French gambling will be protected by a new design and functionality of its “Interdiction Volontaire” national self-exclusion register for gambling harms.

l’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) France Gambling Authority has upgraded to a fully digital system that simplifies registrations, enhances identity verification and shortens activation to one day. 

The Authority completes a key pledge to secure French gambling with its “ most significant update to France’s player-protection regime since the programme was created.” 

The upgrade fully replaces the original protection scheme, introduced in 2007 under the Ministry of the Interior, when self-exclusion required players to attend a police station, complete paper forms, present ID and undergo one-on-one interviews for self-exclusion.  

At that time, the ban applied only to casinos and gaming clubs. The scope widened after online gambling was legalised in 2010, eventually becoming part of the national register when the ANJ took over in 2020. Since then, the regulator has sought to modernise the process and extend its coverage in line with evolving responsible gambling requirements.

The 2025 digitisation introduces a fully online enrolment pathway via interdictiondejeux.anj.fr. Players authenticate their ID, complete a dynamic selfie through IDnow and receive confirmation once the ban is activated.

The ANJ aims to reduce activation to a single day. More than 85,000 people are currently registered, up from 40,000 in 2021 when the regulator assumed responsibility. Registrations have risen by 25% over the past two years, with 19,000 new entries recorded in 2024.

ANJ data shows that 77% of registrants are men. Individuals aged 18–24 represent 23% of the list, often citing exposure to heavy marketing or illegal gambling channels. 

The 25–34 segment accounts for 33%, with sports betting the leading trigger for exclusion. Those aged 35–49 represent 25%, primarily driven by sports betting and online poker. Among players aged 65 and above, casinos remain the principal concern.

Moving forward the ANJ will launch personalised user accounts in 2026, allowing registrants to access documentation, track their exclusion status and request a lift after the three-year minimum period. A new call-back mechanism will also be introduced to gather user feedback and strengthen ongoing support. 

The regulator states that the redesign aims to make self-exclusion “faster, more accessible and more secure” as France steps up efforts to reduce gambling-related harm across both online and land-based environments.