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Registered office in an EU member state, or an EEA state with a tax-assistance convention with France; companies in non-cooperative jurisdictions are excluded |
| French presence | Non-French operators appoint a French tax representative and name a person domiciled in France responsible for compliance |
| Integrity | Disclosure of final convictions of the company, owners and executives over ten years, and of every holder of more than 5% of capital or votes |
| Finances | Proof of financial solidity and funding, a guarantee of player funds and a dedicated EU/EEA bank account |
| Technical | A frontal data vault in metropolitan France, homologated software and a .fr website |
| No casino | A Malta, Curaçao or other foreign casino license gives no right to offer casino games to French players |
Technical and player-protection rules
Frontal and data vault
A capture device and secure vault record every gaming and account event, timestamped and sealed, on hardware in metropolitan France, declared to the ANJ before launch.
Homologation and certification
Each software version is approved before deployment; the frontal is certified within six months and full compliance certification follows within a year and then annually.
Player accounts
One verified 18+ account per player; identity checked within 30 days, after which unverified accounts are deactivated and later closed.
Limits
Players set weekly deposit and stake limits before playing; under Law 2026-725, loss limits apply to every player from 1 January 2027, with stricter rules for 18–25 year-olds.
Self-exclusion
The national exclusion register, renewed in November 2025, is checked at account opening and every login; a voluntary ban lasts at least three years.
AML
Operators report to TRACFIN; in July 2026 the national sanctions commission issued its first AML sanction against a licensed operator.
How the application runs
The ANJ decides within four months of filing. A request for missing items stops the clock, and silence at the end of the period counts as refusal. There is no application fee.
- 1Vertical and entityConfirm the product is licensable, set up the EU/EEA applicant and appoint the French tax representative and compliance contact.
- 2DossierOne file per vertical: statutes, financing, platform and security description, KYC, AML and responsible-gambling plans, filed in French.
- 3Technical setupFrontal and data vault in metropolitan France, software homologation reports and a certification body from the ANJ list.
- 4DecisionANJ review and grant of the five-year license within four months of a complete file.
- 5Go-liveExclusion register checks, player limits, TRACFIN reporting, annual promotional strategy and monthly levies.
Ongoing obligations
- Monthly levies on gross gaming revenue, about 59.3% on sports betting
- Frontal data vault in metropolitan France with continuous ANJ access
- Homologation of each software version and annual compliance certification
- National exclusion register checks at account opening and every login
- Deposit and stake limits now, and loss limits from 1 January 2027
- Annual promotional strategy filed before 30 October
- AML/CFT program with reports to TRACFIN
How online gambling is taxed
Sports betting
About 59.3% of gross gaming revenue in total since 1 July 2025: a 33.7% state levy plus social contributions raised to 15% and a levy for sport.
Horse-race betting
State and social levies of about 27% of gross gaming revenue, plus a contribution to the horse-racing sector set by decree.
Poker
A levy on stakes plus a 10% social contribution on gross gaming revenue since July 2025.
Advertising and players
A 15% contribution on advertising and promotion spending applies on top; ordinary players pay no tax on winnings.
Marketing, bonuses and enforcement
Promotional strategy
Each operator files its annual promotional strategy with the ANJ before 30 October, and the ANJ can demand changes.
Ad content
Every ad carries the prevention message and helpline set by the order of 4 March 2026; no targeting of minors and no influencers with more than 16% under-18 audiences.
Bonuses
Welcome offers are allowed, but the ANJ recommends a total of no more than €100 and bans rewards to players flagged for excessive gambling.
Illegal sites
The ANJ orders blocking of illegal sites and mirrors and of payments to them; Law 2026-725 extends blocking orders to VPN and other circumvention services.
Weighing France against other EU markets? Our European gambling license comparison covers all 27 member states: which products each licenses, the regulators, B2B rules and Finland's 2027 opening.
Compare EU marketsFrequently asked questions
Who regulates online gambling in France?
The Autorité nationale des jeux (ANJ), created in 2020 to replace ARJEL. It licenses online sports betting, horse-race betting and poker and supervises the FDJ and PMU monopolies.
Is online casino legal in France?
No. Slots, roulette, blackjack and live casino cannot be licensed online. Offering them to French players is a crime punishable by up to three years in prison and a €90,000 fine, and foreign casino licenses have no legal value in France.
What licenses can a private operator get in France?
Separate five-year licenses for online sports betting, online pari-mutuel horse-race betting and online poker. There is no cap on numbers and no application window.
Can a foreign company get an ANJ license?
Yes, if it is seated in the EU or an EEA state with a tax-assistance convention with France. It appoints a French tax representative and names a person domiciled in France responsible for compliance.
How long does the ANJ take?
The ANJ decides within four months of filing, with the clock stopped while missing items are requested. With the frontal and homologation, plan for 4–8 months.
How is online sports betting taxed in France?
Since 1 July 2025 total levies are about 59.3% of gross gaming revenue, including a 33.7% state levy and social contributions of 15%. A 15% contribution on advertising spend applies on top.
What is the frontal?
A capture device and secure data vault that record every gaming and account event, sealed and timestamped, on hardware in metropolitan France, available to the ANJ at all times.
Is there an application fee for a French license?
No. The fixed application fee was abolished by Law 2018-1317. Operators still bear certification and technical costs.
What changes in 2027?
Under Law 2026-725 of 3 August 2026, licensed sites must let every player set loss limits from 1 January 2027, with a waiting period before 18–25 year-olds can raise them. The law also extends blocking orders to circumvention services such as VPNs.
Can a Malta-licensed operator serve French players?
No. Only ANJ licensees may offer online betting and poker in France. The ANJ has illegal sites, mirrors and payments to them blocked.
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