Legal casino gambling age in France
France permits some forms of online gambling but not others. Since 2010, private operators approved by the regulator may offer online sports betting, horse-race betting and poker, while two operators hold exclusive rights in their sectors, La Française des Jeux (FDJ) and the Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU). Online casino games, such as slots, roulette and blackjack, remain prohibited. The national regulator, the Autorité nationale des jeux (ANJ), states plainly that in France “all online casino sites are illegal” and that an international casino licence has no recognised legal value there. Land-based casinos, by contrast, have a long history and operate under a separate regime. This guide explains how the French system developed, how it is regulated and enforced, the position of players, taxation and the main player-protection tools.
Key points
- Only four categories of gambling are authorised in France; online, these are sports betting, horse-race betting and poker from ANJ-approved operators, and FDJ’s lottery games.
- Online casino games are not permitted; the ANJ maintains a blacklist of illegal sites subject to administrative blocking.
- The ANJ, operational since 23 June 2020, replaced the former online regulator ARJEL and also supervises FDJ, PMU and retail betting.
- In 2025 the regulated online market generated €2.6 billion in gross gaming revenue across 6.1 million active player accounts.
- A voluntary exclusion (interdiction volontaire de jeux) lasts at least three years and covers casinos, approved online sites and FDJ and PMU account play.
Last reviewed: 5 October 2026.
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Historical development
French gambling law has long combined a general prohibition with carefully limited exceptions. A decree of 1806 under Napoleon prohibited gaming houses throughout the Empire, with exceptions for spa towns and Paris; the Paris gaming houses were closed in 1837. The law of 15 June 1907 then regulated gambling in clubs and in casinos located in seaside, spa and climatic resorts, which remains the historical basis of the land-based casino sector. A law of 1919 prohibited gaming within 100 kilometres of Paris, except in tourist resorts, and a 1931 law allowed spa resorts closer to the capital, which permitted the reopening of the casino at Enghien-les-Bains (overview of gambling in France).
The modern online framework dates from Law No. 2010-476 of 12 May 2010 on the opening to competition and the regulation of the online gambling sector. It allowed private operators to obtain approval for online sports betting, horse-race betting and poker, and created a dedicated regulator, the Autorité de régulation des jeux en ligne (ARJEL). Casino games and betting exchanges remained prohibited online.
In 2020 ARJEL was replaced by the ANJ, which became operational on 23 June 2020. The new authority’s remit is wider: it regulates authorised games and bets online, in retail outlets and at racecourses, including the exclusive-rights operators FDJ and PMU (ANJ).
Legal framework
French gambling law starts from a principle of prohibition: games of money and chance are forbidden unless the law expressly authorises them. The authorised exceptions fall into four categories, as the ANJ explains: “Seules quatre catégories de jeux d’argent et paris sportifs sont autorisés en France” (ANJ, FAQ on the legal and illegal offer). For online play, the ANJ lists the legal offer as sports betting, horse-race betting and poker from approved operators, together with FDJ’s lottery games (ANJ, illegal offer).
The system distinguishes three kinds of operator:
- Approved online operators, licensed by the ANJ for one or more of online sports betting, horse-race betting and poker (the latter referred to in French law as jeux de cercle, games played between players rather than against the house).
- Exclusive-rights operators: FDJ, which runs the national lottery games, and PMU, the historic horse-race betting operator.
- Land-based casinos and gaming clubs, which operate under their own authorisation regime.
It is important not to confuse the regulator with the operators. The ANJ is the regulator; FDJ and PMU are operators. A recognised land-based casino’s name, logo or address does not establish permission to offer online casino games, because no such permission exists in French law.
EU law context
Because gambling is not harmonised at EU level, France may restrict cross-border gambling services if the restrictions pursue legitimate objectives and are applied consistently. The Court of Justice of the EU confirmed on 16 April 2026, in a case concerning Germany, that EU law does not preclude national legislation prohibiting online casino games, noting that “online gambling entails specific risks which are greater than those associated with gambling in physical establishments” (CJEU press release, Case C-440/23). That reasoning supports the compatibility of France’s prohibition with EU law, although the ruling did not concern France directly.
Regulator and licensing model
The ANJ is an independent administrative authority. It is governed by a college of nine members serving six-year, non-renewable terms; its president is appointed by the President of the Republic, and it reports to Parliament. Its four main objectives are to prevent excessive gambling and protect minors, to ensure the integrity and reliability of gaming operations, to maintain a balanced exploitation of the different gaming sectors, and to prevent fraud (ANJ).
The ANJ’s list of approved operators showed 15 approved online operators when this guide was reviewed. All 15 were approved for sports betting, six for horse-race betting and seven for poker. In addition, FDJ and PMU operate under exclusive rights.
The ANJ’s market figures show the scale of the regulated sector. In 2025 the French gambling market as a whole generated gross gaming revenue (stakes minus winnings) of €14.1 billion, and nearly one in two French people gambled. The online segments generated €2.6 billion: €1.7 billion from sports betting on stakes of €11.5 billion, €326 million from horse-race betting on stakes of €1.7 billion, and €525 million from poker, across 6.1 million active player accounts (ANJ, the market).
Online gambling and enforcement
The ANJ is explicit about online casinos: “In France, all online casino sites are illegal”, and an international casino licence has no recognised legal value (ANJ). Online slots, roulette and blackjack must therefore not be confused with authorised online poker or betting.
The regulator’s main enforcement tool against illegal sites is administrative blocking: it orders internet service providers to block access to illegal gambling websites and search engines to delist them. It publishes a blacklist of prohibited gambling sites, which it describes as non-exhaustive and regularly updated. On 17 July 2026, for example, it announced the blocking of the prediction-market site Polymarket (ANJ news).
The ANJ also sanctions approved operators that breach their obligations. In July 2026 it announced a €500,000 sanction against an operator for failures in player identification, and on 21 September 2026 it reported its first sanction against an approved operator for breaches of anti-money-laundering rules (ANJ news).
Position of players
The ANJ’s guidance for players focuses on the risks of illegal sites rather than on penalties for players, and it does not describe sanctions against individuals who play on them. No published record of prosecutions of individual players was identified for this guide. The ANJ lists the risks of illegal sites as follows: games may be manipulated because their random-number algorithms are not certified; winnings may not be paid; there are no protections for minors and no self-exclusion tools; players are exposed to theft of personal data and payment fraud; and there is no legal recourse if a dispute arises (ANJ).
The practical consequence is that a French resident who plays online casino games does so outside the protections of French law. The ANJ advises players to check the list of approved operators before opening an account anywhere. Website access or a successful payment does not show that a site is authorised. Our guide to casino deposit methods explains how payments work in general, but it is not a substitute for checking authorisation.
Taxation
Gambling in France is subject to specific levies on operators, collected for the State, the social security system and, in some cases, local authorities and sports bodies. The ANJ publishes a table of the tax bases and rates applicable in 2025 for each sector: online and retail sports betting, horse-race betting, online poker, FDJ’s lottery games and casinos (ANJ, Les différentes bases imposables pour 2025). For the online sectors, the levies are calculated on gross gaming revenue (produit brut des jeux, PBJ) rather than on stakes, and online poker is taxed on a progressive scale. The table also records an adjustment made by the 2025 social security financing act, applicable from July 2025. Because rates are set by statute and changed frequently, readers should consult the ANJ’s current table rather than rely on figures reproduced elsewhere. The ANJ’s materials consulted for this guide do not address the taxation of players’ winnings.
Consumer protection and responsible gambling
The central tool is the voluntary gambling exclusion (interdiction volontaire de jeux), managed by the ANJ. It lasts for a minimum of three years, after which the person may request that it be lifted. It prohibits access to casinos and gaming clubs, to ANJ-approved online gambling sites (sports betting, horse-race betting and poker), and to FDJ and PMU games played through a player account. Applications can be made online, with a readable copy of a valid identity document and a “dynamic selfie” to verify identity, or by post. The procedure is personal and confidential and cannot be requested on someone else’s behalf, except by a legal guardian (ANJ, interdiction volontaire de jeux).
Help is available from Joueurs Info Service, run by the public health agency Santé publique France, on 09 74 75 13 13, from 8:00 to 2:00, seven days a week. Calls are anonymous and charged at the ordinary rate (Joueurs Info Service). For general advice, see our responsible gambling guide.
Recent and upcoming developments
- Enforcement against approved operators. The ANJ imposed a €500,000 sanction for identification failures in July 2026 and announced its first anti-money-laundering sanction against an approved operator on 21 September 2026.
- Fraud prevention. On 31 August 2026 the ANJ published new guidance for operators on preventing fraud.
- Prediction markets and new products. The blocking of Polymarket in July 2026 shows the regulator treating prediction markets as unauthorised gambling. In July 2026 it also reminded operators of restrictions on betting on e-sports events.
- Market activity. According to the ANJ, online sports betting on the 2026 FIFA World Cup reached a record €1.3 billion in stakes.
- Online casinos. Online casino games remained prohibited when this guide was reviewed. Any change would require legislation.
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Sources and further reading
- Autorité nationale des jeux, L’ANJ (accessed 5 October 2026).
- Autorité nationale des jeux, Offre illégale (accessed 5 October 2026).
- Autorité nationale des jeux, Foire aux questions: offre de jeu légale et illégale (accessed 5 October 2026).
- Autorité nationale des jeux, Opérateurs agréés (accessed 5 October 2026).
- Autorité nationale des jeux, Le marché (accessed 5 October 2026).
- Autorité nationale des jeux, Liste noire des sites de jeux d’argent et de hasard interdits en France (accessed 5 October 2026).
- Autorité nationale des jeux, Les différentes bases imposables pour 2025 (2025).
- Autorité nationale des jeux, Interdiction volontaire de jeux (accessed 5 October 2026).
- Autorité nationale des jeux, Actualités (news, July–September 2026) (accessed 5 October 2026).
- Court of Justice of the European Union, Press release: Judgment in Case C-440/23 (2026).
- Santé publique France, Joueurs Info Service (accessed 5 October 2026).
- Wikipedia, Gambling in France (accessed 5 October 2026).
