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Is online gambling legal in France?
Status of online casinos, the regulator, the minimum age and where to get help, with our sources and the date we checked them.
Short answer
Online casino games are not legal in France; no operator can be licensed to offer them, and offshore casino sites serving French players are illegal. The minimum age to gamble is 18.
Legal overview
France opened part of its online gambling market with Law No. 2010-476 of 12 May 2010. The law created a licensing system, now run by the National Gaming Authority (ANJ), for three online activities: sports betting, horse-race betting and poker. Online casino games such as slots, roulette, blackjack and live dealer tables were left out of that system and are not licensable. A parliamentary amendment tabled in October 2024 describes the position as a strict prohibition of online casino activity.
Proposals to allow online casino games have come up in recent budget debates. In October 2024, an amendment to the 2025 finance bill would have let existing land-based casinos run online games under approvals. It was marked as not defended and did not become law. As of October 2026, no law allowing online casino games had been found. Land-based casinos continue to operate under their own regime, separate from the online licences.
Any site offering online casino games to players in France is therefore operating illegally, whether it is based in France or abroad. ANJ estimates cited in Parliament put the number of French players using illegal online casinos at between 1.4 and 2.2 million. These players are not protected by the safeguards that apply to licensed operators, such as identity and age checks, limits on play and access to the national voluntary exclusion scheme.
| Status | Restricted market |
|---|---|
| Regulator | Autorité nationale des jeux (ANJ) |
| Main law | Loi n° 2010-476 du 12 mai 2010 relative à l'ouverture à la concurrence et à la régulation du secteur des jeux d'argent et de hasard en ligne (Act No. 2010-476 of 12 May 2010 on opening the online gambling sector to competition and regulating it) |
| Licensing model | Licences from the ANJ are available only for online sports betting, horse-race betting and poker; there is no licence category for online casino games. |
| Online casinos | Online casino games are not legal in France; no operator can be licensed to offer them, and offshore casino sites serving French players are illegal. |
| Minimum age | 18 years |
| Currency | EUR |
| Self-exclusion scheme | Interdiction volontaire de jeux (ANJ) |
| Last checked | October 25, 2026 |
FAQ
Are online casinos legal in France?
No. French law only licenses online sports betting, horse-race betting and poker; online slots, roulette and blackjack cannot be licensed.
Which online gambling is allowed in France?
Sports betting, horse-race betting and poker offered by operators licensed by the National Gaming Authority (ANJ) under the law of 12 May 2010.
Is France planning to legalise online casinos?
It has been proposed, for example in an October 2024 budget amendment, but no such change had become law as of October 2026.
Help and self-exclusion in France
Free, confidential support: Joueurs Info Service
Self-exclusion: Interdiction volontaire de jeux (ANJ)
Sources
This overview is editorial information, not legal advice. Laws change; the regulator's own publications are binding.