French authorities have prohibited access to Stake.com and Cbet. – Law and Compliance – iGB
French internet providers have been told to prevent access to Cbet.gg and Stake.com, after the approval of a blocking order request by the gambling regulator, the French Gambling Authority (ANJ).
Home > Law and Compliance > French authorities prohibit access to Stake.com and Cbet
French authorities prohibit access to Stake.com and Cbet
While the regulator has blocked 281 internet addresses – owned by 125 different unauthorized gambling brands – it rarely announces individual blocking orders.
However, it stated it made an exception for these two recent instances due to the popularity of the two websites. In June 2021, the two websites received around 560,000 visits from France.
“The ANJ wishes to remind the public of the dangers of these illegal websites, which have particularly high traffic,” it added. “This is why we have decided to make these decisions public for the first time.”
Following a court ruling in May by the Paris Judicial Court, internet service providers were ordered to block access to Cbet and a “mirror website” that also redirected to Cbet.
The regulator noted that the games offered by the site are not permitted in France, which only allows poker, sports betting and lotteries.
Earlier this month, the ANJ received approval from the Paris Judicial Court to block the cryptocurrency betting website and casino Stake.com.
French authorities have declared that cryptocurrency betting is not permitted in France due to worries about deception, money laundering, and financing of terrorism.
The French regulatory body, ANJ, stated that blocking websites is the final stage in a four-step process when suspected of unauthorized activity. Initially, ANJ agents will generate a report on the website, then send a formal notification to the operator requesting them to restrict access to the site for French users. If this fails, the case will be referred to a court, which may issue a blocking order.
“France forbids online casino websites,” said the ANJ. “They present a significant risk of addiction and do not provide any safeguards to protect players and their personal information. There is no remedy if winnings cannot be paid.”
“Combating illegal supply is at the core of the regulator’s actions, which we have made a priority for 2021.”
French regulators also announced plans last week to take action against marketing campaigns, following complaints of excessive saturation during the 2020 European Championship. The regulator issued an “action plan” on the matter, which will see operators’ marketing plans reviewed again, following an initial review earlier in the year. It will also initiate stakeholder consultations on advertising at the beginning of the new academic year, which could result in the introduction of new intervention tools. The ANJ will also publish “more precise and functional” guidelines on advertising by the end of the year.
A well-known online betting platform, Stake, has joined forces with Watford FC, a recently promoted top-flight English football club. This agreement will enable Stake to enter the UK market by working together with Aspire Global.
Subscribe to the iGaming newsletter to stay informed about the most recent developments in the gambling sector.
