French authorities have prohibited access to Stake.com and Cbet. Legal and compliance officials from France have directed internet service providers to restrict access to Cbet.gg and Stake.com after the French National Gambling Authority (ANJ) secured a blocking order.

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French authorities block access to Stake.com and Cbet

Although the regulatory body has blocked 281 domains – belonging to 125 distinct unlicensed gambling companies – it rarely publicly announces individual blocking orders.

However, it stated that it made an exception for these two recent instances due to the popularity of the two websites. In June 2021, the two websites received approximately 560,000 visits from France.

“The ANJ wishes to remind the public of the risks associated with these illegal websites, which experience particularly high traffic,” it stated. “This is why we decided to publicize these rulings for the first time.”

Following a court decision in May by the Paris Judicial Court, internet service providers were instructed to block access to Cbet and a “mirror site” that also redirected to Cbet.

The regulatory body noted that the games offered by the website are unauthorized in France, where only poker, sports betting and lotteries are permitted.

Earlier this month, the ANJ obtained approval from the Paris Judicial Court to block cryptocurrency betting site and casino Stake.com.

French authorities have declared that France will not permit the use of digital currencies for betting activities due to worries about deception, illicit financial transactions, and the funding of terrorism.

The ANJ stated that blocking online platforms is the final stage in a four-step procedure designed to expose unauthorized operations. Initially, ANJ agents will compile a report on the website, subsequently sending a formal notification to the operator requesting them to restrict access for French users. If this attempt fails, the case will be presented to the court, which may issue a blocking order.

The ANJ stated: “France prohibits online gaming websites.” “These websites pose a significant risk of dependency and do not provide any safeguards to protect players and their personal information. Additionally, there is no recourse in the event that winnings are not disbursed.”

“Combating illicit supply is at the core of the regulator’s actions, and we have made it a priority for 2021.”

French regulators also revealed a strategy last week to suppress marketing campaigns following grievances regarding excessive saturation during Euro 2020. The regulator released an “action plan” on the matter, which will involve a fresh assessment of operators’ marketing strategies, following a prior review earlier in the year. Furthermore, it will initiate a stakeholder consultation on advertising at the commencement of the new academic year, which could result in the implementation of new intervention tools. The ANJ will also publish more “precise and actionable” guidelines on advertising by the end of the year.

A well-known online betting site, Stake, has just inked a sponsorship agreement with Watford FC, a newly promoted top-flight English football club. This collaboration will enable Stake to enter the UK market, working in conjunction with Aspire Global, a prominent gaming enterprise.

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