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France’s gambling regulator has issued an early warning to sportsbooks and media partners ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, saying the tournament’s scale and a surge in planned promotional spend could recreate the kind of advertising saturation regulators have been trying to curb for years.
The Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) said on February 13, 2026, that it is calling on operators to keep marketing pressure under control and not exceed the budgets they have already declared for the year. The regulator tied its message to a sharp rise in planned promotional activity as the World Cup approaches.
ANJ points to a 25% jump in 2026 promotional budgets
The warning follows ANJ’s January 9 review of operators’ 2026 promotional strategies, during which the regulator assessed planned spending and imposed conditions on how budgets can be used.
ANJ said total promotional spend planned for 2026 is €785 million, up €156 million year-on-year, a 25% increase versus 2025. The regulator broke that figure into €319 million in marketing investment and €466 million in player incentives and bonuses.
Operators, ANJ said, have justified the higher spend by pointing to a packed sports calendar in 2026, including the Winter Olympics and the World Cup, as well as tougher competition in the online market.
A new match break could mean more betting ad inventory
ANJ also flagged a World Cup-specific risk it says could drive exposure higher than in past tournaments: FIFA’s planned “hydration breaks” during matches.
The regulator warned that the mandatory pauses would create additional advertising time during live games, raising the likelihood that betting promotions will be seen more often and by more viewers. ANJ said it is asking operators not to use the additional airtime to ramp up advertising intensity beyond what they have committed to in their declared budgets.
In general, France has been trying to cool pressure on betting advertising since the online market matured, and the regulator has repeatedly pointed to major tournaments as flashpoints for overexposure.
Source: focusgn
