France introduces strict policies to blocks influencers, athletes from promoting gambling

France introduces strict policies to blocks influencers, athletes from promoting gambling

French government and gaming regulator have introduced strict new policies that have specifically been designed to block social media influencers, athletes and others from promoting gambling in the country.

Taking a major step in the direction of controlling undue promotion of gambling, the French Parliament has approved a new law that will pave way for the establishment of new rules and requirements for social media influencers and others. The new rules specifically seek to prevent the excessive commercial promotion of certain gaming products and practices.

Issuing guidelines aimed at supervising sports partnerships of legal gambling operators, the National Gaming Authority (ANJ, for its French acronym) said the main aims of the new framework includes prevention of addiction to gambling, protecting minors, and pushing illegal gaming operators out of the nation.

The new ruled and regulations will help in regulating the commercial gambling promotions that are being done by some social media influencers. Such influencers promote dubious gaming products, not just gambling. Over the past few years, the government noticed an unprecedented increase in frauds and scams related to gambling. Some influencers promoted even dangerous health remedies and tobacco products, which the French government wants to get rid of.

According to the new law, “Influencers are individuals or legal entities, who, through payment, mobilize their notoriety before their audience to communicate to the public content electronically with the aim of promoting, directly or indirectly, goods, services, or a cause.”

The French government has forced almost 150,000 influencers to report whether their content advertises or commercially collaborate with some entity to promote gambling in the country. The government believes that its strict action will help consumers to better know the sort of content they consume.

Specifically, the legislation makes it clear that influencers can’t promote sports betting or gambling. Any such sort of advertising can now be done only by entities that own the technical means to prevent minors from accessing the gambling content.

Highlighting the seriousness of the new law, French government declared that anyone who will violate the new rules and regulations will definitely face prosecution. Any influencer who breaches the new law could be slapped with a fine of up to €300,000 (approx. US$322,000) in addition to prison term of up to two years. Even if an influencer is living outside of France, he/she is still responsible to adhere to all of the new rules and regulations.

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