French gambling regulator fines SPS Betting
The French gambling regulator, l’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), has imposed a substantial fine of €800,000 on SPS Betting due to its failure to properly implement a self-exclusion system on iOS devices.
SPS Betting, which operates under the renowned Kindred Group’s Unibet brand, was penalized for non-compliance with self-exclusion obligations mandated by French law. The ANJ’s sanctions committee officially announced this ruling on March 3.
Incorporated in Malta, SPS Betting manages its operations from its headquarters in Valletta and holds three vital licenses for the French market: online betting, online horseracing, and online circle games. They provide services via the brand’s dedicated platform at Unibet.fr.
The ANJ ruling highlighted a prolonged “malfunction” on the Unibet platform specifically affecting iOS operating systems. This technical issue hindered players’ ability to self-exclude from March 2021 to December 2022. Alarmingly, following an update in late December 2022, the malfunction resurfaced and persisted until February 2023.
In response to the sanction, a spokesperson for Kindred remarked: “SPS Betting has implemented all necessary corrective measures along with strengthened internal and external audit protocols to prevent recurring malfunctions associated with self-exclusion features, which are pivotal to our responsible gambling policy.”
ANJ’s Investigation into SPS Betting
The ANJ commenced its investigation in 2021 upon receiving reports regarding the dysfunctionality of Unibet’s self-exclusion system for iOS users. This malfunction led to critical errors wherein players were allowed to self-exclude for durations expressed in days instead of the intended months. For instance, a player attempting to self-exclude for two months could instead only block themselves for a mere two days.
During this period, the ANJ estimated that approximately 6,754 players were adversely affected by the inability to self-exclude from the Unibet platform.
According to France’s gambling act of 2010, players have the right to request a self-exclusion period ranging from 24 hours to a maximum of 12 months, underscoring the necessity of robust compliance with these regulations.
The ANJ’s sanctions committee determined that the duration of the malfunction, combined with the “seriousness” of this oversight, warranted the significant fine of €800,000, in addition to a public sanction against SPS Betting.
Furthermore, the online betting operator is required to prominently display the details of the fine and the associated ruling on both its Unibet.fr website and within the front pages of its mobile applications from March 17 to March 31.
SPS Betting retains the right to appeal the decision to the Council of State within the following two months, a process that could offer another layer of review regarding the penalty.
In its ruling, the ANJ sanctions committee emphasized: “The significant market share of SPS Betting in the realm of online sports betting—and to a lesser extent in online circle games—positions the company as a major player within the online gaming and betting sector, thereby magnifying the gravity of the breach committed.”
