French regulator orders major operators to slash promotional budgets

Tuesday, January 7, 2025 8:00 PM
Photo:  By Mustagnom - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=71250490
  • Sonja Lindenberg, Next.io

The French gambling regulator ANJ has mandated the country’s four largest online gambling operators to reduce their promotional budgets for this year. This directive comes after an in-depth review of promotional strategies submitted by 16 approved operators and two exclusive rights holders, FDJ and PMU.

The analysis revealed a significant surge in promotional spending, with budgets increasing by 11% to reach €695m [$719m].

This figure includes both marketing expenses and bonus promotions. Marketing budgets alone rose by 12%, driven in part by a 5% inflation in advertising costs.

Digital media remains the dominant channel, accounting for 45% of total spending, while traditional media represents 32%. Financial rewards, including bonus promotions, grew by 11%, representing 58.5% of the overall promotional budget.