Reporting an illegal gambling site to the ANJ: Guide to the procedure and risks

To report an illegal gambling site to the ANJ, fill out the dedicated form on anj.fr or contact the player service. The National Gaming Authority (ANJ) examines the illegal offering and can order administrative blocking for ISPs and search engines. This procedure, strengthened by the law of March 2, 2022, protects players from financial risks and cybercrime related to unlicensed operators.

Identifying illegal gambling offers

The first step in reporting an illegal gambling site to the ANJ is to identify the infraction. In France, the monopoly and licensing are strict: only operators licensed by the National Gaming Authority and the online offering of the FDJ are legal. Any other site offering online casinos (roulette, slot machines) constitutes an illegal offering, often listed on the blacklist or operating via mirror sites to bypass administrative blocks.

Licensed operators versus prohibited sites

An international license, such as those from Malta or Curaçao, has no legal value in France. Only sports betting, horse racing betting, and online poker are authorized under the strict control of the National Gaming Authority. This ban protects players against financial risks and addiction, as these illegal platforms respect neither data protection obligations nor the responsible gaming mechanisms imposed on legal operators.

Consulting the official blacklist

The ANJ publishes a non-exhaustive blacklist of sites that have been subject to an administrative block. In 2026, thousands of URLs were blocked by administrative order. This list is not complete; a site that is absent can still constitute an illegal offering if it does not hold a French license. This information must be cross-referenced with the official list of licensed operators. If a site is not listed there, it is likely an illegal offering that should be reported to speed up its identification.

Spotting mirror sites and fake licenses

Mirror sites are copies of blocked platforms, created to avoid administrative blocking by changing their URL or domain name. They attempt to appear legal, sometimes displaying false compliance claims. To identify them, check for the absence of the official ANJ logo in the footer and beware of promises of aggressive bonuses typical of banned online casinos. These sites operate outside the French legal framework, exposing users to risks of bank fraud with no recourse.

The official procedure for reporting a site

The recommended method is using the dedicated channel on the official website of the National Gaming Authority. This process allows the ANJ services to identify an illegal offer and initiate an administrative procedure. By providing tangible evidence, you help the authorized investigator look into the case, which can lead to a formal notice being issued to the operator or a technical block on access to the site from France.

Using the form on anj.fr

The National Gaming Authority provides a specific channel to list unlicensed platforms. You can report an illegal gambling site directly via the "Lutter contre l'offre illégale" (Combating illegal offers) section of the anj.fr website. This report helps protect players against the risks of fraud and personal data loss.

Evidence to provide

For an authorized investigator to quickly qualify the infraction, your report must be backed up by concrete evidence. The ANJ examines cases to decide whether to send a formal notice to the site publisher or to order an administrative block. Although internal procedures remain confidential, providing the exact URL, screenshots of the payment interface, and proof of the absence of French legal notices speeds up the investigation. These elements make it possible to distinguish a technical error from the deliberate operation of an illegal offering aimed at bypassing French regulation.

Distinguishing between ANJ and DGCCRF jurisdictions

A distinction must be made between the jurisdictions of the National Gaming Authority and those of the DGCCRF. The ANJ addresses the illegality of the offering itself (lack of license), while the DGCCRF, via signal.conso.gouv.fr, handles commercial disputes or misleading practices. If you have suffered financial harm on an unlicensed site, reporting it to the ANJ aims to have the platform blocked, but does not guarantee the recovery of lost funds, as no legal protection applies to gambling on prohibited sites.

Consequences of reporting: blocking and de-indexing

Your report feeds into an accelerated administrative blocking procedure. Since the law of March 2, 2022, the President of the ANJ can directly order ISPs and search engines to block access to or de-index unlicensed platforms, reducing processing times to approximately two months.

The law of March 2, 2022 and the powers of the ANJ

The law of March 2, 2022 transformed the legal arsenal of the National Gaming Authority by granting it direct administrative power, separate from the cumbersome judicial procedures of the past. This reform allows the President of the ANJ to order the blocking of illegal content without going through a judge, aligning French regulation with digital realities. In 2026, this efficiency resulted in the issuance of hundreds of orders targeting thousands of URLs, demonstrating a reaction speed far superior to the old mechanisms which took six to nine months. This legal framework strengthens player protection by accelerating the neutralization of dangerous offers.

Role of ISPs and search engines

The effectiveness of the mechanism relies on the mandatory cooperation of technical intermediaries. ISPs (Internet Service Providers) are required to execute administrative blocking orders to prevent access to the sites from French territory. At the same time, search engines must proceed with the de-indexing of the relevant URLs, making illegal platforms invisible in organic search results. This double action cuts off the illicit offering at the source: technical access is blocked by ISPs, while commercial visibility is removed by search engines, isolating the unlicensed operator from the French market.

Combating mirror sites

Despite these measures, illegal operators bypass blocks via mirror sites, which copy the interface and logo of the initially blocked site while changing the URL. The ANJ handles this duplication by quickly identifying these clones: in 2026, a large proportion of the blocked URLs were mirror sites. The administrative procedure allows for a cascade response, blocking these new URLs as soon as they are detected. However, vigilance remains essential, as a site absent from the blacklist can still be illegal if it does not appear on the list of licensed operators.

Risks of playing on an unregulated site

The dangers are serious: illegal offerings expose players to systemic risks such as non-payment of winnings, theft of personal data, and direct exposure to cybercrime. These platforms, often linked to money laundering, protect neither minors nor vulnerable players. In case of difficulties, organizations such as Joueurs Info Service or SOS Joueurs can provide support and guidance, but they cannot intervene in financial disputes with illegal sites.

Lack of winnings protection and game rigging

On unlicensed sites, the lack of software approval by the National Gaming Authority means that randomness is not guaranteed. Cheating is structural: the site can be programmed to systematically win, ensuring the player loses every time. Unlike legal operators in France, these platforms do not respect any transparency obligations regarding return-to-player rates. Winnings are rarely paid out and, in the event of a dispute, the player has no legal recourse against the publisher. This total impunity also facilitates money laundering, as financial flows are neither tracked nor monitored by the competent authorities.

Danger to banking data and identity

Personal data theft is one of the most immediate risks. These illegal sites collect your banking and identity information without securing it according to European standards. This flaw opens the door to cybercrime: fraudulent use of your bank card without your knowledge, unauthorized withdrawals, and the resale of your details on the dark web. As Sylvie, a trapped player, testifies, significant debits can appear without consent, with no way to obtain a refund or recourse from the fraudulent site. By providing your details to these actors, you are unintentionally fueling organized criminal networks.

Failure to protect minors and vulnerable players

Illegal sites ignore minor protection obligations. No age verification is carried out during registration, exposing adolescents to addiction and financial losses. Furthermore, these platforms do not offer any self-exclusion or bet-limiting mechanisms, drastically increasing the risk of over-indebtedness. Aggressive advertisements on social networks often target these vulnerable audiences, promising VIP bonuses to encourage excessive gambling without a safety net. The lack of regulation means that no authority ensures compliance with the ban on gambling for minors under 18, leaving families helpless in the face of the damage caused by these predatory operators.

About this article - Authorship & responsibility

✍️ Author: Sarah Weber - Casino tester & bonus analyst
🛡️ Verified by: Dr. Markus Hoffmann - Senior iGaming compliance analyst
📅 Last updated: 2026-07-31.

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

About the author

8+ years of casino testing, 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 licensed operators under the French ANJ framework. PhD in economic mathematics. Fields: bonus mathematics, wager analysis, player protection measures.

Responsible gambling

Gambling can become addictive. If you feel you are losing control, contact Joueurs Info Service, SOS Joueurs, or use the national self-exclusion register (file of banned gamblers (FIJ)). Set deposit and loss limits before playing for real money. Breaks and cooldown tools are levers for long-lasting 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.