ANJ chair: European black market is no longer a “niche”
France’s National Gaming Authority (ANJ) chair, Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, believes the European illegal market can no longer be considered niche and has called on regulators to ramp up the fight.
Speaking on the opening day of ICE Barcelona, during a panel on illegal markets, Falque-Pierrotin said the black market is not only on the rise, but well-established in multiple markets, including France.
In October, the ANJ launched a social media campaign to push consumers towards the regulated sector.
The move came after the French trade body AFJEL said a decline in stakes at Euro 2024 was as a result of black-market leakage.
AFJEL claimed that more than four million customers were playing with the black market in 2023, with a PwC study noting that almost 80% of French black market users could be suffering from gambling-related harm.
Several other European regulators, trade bodies and operators have also attempted to raise awareness of black market growth in recent months.
In the UK, the Betting and Gaming Council commissioned a Frontier Economics report which noted that £2.7bn was being wagered on the online black market each year.
In Sweden, research from horseracing operator ATG found that the channelisation rate stood between 70% and 82% as of Q3 2024 – below the Swedish government’s target of 90%.
While in Belgium, a Belgian Association of Gaming Operators report last November claimed half of young men aged between 18 and 21 play with black market operators.
Falque-Pierrotin said: “In most of the European jurisdictions, the illegal market is growing. It is no longer a niche market, it is well established, it is publicised on social media networks and TV.
“The question is why. Probably because the regulation is stricter in various countries. In some countries like France, you have offers that don’t exist like online casino – which can be linked back to Covid-19.
“It is a key issue for regulators in most countries to fight against illegal offers. If you don’t fight, the legitimacy of the regulation is endangered.”
France is yet to regulate online casino, with the ANJ chair saying the majority of illegal gambling in the country stems from the vertical.
The French government performed a U-turn on proposals to legalise igaming last October following backlash from land-based operators.
Adding that most customers playing online casino in France were unaware the vertical was illegal, Falque-Pierrotin claimed the black market is worth around a tenth of the legal sector.
She added: “Once it is not licensed in France and then the offer is made available to the French consumer, it is illegal.
“We know that it is roughly around 10% of the legal market. Do we have commonalities with other jurisdictions? Of course, we do and there are others that you find on the illegal markets in other jurisdictions.
“In France we have one specifically – online casino. The majority of illegal offers is composed of online casino. Most of the people playing don’t know it is illegal. They play like as if it was legal, like any type of offer in gambling.”