Nikolai Timofejev
15 years in FinTech and payments. Maps your business model to the right licence scope and leads the file all the way to the ANJ college's decision, including banking and payment rails.
Get a gambling license in France.
France licenses three online verticals and no more: sports betting, horse-race betting and poker, each under its own ANJ agrément for five years. Online casino is banned outright. Lotteries and retail betting stay with the FDJ and PMU monopolies. What France gives in exchange is size and a short clock - €2,617m of online gross gaming product in 2025, up 8.5%, and an ANJ decision due within four months of filing.
27 yrs
on the international marketon the market
60+
in-house specialistsspecialists
400+
Licenses obtainedlicenses obtained
Updated
France in brief
Three verticals open, casino shut.
France opened online gambling with Loi n° 2010-476 of 12 May 2010 and décret n° 2010-482 of the same day, both amended since. The ordinance of 2 October 2019 rebuilt the framework and created the Autorité nationale des jeux, which took office in June 2020 as an independent authority over the whole gambling sector; its nine-member college decides on licences. Three online categories exist, each with its own agrément: sports betting, horse-race betting and poker (jeux de cercle). Nothing else. In the ANJ's own words, "tous les jeux de casinos en ligne demeurent interdits en France", and its list of illegal games names baccarat, roulette, video poker, blackjack and slot machines. An agrément lasts five years and is renewable. Any legal or natural person established in an EU Member State may apply, and the ANJ must decide within four months of filing; if it stays silent, the application is refused.
The market is large and the field is thinning. Online gross gaming product reached €2,617m in 2025, up 8.5%: €1,766m from sports betting, €525m from poker and €326m from horse racing, across 6.1 million active accounts. Yet the ANJ counted 17 licensed operators holding 29 agréments at 31 January 2026, against 18 and 32 a year earlier, and its list showed 16 operators in October 2026. Costs went the other way. Gambling levies rose on 1 July 2025, and a new 15% tax now falls on online sports-betting operators' marketing spend. Sports betting may return at most 85% of stakes to players. The ANJ enforces all of it: in 2025 it fined one operator €800,000 over self-exclusion failures and issued 227 orders blocking or delisting 1,290 illegal URLs.
Loi 2010-476: one ANJ agrément per category - sports betting, horse racing, poker - for 5 years, renewable. Online casino is banned. The ANJ decides within 4 months; silence is a refusal.
€2,617m online PBJ in 2025, up 8.5%, and 16 operators listed in October 2026. Levies rose on 1 July 2025, plus 15% on sports-betting marketing.
Two realities
Betting and poker open - casino closed.
France splits its online market in two: three categories you can license by agrément, and every casino game, which you cannot. We build the first and route the second to jurisdictions that license it.
Three agréments open - online casino closed.
01 - ONLINE AGRÉMENT
Sports, horse racing, poker
One agrément per category, granted by the ANJ college for five years and renewable. At 31 January 2026 there were 17 sports-betting, 5 horse-racing and 7 poker agréments in force.
One agrément per category, granted by the ANJ college for five years and renewable. At 31 January 2026 there were 17 sports-betting, 5 horse-racing and 7 poker agréments in force.
- ✓Paris sportifs - sports betting
- ✓Paris hippiques - horse racing
- ✓Jeux de cercle - poker
- ✓5-year term, renewable
- ✓4-month decision clock
- ✓EU-established applicants
02 - ONLINE CASINO · CLOSED
Not licensableThe closed segment
No agrément exists for online casino games, slot machines included. Lotteries and retail sports betting belong to FDJ and retail horse betting to PMU, so the open online market is betting and poker.
Online casino and slots are illegal; lotteries and retail betting belong to FDJ and PMU. We route casino products elsewhere.
- ✓Online casino - banned
- ✓Slots and roulette - illegal
- ✓Lotteries - FDJ monopoly
- ✓Retail sports betting - FDJ
- ✓Retail horse betting - PMU
- ✓Casino routed elsewhere
Costs and timelines are confirmed for your case before any work begins. The application fee and annual fixed duty are confirmed in your quote, with certification and platform costs itemised.
Why France
A large betting market with a short clock.
France shuts casino and raised its levies in 2025; in return it offers a €2.6bn online market and a four-month decision.
✓
A €2.6bn online market
Online gross gaming product reached €2,617m in 2025, up 8.5%, across 6.1 million active player accounts.Online PBJ up 8.5% in 2025.
✓
Sports betting leads
Sports betting produced €1,766m of it, up 10.4%, which is roughly two-thirds of the online market.€1,766m, up 10.4%.
✓
Four months to a decision
The ANJ must decide within four months of filing. One 2026 sports-betting file went from filing on 5 January to agrément on 16 April.Silence means refusal.
✓
Any EU establishment
A company established in any EU Member State may apply. Today's licensees include companies based in Malta.Any EU-established company.
✓
A thinning field
18 operators in January 2025, 17 in January 2026 and 16 on the list in October 2026, while the market grew 8.5%.16 operators listed.
✓
Casino shut, levies up
Online casino stays illegal, and levies rose on 1 July 2025 along with a new 15% tax on sports-betting marketing spend.Levies up since July 2025.
How it compares
How France differs from other routes.
France licenses fewer verticals than Spain or Italy, and decides faster, on a four-month clock.
France vs other jurisdictions
| Feature |  France | Other jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Online casino | Banned | Licensable in Spain and Italy |
| Term | 5 years per agrément, renewable | 10 + 10 years in Spain |
| Decision clock | 4 months, silence = refusal | 6 months in Spain |
| Entry | Application to the ANJ | Call in Spain, tender in Italy |
Online casino
FranceBanned
Other jurisdictionsLicensable in Spain and Italy
Term
France5 years per agrément, renewable
Other jurisdictions10 + 10 years in Spain
Decision clock
France4 months, silence = refusal
Other jurisdictions6 months in Spain
Entry
FranceApplication to the ANJ
Other jurisdictionsCall in Spain, tender in Italy
Country by country
| Country | License type | Taxation | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | ANJ agrément per category | PBJ levies + 15% sports-ad tax | EU establishment, .fr site, no casino |
 Spain | DGOJ general + singular | Single IAJ rate on net revenue | €100k capital, €2M guarantee (€2.6M from 2027) |
 Italy | ADM concession by tender | Gaming tax + 3% concession fee | €7M per concession, 9 years |
 Malta | MGA B2C · B2B | 5% eff. + contributions | €100k/€40k capital |
FranceLicense typeANJ agrément per category
TaxationPBJ levies + 15% sports-ad tax
RequirementsEU establishment, .fr site, no casino
SpainLicense typeDGOJ general + singular
TaxationSingle IAJ rate on net revenue
Requirements€100k capital, €2M guarantee (€2.6M from 2027)
ItalyLicense typeADM concession by tender
TaxationGaming tax + 3% concession fee
Requirements€7M per concession, 9 years
MaltaLicense typeMGA B2C · B2B
Taxation5% eff. + contributions
Requirements€100k/€40k capital
Before you apply
Requirements for the French agrément.Requirements for the licence.
The ANJ licenses one category at a time, and its clock runs only on a complete file. That file contains the ten items below.
01
Establishment - a legal or natural person established in an EU Member State, applying to the ANJ for each category it wants to offer.
02
One file per category - each of the three categories is a separate agrément, requested on its own application.
03
Application file - the application form, the financial tables, the supporting documents, the document-check form and the front-end access form.
04
Guarantees of capacity - economic, financial and technical guarantees the ANJ judges sufficient for the categories requested.
05
Technical requirements - the ANJ's ET1-ET5 specifications, covering the information system, software homologation, data access, self-exclusion queries and certification.
06
Data archiving - the archiving hardware declared before it goes live and certified within six months (arts. 31 and 38 of loi 2010-476).
07
Certification - technical certification within one year of the agrément, then updated every year.
08
A .fr site - licensed operators trade on the .fr domain named in their agrément.
09
Responsible-gaming plan - an action plan against excessive gambling and gambling by minors, submitted for ANJ approval every year.
10
AML/CFT framework - controls set up to the arrêté of 9 September 2021, which the ANJ checks alongside fraud.
01
EU-established applicant.
02
One file per category.
03
Five-form application file.
04
Financial and technical guarantees.
05
ET1-ET5 compliance.
06
Archiving certified in 6 months.
07
Annual certification.
08
.fr site named in the agrément.
09
Yearly responsible-gaming plan.
10
AML/CFT per 2021 arrêté.
Reflects loi 2010-476 as amended, décret 2010-482 and ANJ requirements as of 2026.Loi 2010-476 + décret 2010-482 + ANJ rules, as of 2026.
How it works
From first call to the ANJ register.
01
Categories
One agrément per category you want, plus a plan for any casino product, which France does not license.One agrément each.
02
Company and platform
EU-established entity and .fr front end, with ET1-ET5 compliance mapped against your platform.EU entity, .fr front end.
03
The application
Every form and document filed complete with the ANJ, so the clock starts on day one.Filed complete.
04
ANJ review
Four months at most, paused while documents are missing; silence means refusal. We plan for 4-6 months from filing.4 months at most.
05
Agrément and launch
A five-year agrément, archiving certified within six months and technical certification within the first year.5 years, certified.
Quick facts
RegulatorANJ
FrameworkLoi 2010-476
LicensableSports, horse racing, poker
Online casinoBanned
Term5 years, renewable
Decision clock4 months, silence = refusal
Payout cap85% on sports betting
Realistic timeline4-6 months from filing
The four-month clock runs only on a complete file, and an ANJ silence is a refusal. We do not file until every form is in.
On the ground in France
Run from our Paris office.
Prifinance - France
Paris · France
Paris, France
01
Category strategy
Which agréments to file, and where your casino products go instead, settled in writing before drafting starts.Casino planned elsewhere.
02
The ANJ file
Every form and supporting document assembled before filing, because an incomplete file stops the four-month clock.Complete, clock running.
03
Technical compliance
ET1-ET5 planned with your platform team, including the archiving hardware that must be certified within six months.ET1-ET5 and archiving.
04
Payout and self-exclusion
The 85% payout cap and self-exclusion queries built into operations. Both drew ANJ sanctions in 2025, one of them €800,000.Payout cap, self-exclusion.
We also have offices in
Tallinn
Estonia
Väike-Paala tn 1
Vilnius
Lithuania
Gedimino pr. 2
Prague
Czech Republic
Vlkova 532/8, Žižkov
Dubai
UAE
33 Level, Al Saqr Business Tower
Madeira
Portugal
Rua da Alegria 31, 1F
Budapest
Hungary
Korányi Sándor u. 4
Istanbul
Turkey
Perpa Ticaret Merkezi, A Blok
Good to know
Taxation of gaming operators in France.
France taxes most gaming on gross gaming product, and the bill went up on 1 July 2025.
Levies on PBJ
Since the loi Pacte, most categories are taxed on gross gaming product (produit brut des jeux) instead of on stakes.Since the loi Pacte.
Higher since July 2025
The LFSS 2025 raised gambling levies from 1 July 2025. The ANJ notes that 2025 felt only one semester of the change, so 2026 is the first full year.First full year 2026.
15% on sports-betting marketing
A new tax of 15% on online sports-betting operators' commercial communication spending applies from 1 July 2025.Online sports betting.
Rates confirmed per quote
Levy rates differ by product. We confirm the current rates for your categories before quoting and model them against your margins.Confirmed per quote.
Corporate tax 25%
The standard corporate income tax rate is 25%, with 15% on the first €42,500 of profit for companies with turnover up to €10m.25% standard.
An 85% payout cap
Online sports betting may return at most 85% of stakes to players, so at least 15% of stakes stays with the operator before levies.85% on sports.
Tax summary
Levy baseGross gaming product (PBJ)
Levy ratesConfirmed per product in the quote
Sports-betting marketing15% of spend
Corporate tax25% · 15% up to €42,500
Payout cap85% on sports betting
*As of 2026 per loi 2010-476, the LFSS 2025 and the ANJ. Group and founder-level outcomes are modelled per structure.
Turnkey professional support
Experienced lawyers and international consultants.
We provide end-to-end support, from company registration and the application file to regulatory interaction and compliance oversight - with an individualized approach to each client.
Oleksii Kindratenko
Builds the application itself: EU-established operating company, AML/KYC policy pack, capital structure and tax registrations. His document sets are the reason reviews finish in months, not years.
Eugeniu Bevziuc
First point of contact for international founders. Runs the whole setup remotely, across time zones and languages - from the first call to a live, licensed operator.
Follow Prifinance
Active across our channels.
France · ANJ
Launch your gaming project in France with expert support.
Full-service assistance - from the EU entity and the .fr front end to the ANJ agrément and its five-year renewals - run through our Paris office.
Get a consultation →Free legal opinion
Is France the right fit for your project?
Our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.
Written assessment within 2-5 business days
Request a free conclusion →FAQ
The France gaming licence, answered.
Can I get an online casino licence in France?+
No. Online casino games are illegal in France, and the ANJ lists baccarat, roulette, video poker, blackjack and slot machines among them. Only online sports betting, horse-race betting and poker can be licensed.
Do I need one licence or several?+
One per category. Sports betting, horse-race betting and poker (jeux de cercle) each need a separate agrément and application, and each runs five years, renewable. 17 operators held 29 agréments between them at 31 January 2026.
How long does the ANJ take to decide?+
Four months at most from filing. The clock stops while documents are missing and can run another four months if the file changes during review. If the ANJ says nothing by the deadline, the application is refused.
Who can apply?+
Any legal or natural person established in an EU Member State that wants to offer online poker, sports betting or horse-race betting in France. Today's licensees include companies established in Malta and in France.
How are operators taxed?+
Mostly on gross gaming product since the loi Pacte, with levies raised on 1 July 2025 and a new 15% tax on online sports-betting marketing spend. We confirm the current rate for each category before quoting.
Is there a payout limit?+
Yes. Online sports betting may return at most 85% of stakes to players. The ANJ enforces it: four sanctions in December 2025 were for exceeding the payout limits.
How does self-exclusion work?+
Through the national interdiction volontaire de jeux, valid for at least three years and renewed tacitly. It covers every licensed online betting and poker site. 87,182 people were registered at the end of 2025, 19% more than a year earlier.
Is the French market growing?+
Revenue is, operator numbers are not. Online gross gaming product rose 8.5% to €2,617m in 2025, while the ANJ list fell from 18 operators in January 2025 to 16 on 2 October 2026.
France or Spain for a sports-betting operator?+
Spain lets you add casino games, and its general licence runs 10 years plus 10; France licenses no casino and renews every five years. France is quicker to enter, with no call to wait for and a four-month clock against Spain's six months.
Why Prifinance for France?+
We run French files from our Paris office. We set up the EU entity and the .fr front end, file the ANJ application complete so the four-month clock runs, work through ET1-ET5 with your platform team and plan where your casino products go.
Online casino?+
Banned in France.
One licence or several?+
One agrément per category.
Decision time?+
4 months; silence = refusal.
Who can apply?+
EU-established companies.
Tax?+
PBJ levies + 15% marketing.
Payout cap?+
85% on sports betting.
Self-exclusion?+
3 years minimum.
Growing?+
Revenue up, operators down.
Or Spain?+
Casino there; speed here.
Why you?+
Paris office, complete files.
Client notes
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Founders who wanted it done right.
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Start today
One message away from your France gambling licence.
Get a free legal opinion on your project - our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.Free legal opinion: which French agréments fit your product and where its casino side should go.
✓Written legal opinion within 2-5 business days - free of charge✓A clear recommendation on the right licence scope, not a sales pitch✓Transparent fixed fees, confirmed up front✓EN · RU · ES speaking team
Prifinance is an independent law and advisory firm. We are not a regulator and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Autorité nationale des jeux (ANJ) or any other public authority. Authorisations are granted by, and obtained directly from, the competent authorities.