French regulator reveals betting ombudsman complaints report

Sports betting accounted for the most complaints received by the French regulator’s impartial consumer ombudsman service for gambling, the ANJ has confirmed.

More than 80% (82%) of the 1,420 requests received during 2019 and 2020 by the dispute mediation service concerned disputes related to sports betting.

However, of these 1,420 complaints, more than half (761) were declared inadmissible by the service, with 80% expressly rejected due to the absence of a prior written complaint submitted to the operator concerned.

French players seeking to complain must first contact the operator in writing but can refer the matter to the mediator depending on the response obtained or if there is no response from the operator within 20 days.

The mediation service aims to help players resolve disputes without the need for long, drawn-out court cases. However, judgments issued by the mediator are not legally binding.

Upon receipt of the request, the mediation service confirms the admissibility of the dispute request and additional information or details on the exact subject of the dispute are requested from the player.

The mediator then asks the operator concerned to respond to its proposal to end the dispute within 20 days. A total of 530 cases were closed following action by the mediation service, taking on average 62 days to resolve.

Once a case is resolved, the mediator sends a closing letter to the player and the operator with either party given 20 days to accept or reject the proposal.

French market leaders Betclic and Winamax were highlighted by the mediation service as attracting the most complaints, narrowly ahead of French national lottery operator FDJ.