L’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), France’s national gambling regulator, has examined online operators’ marketing strategies for 2025, highlighting certain trends. According to the authority, promotional and marketing spending will increase across the board as sportsbooks continue to compete for the attention of customers.
The ANJ highlighted a planned 11% increase in promotional spending among France’s gaming operators, despite the lack of major sporting events in sight. While 2024 included events such as the UEFA European Championship and the Olympics and 2025 is set to have no such competitions, companies have planned to up their promotional spending to EUR 695 million.
In the meantime, operators also plan to increase their marketing spending by 12%, with digital media expected to remain a primary outlet for promoting their products. Approximately 45% of the marketing budget will be spent on digital ads, with another 32% to be invested in traditional media marketing.
Financial rewards, on the other hand, will increase by 11%, representing approximately 58.5% of the overall budget.
In the meantime, operators have planned a 23% increase in sponsorships.
ANJ Outlined a Number of Conditions
The aforementioned metrics are based on the plans submitted by France’s 16 approved online operators and 2 operators under explosive rights (FDJ and PMU). Their promotional strategies for 2025 were evaluated by the ANJ, which approved them, as long as the following conditions were fulfilled:
The four largest online operators must reduce their promotional budgets and present the changes to the ANJ by February 17.
Operators must exercise moderation when it comes to sports partnerships in order to avoid having a negative effect on problem players or minor sports fans.
Operators must not encourage problem gaming in any way and must make sure to exclude riskier players from overspending.
In the meantime, the ANJ noted that its previous recommendations, which included moderation of promotional strategies, stabilization of the use of digital media, forgoing deals with influencers who might appeal to younger audiences and greater restraint in the distribution of bonuses, have been followed.
ANJ Unveils New Appointments
In the meantime, the ANJ unveiled three new appointments to its team. These included the addition of Pauline Hot as deputy director general, as well as the appointment of Justine Atlan and Olivia Pett to its college.
Hot was described as a former student of the Ecole Normale Supérieure and the Ecole Nationale d’Administration who has served as an auditor for four years and a petitions master at the Council of State.
Pett and Atlan, on the other hand, will replace Chantal Rubin and Charles Dudognon, whose terms ended.
In other news, Michel Barnier was recently ousted in the December no-confidence vote, putting the future of French iGaming in peril. While Bernier sought tax hikes that could have hurt the overall gaming industry, his removal would delay the ongoing online casino efforts.