France’s gambling regulator has published new practical guidance setting out how licensed operators should identify, document and respond to suspected player fraud, with particular emphasis on the evidence required before accounts, balances or winnings can be restricted.
The Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) released the guide on 31 August following consultation with licensed operators. Rather than creating new legal obligations, the document explains how companies should apply France’s existing anti-fraud rules when dealing with potentially fraudulent activity.
The guidance addresses recurring questions over when operators can close player accounts, block or return account balances, void wagers or take action against winnings obtained through fraudulent conduct.
French regulations already require gambling companies to maintain systems for detecting and preventing fraud, money laundering and terrorist financing. The ANJ said in April that operators generally had satisfactory staff, procedures and technical resources in place, although it identified areas requiring further improvement.
Six types of player fraud covered
The ANJ guide organises common fraud risks into six broad areas, including identity-related offences, payment fraud and abusive chargebacks, account misuse, cheating during games, money-dumping between players and manipulation connected with sporting events.
Identity fraud remains a major concern for online operators because player registration takes place remotely. France’s existing regulatory framework highlights warning signs such as several accounts sharing payment details, postal or email information, telephone numbers, IP addresses or devices, as well as inconsistencies between the registered player and the owner of the payment method.
Where fraud has been established, the new guidance explains how operators may deal with the affected account and its funds. In identity-fraud cases, account closure may be appropriate, while funds may need to be held in reserve when the operator cannot verify the ownership of the bank account used for repayment.
Operators are also encouraged to strengthen safeguards against account takeovers. Measures highlighted include stronger authentication when customers withdraw funds or change their banking information.
For online poker, the framework covers practices such as collusion and the use of automated software. Appropriate contractual provisions can allow improperly obtained winnings to be redistributed to affected players when operators can substantiate the underlying misconduct.
Suspicion alone is not enough
A central part of the ANJ’s message concerns the standard of evidence operators should have before withholding money or otherwise penalising a customer.
France’s existing anti-fraud framework makes clear that an operator cannot refuse to pay winnings or return all or part of a player’s account balance purely because it suspects fraud. Fraud must be supported by sufficient evidence, and operators that refuse payment must inform the ANJ and explain the factual and legal basis for the decision.
The new guide develops that principle by pointing operators towards combinations of evidence that can establish fraudulent behaviour. These may include IP-address information, device records, account activity and the timing of connections, rather than reliance on a single isolated indicator. French courts have previously assessed such combinations of technical evidence when considering disputes between operators and players.
The approach effectively raises the importance of retaining detailed technical records. Operators may therefore need to review their know-your-customer procedures, fraud-detection systems, account terms and technical controls to ensure they can both identify suspicious behaviour and defend any subsequent action.
The ANJ has described the document as a practical compliance tool rather than a new layer of regulation. Its purpose is to give operators a clearer framework for applying rules that already exist while reducing inconsistent treatment of disputed accounts.
Player disputes remain a growing issue
The guidance arrives as disputes involving suspected fraud and account management become increasingly visible in France.
The country’s gambling mediator received 1,856 requests in 2025, a 20% increase from the previous year. Most involved sports betting customers, with common complaints concerning blocked or closed accounts, difficulties withdrawing funds and disagreements over settled or cancelled bets. The mediator also highlighted an increase in cases involving suspicions of player fraud.
The ANJ has simultaneously stepped up enforcement in other compliance areas. In July, its sanctions commission imposed a €500,000 penalty on an unnamed licensed online operator after finding shortcomings in the identification and support of customers showing signs of excessive or problematic gambling.
The new fraud guidance therefore forms part of a wider push by the regulator to make licensed operators more consistent in their treatment of customers while ensuring interventions — whether related to fraud, account restrictions or player protection — can be justified by documented evidence.