France’s World Cup preparations have been disrupted by a fresh dispute over gambling advertising, with senior players raising objections to the use of their images by a licensed bookmaker.
French sports daily l’Équipe reported this weekend that players including Kylian Mbappé and Manchester City’s Rayan Cherki are unhappy with how Betclic has used their likenesses in promotional material.
The controversy centres on a “collective image rights package” that Betclic acquired in 2023, granting the operator the right to use images of French national team players.
Tensions came to a head on Thursday, ahead of France’s 2-1 defeat to the Ivory Coast, when Betclic published a World Cup promotion featuring Mbappé, Cherki, Désiré Doué, Michael Olise, and Ousmane Dembélé.
The images were reportedly taken at France’s national training camp in Clairefontaine, with affected players claiming they were never told their likenesses would be used by a bookmaker.
Despite the players’ frustration, Betclic’s campaign is understood to remain within the rules, as the images were used within a World Cup promotion rather than a publicly visible advertising campaign.
The dispute revives a long-running conflict that Mbappé has led since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he objected to his image appearing in campaigns tied to betting operators and fast-food brands.
Mbappé argued at the time that players should have greater control over the commercial partnerships associated with their image and reputation, a position that gained backing from several France internationals through the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP).
The UNFP, which helped negotiate the image rights framework, is understood to be involved in discussions around the latest dispute, meaning scrutiny may focus on whether players were adequately informed before their images appeared in gambling-related material.
The row arrives at a sensitive moment for France’s gambling advertising landscape, with the Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) having already warned the country’s 18 licensed online operators that the 2026 World Cup will serve as a critical test of advertising standards and consumer protection obligations.
French gambling advertising is governed by codes set by the Advertising Regulatory Authority (ARPP) in cooperation with the ANJ, including strict controls on using athletes whose appeal extends to under-25 audiences.
Ahead of the tournament, the ANJ instructed operators to exercise restraint in advertising volumes, strengthen audience-targeting measures, and ensure all marketing complies with responsible gambling requirements.
France has further tightened its oversight framework in 2024 and 2025, requiring all licensed online gambling operators to submit advertising and marketing strategies to the ANJ every six months for review and approval.
The ANJ has yet to comment publicly on the Betclic image rights dispute, though the regulator’s focus on World Cup advertising standards means the situation is unlikely to go unnoticed as the tournament approaches.
