French gambling regulator ANJ, has warned sports betting operators against limiting the sports bets of their customers following a raft of complaints by local gamblers.
Gamblers have reported operators to the regulator for consistently refusing to accept wagers made at advertised odds or a refusal to accept bets on a given event. The number of complaints received has risen by 17% in the last reporting period leading the ANJ to take action and rule on the legality of such limitations and restrictions on sports betting.
According to two pieces of legislation published in October 2019 and March 2021, player protections are such that any refusal to adhere to advertised odds or betting product prices is, in fact, illegal and contrary to both French gambling laws and consumer protections.
With this in mind, the ANJ contacted all operators to remind them of their responsibilities towards their customers.
In its announcement, the ANJ stated:
“An operator who advertises to the public an offer of online sports betting at specific odds cannot refuse or limit the bets of players who accept this offer, unless they have a legitimate reason.”
The announcement goes on to explain that failing to fulfill an offer constitutes a refusal to provide a service to a customer, a practice that is prohibited by Article L. 121-11 of the Consumer Code and punishable as a fifth class offense. This is classed as unfair commercial practice.
An operator who offers a bet to the public and who refuses to register a customer’s stakes for any reason not considered legitimate could also, depending on the circumstances, be charged with deceptive commercial practices referred to in the consumer code.
The operator may, however, refuse or limit a player’s bets for legitimate reasons. This legitimate reason may arise from the following cases:
- Prevention of excessive or pathological gambling and underage gambling
- The fight against fraud, money laundering and the financing of terrorism
In such cases, the operator must prove the validity of the reason for refusal before limiting a customer’s actions.
Operators who persist in such betting limiting practices without justifying a legitimate reason risk being prosecuted before the Sanctions Commission of the National Gaming Authority.
Ciaran has been working within the Gambling Industry as a deep analyst since 2019. His deep knowledge and understanding of all the gambling regulations, and processes makes him a true asset, and an always valuable point of view for Gambling Industry News, allowing us to cover every topics from a brand new perspective.