France: ANJ issues GDPR guidance for gambling operators

The French gambling regulator, Autorite Nationale des Juex ANJ, has published a new practical guide aimed at helping licensed operators comply with data protection obligations under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Operators are required to process large volumes of personal data and have faced challenges regarding the relationship between GDPR requirements and specific gambling laws, particularly obligations linked to preventing excessive gambling and combating money laundering.

The guide first outlines the main principles of data protection before providing more detailed guidance on three key areas: the management of player accounts and commercial marketing activities, the prevention of excessive or problem gambling and anti-money laundering measures.

The document was developed in collaboration with the National Commission for Information Technology and Freedoms (CNIL). Furthermore, it was reviewed by all licensed operators and examined by both the ANJ board and the CNIL board.

Operators can now access the guide just in time for the start of the FIFA World Cup, an event that represents a particularly important period for them in terms of promotional activities and commercial marketing.

The ANJ previously asked operators and broadcasters to exercise restraint in their World Cup advertising strategies. The regulator has concerns that vulnerable groups will be overexposed to gambling.

Recently, ANJ also introduced a new algorithm for licensed operators aimed at improving the detection of excessive gambling behaviour.  It is designed to strengthen early identification of at-risk players.

The tool has been validated by a scientific committee and benchmarked using the Canadian Problem Gambling Severity Index