for early access to the latest igaming videos!
and get the latest igaming news first!
The French National Sanctions Committee (CNS) has imposed fines and suspended bans on a licensed online sports betting operator and two of its senior executives after confirming breaches of anti‑money laundering and counter‑terrorist financing rules.
The decision, delivered in July this year following a hearing earlier that month, was published on Tuesday and marks the first time the gambling regulator has referred such a case to the CNS.
Investigators found that the operator allowed a sanctioned individual to open and confirm a betting account, failed to apply asset‑freezing measures in time, and did not notify the Minister of the Economy as required.
Failures in asset freezing and internal procedures
The case began in December 2023 when a player listed on the national register of frozen assets was able to open an account with the operator.
Although the company’s system flagged the issue, the account was still confirmed days later. It was only after the ANJ launched an administrative inquiry in January 2024 that the operator closed the account.
The CNS concluded that internal procedures were not strong enough to prevent the breach, despite claims that the incident was caused by human error from a probationary employee. The Commission stressed that operators must detect sanctioned persons before accounts are opened and freeze funds immediately if detection comes later.
€25k in fines dished out
The ruling imposed a €20,000 fine on the company and on its director, alongside a €5,000 fine on the compliance officer. All three were given a suspended two‑month ban from managing online betting activities.
The Commission stated that “the breaches carry a certain gravity, even if only one non‑compliant operation was identified.” Two other individuals linked to the firm were cleared, as they were not in decision‑making roles at the time.
The sanctions were justified, the Commission said, by the need to protect public order and security, even though the company has since taken steps to improve compliance.
The ANJ also made it clear that supervision of gambling operators will tighten. It currently already reviews AML/CFT action plans annually, provides training, and holds regular compliance interviews with operators.
Resources such as the reference framework and practical guides were also released earlier this year to help firms strengthen their systems.
This case shows that shortcomings will be escalated to the CNS. With this first sanction, French authorities have underlined that gambling operators must take AML/CFT duties seriously or face financial penalties and restrictions on their business.
