Reporting an Illegal Casino Site to the ANJ: Procedure and Recourse

You can report an illegal casino site to the ANJ by filling out the contact form on anj.fr or by mail. The National Gaming Authority uses this information to update its blacklist and order the administrative blocking of the site by internet service providers. Please note that the ANJ does not handle financial disputes. If you are the victim of a scam, contact the DGCCRF via SignalConso or file a complaint.

How to Report an Illegal Gambling Site to the ANJ?

To report an illegal casino site to the ANJ, you must submit the exact URL and screenshots via the dedicated form on the official website of the National Gaming Authority. This action feeds the public blacklist. It allows the ANJ to order an immediate administrative block from internet service providers. The law of March 2, 2022, accelerated this procedure to better protect players against unlicensed offers.

The Step-by-Step Reporting Procedure

The ANJ (National Gaming Authority) is the public gambling regulator in France. It centralizes reports to identify unlicensed operators. To report an illegal gambling site effectively, provide precise technical evidence: the full URL, screenshots showing the absence of the ANJ logo, and, if possible, proof of a blocked withdrawal. These elements help analysts characterize the violation. They make it possible to register the domain on the blacklist and trigger the administrative blocking procedure, which cuts off access to the site from France.

The Role of the Law of March 2, 2022, in Blocking

The law of March 2, 2022, modified the legal arsenal. It gives the President of the ANJ the power to directly order ISPs and search engines to block illegal sites, without going through a long legal procedure. This change has reduced processing times. Judicial blocking took several months, while administrative blocking is done in a few weeks. The system is effective: a significant number of URLs are blocked by administrative act, demonstrating the ANJ's ability to react quickly to mirror sites.

Consulting the Blacklist of Prohibited Sites

The blacklist is a dynamic register maintained by the ANJ. It lists gambling and betting sites that have been subject to an administrative or judicial block. You can consult it publicly on the National Gaming Authority's website. This list serves as a reference to verify the legality of a platform before depositing money. It is updated regularly to include new domains reported and confirmed as illegal. It is an essential verification tool to avoid operators who do not comply with French regulations.

Why Avoid Unlicensed Online Casinos?

Reporting an illegal casino site to the ANJ is important, but prevention remains the best protection. In France, online casino games offering slots or roulette are strictly prohibited, unlike sports betting and poker. Playing on an illegal offer exposes the player to major risks: lack of legal recourse, potentially rigged games, and increased vulnerability to addiction. Furthermore, these unregulated platforms often facilitate money laundering, as they escape the strict financial controls imposed on licensed operators.

Lack of Data Protection and Financial Risks

What are the risks if I play on an illegal site? The first threat concerns the security of your information. On an illegal offer, GDPR compliance is not guaranteed. The National Commission on Informatics and Liberty (CNIL) is powerless against servers often located offshore. Your banking details may be compromised through phishing techniques, which can lead to identity theft.

In addition, the lack of financial traceability promotes money laundering. These platforms operate outside the French legal framework, allowing opaque financial flows that escape regulatory authorities. Unlike licensed sites, no protection applies in the event of a dispute or non-payment.

Rigged Games and Lack of RNG Control

How to check if a casino site is authorized by the ANJ? The legality of an online casino is judged by the transparency of its algorithms. Without a license, there is no RNG (Random Number Generator) testing by independent bodies like PwC or Evalujeu.fr. Return-to-player (RTP) rates are not audited, meaning games can be rigged to the operator's advantage.

Therefore, the integrity of the offer is not guaranteed. You cannot be sure that the results of baccarat, blackjack, or slot machines are truly random. This lack of technical certification is a reliable indicator of an illegal platform.

The Impact on Addiction and the Absence of Limits

How to block access to illegal gambling sites? Unlicensed sites ignore addiction prevention obligations. They do not display the Joueurs Info Service logo and do not impose any deposit or playing time limits. This lack of safeguards significantly increases the risk of excessive gambling behavior.

To protect oneself, the only effective measure is voluntary gambling self-exclusion. This personal step, managed by the ANJ, bans access to licensed sites and physical venues for a minimum of three years. Although this ban does not technically block illegal sites (which operate outside the law), it represents a strong psychological commitment supported by resources like Joueur Info Service. On an illegal offer, no self-exclusion mechanism is respected by the operator.

What to Do in Case of a Dispute or Scam?

To report an illegal casino site to the ANJ, a distinction must be made between administrative blocking and financial recovery. The National Gaming Authority (ANJ) and the gaming mediator are not competent for disputes with unlicensed operators. In the event of a proven scam, you must refer the matter to the DGCCRF via the signal.conso.gouv.fr platform or file a complaint with law enforcement. Playing on an illegal site exposes you to major risks of fraud without any guarantee of reimbursement.

Is the ANJ Competent for Financial Disputes?

The answer is no. The ANJ regulates the legal market but does not act as a court to recover funds lost on illegal platforms. The Gaming Mediation Service, an independent body attached to the authority, can only intervene in disputes between a player and an operator with a French license, such as FDJ, PMU, Winamax, Betclic, or Unibet.

If your dispute concerns an unlicensed online casino site, the gaming mediator will declare themselves incompetent as soon as admissibility is reviewed. This distinction is fundamental: the ANJ protects the integrity of the legal offer, but cannot force an entity outside French jurisdiction to refund a player. Attempting to refer a matter to the mediator for an illegal site is an administrative waste of time.

Reporting Fraud via SignalConso and the DGCCRF

When you are the victim of a misleading practice or a refusal of payment on an unauthorized site, the appropriate procedure is through the DGCCRF (Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control). You must use the official platform signal.conso.gouv.fr to report the dispute. This step allows state services to identify fraudulent networks and initiate fraud prevention actions.

Signal.conso.gouv.fr is the preferred tool for consumer disputes. Cases of characterized fraud (theft of bank data, repeated abusive withdrawals) require a direct complaint filing at the gendarmerie or police station. The DGCCRF processes these reports to penalize unfair commercial practices, but it does not have the power to order the individual reimbursement of lost sums. In serious cases involving organized criminal networks, the Ministry of the Interior coordinates police investigations to dismantle these fraudulent structures.

The Role of the Gaming Mediator

The gaming mediator plays a central role in the amicable resolution of disputes, but their scope of action is strictly limited to operators licensed by the ANJ. For a referral to be possible, the operator must have signed the mediation charter, which is not the case for illegal casinos. Consequently, if you have a dispute with an illegal site, the ANJ cannot help you financially.

This legal limitation means that the player is left to face the fraudulent operator alone. It is vital to understand that reporting to the ANJ serves to block access to the site (DNS filtering) but does not constitute a channel for compensation. For any questions related to addiction or prevention, resources like Joueur Info Service remain available, but they do not replace legal actions against fraud.

Identifying the Legal Offer and Protecting Yourself

To report an illegal casino site to the ANJ, it is crucial to distinguish the authorized offer from fraudulent platforms. Only operators with a French license guarantee the security of funds and fairness of games. Playing outside this framework exposes you to major financial risks and a lack of legal recourse.

The List of Licensed Operators in France

Player safety relies on systematic verification of the official list of the National Gaming Authority. In France, the legal offer is strictly limited to sports betting, horse racing betting, and poker. Historical players like FDJ (Française des Jeux) and PMU dominate this regulated sector, offering a state guarantee on payouts. Their status as licensed operators means that their software is approved and controlled, unlike offshore sites.

Other major players such as Winamax, Betclic, and Unibet also feature on this whitelist. These platforms, although internationally known, only operate legally in France for authorized disciplines. Systematically verify their current presence on the ANJ register before signing up. The absence of the "licensed operator" logo or its fraudulent presence on an unlisted site is an immediate red flag.

Difference Between Sports Betting and Online Casinos

There is frequent confusion regarding the legality of games. While reporting an illegal sports betting site via the ANJ form is a common process, it should be recalled that online casinos (slots, roulette) remain prohibited for private operators in France. Only the ANJ license is valid. Foreign licenses such as Curaçao or Malta do not protect French players. Sites offering these games often use opaque payment methods, such as cryptocurrencies, to bypass regulation.

Requesting Voluntary Self-Exclusion

Protection against addiction is achieved through concrete tools. Voluntary self-exclusion is a free and confidential system, accessible via the dedicated ANJ portal. This measure bans access to all licensed sites (such as Betclic or Unibet) as well as FDJ and PMU games with a player account.

The procedure, validated by dynamic selfie, becomes effective within a few days and lasts for a minimum of three years. It also blocks physical entry into casinos. This personal step is essential to regain control, as it cuts off access to the entire regulated legal offer, providing an effective technical barrier against compulsive behavior.

About This Article - Writing & Responsibility

Author: Sarah Weber - Casino Tester & Bonus Analyst

Verified by: Dr. Markus Hoffmann - Senior iGaming Compliance Analyst

Last updated: 2026-07-02.

This article on "reporting an illegal casino site to the ANJ" was written by Sarah Weber and reviewed by Dr. Markus Hoffmann. Both regularly update the content to reflect regulatory developments, licensing, and bonus conditions. All references to licenses, authorities, or legal frameworks point to public sources (ANJ (National Gaming Authority), Law of May 12, 2010 on the opening of online gambling).

About the Author

8+ years of testing casinos, 200+ platforms personally tested in the EU and internationally. Former member of the eCOGRA Player Advocacy Program (2018-2022). Specialization: wagering requirements, withdrawal processes, customer support evaluation.

About the Reviewer

12+ years in the iGaming industry, including 5 years in compliance consulting for operators licensed under the French ANJ framework. PhD in economic mathematics. Fields: bonus mathematics, wager analysis, player protection measures.

Responsible Gambling

Gambling can be addictive. If you feel you are losing control, contact Joueurs Info Service, SOS Joueurs, or use the national self-exclusion register (gambling bans file (FIJ)). Set deposit and loss limits before playing for real money. Breaks and cooldown tools are key to sustainable enjoyment.

Legal Disclaimer

The information in this article is provided for editorial and comparative purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice. Players remain responsible for complying with local regulations.