French regulator L’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) warned that operators weren’t doing sufficient to “de-intensify” their advertising and marketing, after reviewing operators’ promotional methods for 2022.
ANJ accomplished its second annual overview of operator advertising and marketing methods, wherein it examines the advertising and marketing actions that each licensee has deliberate for the 12 months, final week.
The overview got here quickly after the regulator introduced a crackdown on promoting after what it perceived to be an “oversaturation” in 2021.
Beneath new guidelines introduced final month, any adverts “trivialising” playing will likely be banned, as will “these containing unfounded statements on the probabilities of successful” or equating playing an enchancment in social standing, or as a substitute for paid work.
ANJ additionally proposed quite a few “suggestions” – which aren’t binding – together with a suggestion that the trade ought to set a mixed restrict of three playing adverts per promoting slot on tv and radio, and three per day per website on-line.
The overview of methods, ANJ mentioned, was primarily based on the foundations and proposals that had been adopted final month.
“The brand new circumstances set for operators within the selections of ANJ are per the rules and proposals it adopted on February 17 and represent a primary illustration of the regulator’s need to ‘de-intensify’ the promoting market by playing with the intention to higher shield susceptible teams and minors,” it mentioned.
As beforehand introduced, the regulator rejected one technique – that of sports activities betting operator Winamax. It mentioned that Winamax’s technique included “extreme concentrating on of younger adults with an actual danger of underage playing” in addition to “nearly everlasting stimulation of gamblers”. The regulator additionally famous that Winamax proposed growing the frequency of adverts from 2021, regardless of already exhibiting a “very excessive” degree of adverts that 12 months.
“The mix of those dangers and the absence of enough preventive and public safety measures led ANJ to reject the operator’s technique,” ANJ mentioned.
Each different coverage was authorized, however the regulator mentioned it added “demanding circumstances” to quite a few methods.
Particularly, it raised considerations about the truth that operators deliberate to extend their promoting budgets by 7% from 2021, regardless of ANJ’s warning that adverts had already been too frequent in 2021. It mentioned that there have been quite a few “large-scale campaigns” that centered across the 2022 Fifa World Cup.
As well as, it warned of a “systematic mobilisation” of digital advertising and marketing levers, with a specific give attention to social media platforms akin to TikTok, Snapchat, Twitch and Instagram, that are well-liked with minors and younger adults.
“ANJ will make a progress report mid-year to test that these circumstances have been successfully taken into consideration,” the regulator mentioned.
The regulator additionally paid particular consideration to methods submitted by lottery operator La Française des Jeux (FDJ) and pari-mutuel horse racing monopoly Pari-Mutuel Urbain (PMU), noting that the operators’ monopoly standing implies that their advertising and marketing methods ought to “stay measured and restricted to what’s essential to channel the demand for playing in the direction of the authorized providing”.
It discovered two factors of consideration with FDJ’s insurance policies. First, it mentioned that the prevalence of its adverts “could be thought to be exceeding, in sure respects, what is required to realize the channeling aim”.
As well as, ANJ mentioned that a few of FDJ’s adverts “emphasise… marvellous positive aspects”.
For PMU, in the meantime, the regulator warned that it should not recommend that playing is a “household leisure exercise”, or in any other case contain minors in its promotion of its merchandise.
As well as, ANJ warned the operator that its bonus coverage should not “result in the intensification of playing practices which already characterises horse race betting”.
In its 2021 advertising and marketing overview, ANJ had centered totally on the 2 monopoly operators, saying it had “severe considerations” in regards to the promoting practices of each, particularly when it thought-about that monopolies had been supposed to supply solely “measured and strictly restricted” promoting.