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Unibet Fined €800K for Failures in Self-Exclusion System

The French gambling regulator ANJ has fined the operator SPS Betting, which manages the Unibet platform, €800K for failures in the self-exclusion system. The issue affected both the Unibet website and iOS application, allowing thousands of users to continue playing despite the restrictions they had set.

Reasons for the Fine

  • The failure affected Unibet platforms (website and iOS application).
  • Self-exclusion periods were altered: months turned into days (e.g., a 12-month block was reduced to 12 days).
  • The issue persisted for nearly 22 months:
    • From March 2, 2021, to December 11, 2022.
    • After being fixed, the error reappeared from December 29, 2022, to February 2, 2023.
  • According to ANJ estimates, the violation affected around 7,000 players, while the operator claims fewer than 100 people were impacted.

ANJ’s Decision

Due to the severity and duration of the violation, the ANJ Sanctions Commission imposed the following measures:

  1. A fine of €800K.
  2. Publication of the decision in the Official Journal of the French Republic.
  3. Mandatory user notification:
    • From March 17 to March 31, 2025, information about the fine must be displayed on Unibet.fr’s homepage and within the applications.
    • The notification must include a link to the ANJ press release.
  4. Publication of the decision on the ANJ website without anonymization until March 3, 2026.

Possibility of Appeal

Unibet has the right to appeal the fine to the French Council of State within two months of official notification.

Not the First Violation

Unibet has previously been fined. In 2022, the Dutch regulator imposed a €400K fine for similar violations during the FIFA World Cup.

Importance of the Self-Exclusion System

French law requires gambling operators to provide players with the ability to temporarily block their accounts. The minimum blocking period is 24 hours, and the maximum is 12 months. This system aims to protect vulnerable users and prevent gambling addiction.

The Unibet fine highlights the importance of compliance with these regulations and demonstrates ANJ’s determination to combat violations.