Gambling Operators Warned Over Excessive World Cup Promotions
The French gambling regulator has warned operators to avoid excessive promotion leading up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA.
L’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) has stated that the increased promotional activity leading up to one of the world’s biggest sporting events could lead to operators falling foul of regulations aimed to prevent excessive advertising, while also issuing specific warnings to reduce expenditure on promotional programs.
Operators Ramp Up Advertising Spend
The ANJ said that promotional investments had increased by 25% and marketing investments were up by 28% compared to 2025, alarming the regulator after the previous year had seen a slight reduction in spending.
The regulator noted that French operators had justified the spend by saying that the increased budgets in the lead-up to the tournament were due to “a rich 2026 sports calendar, marked by two major sporting events (the Winter Olympic Games and, above all, the Football World Cup), and intensified competition in the online market.”
However, in response, the ANJ stated that it had “issued demanding guidelines to the stakeholders concerned”, and that for the first time the regulator had “asked all operators not to exceed their announced overall budget and to limit any reallocation of expenses within that budget.” The regulator further warned of audits targeted at specific operators.
In addition, other operators were warned about promotional methods used to target individual customers, stating that it had told one operator, which was not named, to “significantly reduce its retention bonus expenses.”
FIFA On Board With Gambling
The ANJ additionally reiterated its proposals to further curb excessive advertising exposure for gambling, including prohibiting all gambling advertising from 5 minutes before matches until 5 minutes after the final whistle.
As well as being the most-watched sporting event on the planet, the World Cup is also one of the largest regular betting events, with analysts predicting over $35 billion to be wagered on the month-long event.
FIFA have been no stranger to accepting deals from gambling advertisers in the past, with the prior 2022 World Cup and the recent 2025 Club World Cup both sponsored in an official partnership with Betano. However, no official gambling sponsor has been announced so far for the 2026 event.
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