Why Stake & Cbet have been banned in France
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12 Sep 2025 •
Reading time: 3 minutes In the summer of 2025, the Autorité nationale des jeux (ANJ) took strong action: the Stake and Cbet platforms are officially banned on French soil. The announcement came in August, after a lengthy legal process. In July, the ANJ obtained an order requiring these online casinos to be blocked, in accordance with French laws on digital gambling.
The grievances upheld
Why were Stake and Cbet banned? Several reasons were given:
- Lack of licence: without official authorisation, these platforms were operating illegally under French regulations.
- Use of cryptocurrencies: these sites accepted bets or transactions in cryptocurrencies, a payment method that does not comply with French gambling regulations.
- Lack of player protection: the ANJ cites insufficient tools to prevent gambling addiction, the absence of guarantees regarding the security of personal data, and prolonged gaming sessions.
- Circumvention via VPN: many users continued to access the platforms via VPNs, despite the blocks. According to the ANJ, this type of circumvention remains illegal and dangerous, including for users’ IT security.
How was this implemented?
The block was officially ordered and follows a clear technical pattern:
- DNS blocking: Internet service providers in France were forced to block the domain names of Stake and Cbet, making direct access impossible for most non-specialist Internet users.
- Legal support: the July 2025 order allows the ANJ to rely on the legal framework provided for in the Internal Security Code to impose such measures.
What are the risks for French players?
The ban not only affects technical access to the sites, but also exposes users to legal and financial consequences:
- Winnings on unregulated platforms are not guaranteed: in the event of a dispute, the player has no solid legal recourse.
- Participating in a prohibited site or helping to access it (via VPN or links) may result in penalties, including fines or criminal prosecution.
- For personal data, the risk of leakage or attack is higher due to the lack of supervision and rigorous security standards.
Towards a possible solution?
Is it conceivable that Stake or Cbet could adapt their practices to return legally to France?
The ANJ is not closing the door completely: these platforms could apply for a licence or reorganise their offering to comply with French standards — particularly with regard to the acceptance of cryptocurrencies, measures to prevent addiction, and transparency on data collection and security.
The ANJ’s decision to ban Stake and Cbet in France marks a turning point: a reminder that player protection, regulation and legality are not mere options but essential requirements. What was previously tolerated in the grey areas of online gambling is now being strongly challenged. The challenge now is to see whether these platforms will reform, how users will react, and how France will pursue its control strategy in an ever-changing digital world.