Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin has delivered a stark warning to the gambling industry as she departs her role as President of France’s Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ).
Her exit marks the end of a significant chapter in French gambling regulation, with her tenure defined by a firm commitment to consumer protection and harm reduction.
Pascal Chevremont, a senior Treasury official and graduate of the École Nationale d’Administration, has been nominated to succeed her as ANJ President.
Chevremont’s appointment was proposed by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and subsequently approved by the French Presidency, signalling a continuation of strong government oversight.
The incoming president inherits a regulatory agenda focused on strengthening consumer protections and improving the monitoring of gambling-related harms across France.
Central to that agenda is the implementation of a new behavioural algorithm designed to identify patterns of excessive gambling among players in real time.
Falque-Pierrotin did not hold back in her assessment of the risks posed by the upcoming World Cup, framing it as a period of heightened vulnerability for bettors and regulators alike.
“As this World Cup approaches, we are entering a risk zone with several warning lights flashing red for the regulator,” she stated in her exit remarks.
France enters the tournament as one of the favourites to win, a factor the ANJ believes will drive betting activity to unprecedented levels across the country.
The regulator estimates that total stakes during the tournament could reach as much as €1.2bn, depending on how far France progresses through the competition.
That figure would significantly surpass the record €900m wagered during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, underlining the scale of the potential challenge facing Chevremont from the outset.
Falque-Pierrotin’s broader regulatory philosophy centred on the idea that consistency in oversight is what prevents gambling from becoming normalised within society.
Her departure comes at a moment when French regulators are acutely aware that major sporting events can rapidly accelerate problem gambling behaviours if left unchecked.
The ANJ’s focus on behavioural monitoring reflects a wider European shift toward proactive, data-driven approaches to identifying at-risk players before harm escalates significantly.
Chevremont will be expected to maintain that trajectory while navigating the immediate pressure of managing a potentially record-breaking period of gambling activity in France.
