ANJ Introduces New Advertisement Rules for 2022 FIFA World Cup

L’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), France’s national gambling regulator, has confirmed that it has reached an agreement with a number of sports betting companies and advertisers who have agreed to reduce the number of promotional materials broadcast during the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The move is done in order to ensure that consumers are protected and not compelled to gamble excessively during one of the biggest sports events.

ANJ Outlines New Charters and Gambling Rules for World Cup

France expects billions’ worth of sports betting handle during the event. The number of advertisements that can be shown during a commercial break will now be reduced to three, down from four, which is a small compromise on the face of it. The World Cup is set to kick off on November 20 and it will run through December 18. The negotiated changes should pertain to all forms of advertisement, including digital media, radio, TV, and physical spaces.

The agreements have been signed in “charters” which are the result of excessive consultation that was conducted back in 2021 and that sought to better understand the proliferation of gambling advertisements. It was a direct response to the Euro 2020 Championship which was largely criticized for the unchecked display of gambling advertisements.

Following the tournament, the ANJ decided to find a way to ensure that consumers are protected, which prompted a more considerate look into how to better regulate advertisement. Each charter is designed to bind operators to specific rules. For example, one of the charters specifically tells signatories not to advertise near schools or addiction centres. Another character focuses on digital advertising, and it essentially obligates operators to exert better control over their social networks, websites, and apps.

The Watchdog Is Confident That The New Rules Will Protect Consumers

ANJ president Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin confirmed that the new charters have been designed after careful data-gathering following Euro 2020. It reflected a broader and more ambitious plan by the ANJ to ensure that consumers are shielded from gambling advertisements that could prove too much or too aggressive. Falque-Pierrotin added:

A few days before the start of the World Cup, the signing of these charters in a spirit of co-regulation is a strong signal from all the players concerned to promote responsible advertising.

ANJ president Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin

She confirmed that the ANJ will do all in its power to make sure that consumers are better protected. More importantly, the upcoming event will also be a clear sign that the regulator has worked hard to make advertisements safer, as the upcoming event will demonstrate.