The French gambling regulatory body conducted an assessment of regulatory compliance for online sports betting operators and found that many of them were in breach of the French regulations.
In particular, the Autorite Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) found that many operators were restricting player bet sizes for no valid reason, which goes against the consumer code.
The conclusion came as a wake-up call to the operators, many of whom have now re-structured their terms and conditions or removed the clauses allowing them to limit players’ bet sizes without proper justification.
According to a report on Next.io, the regulated concluded that operators may have been engaging in deceptive commercial practices by limiting winning players’ bet sizes and restricting players from making bets that might be profitable.
According to ANJ, the only legitimate reasons for operators to limit bet sizes are responsible gambling practices, anti-money laundering practices, countering terrorism financing, and prevention of financial exposure for the operators.
In all other cases, operators in France will now be obligated to allow players to bet up to the standard betting limit, regardless of their betting history or success.
Other Anti-Consumer T&C Questioned by ANJ
Along with calling out operators for limiting players from making large bets, ANJ also looked at a number of other common T&C that may be considered anti-consumer.
Namely, clauses that exclude operator liability were called into question, as well as those restricting player compensations in cases of regulatory breaches by the operators.
Furthermore, the regulator disputed operators stating that players have no rights to legal action, stating: “Regardless of where the operator’s head office is located, even when abroad, the player must be able to enter the jurisdiction of his domicile.”
This would mean that French courts should consider cases against foreign operators that are licensed in France, and would be able to dispute any decisions by the operator they found to be subject to litigation.
ANJ also looked at provisions of operators’ T&C that have to do with restricting the period in which consumers can claim their rights from an operator, and other provisions having to do with possible anti-consumer practices.
Overall, ANJ seeks to protect consumers and ensure all its regulated entities comply with the regulations and laws of the country in all matters, and this latest set of audits has been aimed at ensuring that all operators comply in full.
Why Do Operators Restrict Bet Sizes?
For many years, sports betting operators across the world have been engaging in the practice of limiting player bet sizes once they spot winning bettors.
Sports bettors who have success with their bets often get their bets restricted, many to a point where they can’t place a significant bet on any major betting platform.
By doing this, operators ensure that all bets placed on the platform are made from a point of negative expected value, as average bettors don’t look for an advantage in their bets.
Operators worldwide engage in similar practices, with US online casinos and sports betting sites often restricting players in similar ways to ensure winning players are locked out of practicing their advantageous play.
With ANJ’s new provisions, French licensed operators will be pushed to remove such restrictions and allow players to bet in any capacity they choose, which could allow winning bettors to ply their trade with no restrictions.
Of course, we could see operators try to limit winners in other ways, but a step in the right direction has been made by a regulatory body that seeks to ensure fair treatment for all consumers.
