Are offshore betting sites legal in France?

The use of offshore betting sites is officially illegal in France. The French regulatory body, the Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), has the authority to take action against unlicensed international operators that target French residents. These actions primarily involve requesting that internet service providers (ISPs) block access to the identified illegal websites.

The ANJ maintains a blacklist of such sites and actively works to prevent them from being accessible within France. From a player's perspective, while it is not a criminal offense to gamble on these offshore sites, there are significant risks involved. French law does not provide any protection for players who use these platforms.

This means that in the event of a dispute, such as non-payment of winnings or unfair practices, the player has no legal recourse within the French system. The government's stance is that by using unlicensed sites, players are exposing themselves to potential fraud and other risks without any of the safeguards mandated for licensed operators, such as responsible gambling measures and fund protection.

Therefore, while not criminally prosecuted, using offshore crypto casinos is strongly discouraged and considered an unprotected activity.