The government of France has proposed a draft of requirements for responsible gambling messaging for online operators, iGaming Business reported June 26.
The draft decree from Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) would require all online ads to include a warning about excessive gambling dangers. The message, it said, should also point players toward help available to those who suffer from problem gambling. Moreover, the space devoted to the message should be at least 15 percent of the entire ad and the words should be black writing on a yellow background to make it stand out.
Online video gambling ads must include a five second “packshot” showing the message at the end, which consumers won’t be able to skip.
The new requirements were inspired, in part, by a study of the French Public Health Agency that determined that 73 percent of gamblers consider such prevention messages to be useful.
Also influencing the draft was statistics showing that while the numbers of moderate-risk gamblers from 2014-2019 have stabilized, those experiencing excessive problems increased significantly.
The decree declares, “Surveys have shown that the previous health messages on advertisements have become less effective and need to be adapted in their content and manner of display to the new modes of advertising,” adding, “While for a majority of players, gambling practices remain casual or recreational, studies show an upward trend of excessive practices.”
ANJ previously banned the use of athlete images in gambling promotions. In February it committed to clamping down on advertising, which it says has become too omnipresent. It said it planned to ban ads that “trivialize” gambling, along with ads with “unfounded statements on the chances of winning” or equating gambling with an improvement in social status, or as an alternative to paid work.”
It also demanded that operators do more to “de-intensify” marketing.
