In Paris, the Autorité nationale des jeux (ANJ) welcomed a Japanese delegation made up of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Japanese Embassy in France and researchers from the NRI Group. Together, they discussed a global issue: the fight against illegal gambling.
Paris, crossroads of a global dialogue
In Paris, the sober walls of the ANJ headquarters played host to an unusual diplomatic meeting. Representatives from Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, accompanied by the Japanese Embassy in France and researchers from the NRI Group, walked through the doors of the French institution. Their objective: to discuss a challenge shared by both countries, namely the fight against illegal gambling.
This is not the first time that Tokyo and Paris have held talks on this subject – in fact, it is the second meeting organised this year. But the growing importance of the phenomenon gives these exchanges a strategic character.
A global problem with many faces
Illegal gambling knows no borders. Unregulated online betting sites, offshore platforms and clandestine betting circuits fuel a parallel economy that is difficult to control. In France, the ANJ estimates that the illegal market accounts for a significant proportion of the stakes, although it is difficult to assess this precisely.
According to the participants, the fight against illegal gambling is far from set in stone. Platforms are using increasingly sophisticated technologies to evade surveillance. Some are moving rapidly from one country to another, changing their web addresses or incorporating cryptocurrency systems to circumvent restrictions.
Faced with this situation, international cooperation is becoming essential.
France as a laboratory for best practice
For several years now, the ANJ has been establishing itself as a major player in the regulation of gambling in Europe. Created in 2020, it succeeded the ARJEL with a broader mandate, including consumer protection and the fight against illegal sites.
France is experimenting with a range of measures, from administrative blocking of sites to cooperation with payment providers and search engines. This strategy of stemming the flow has attracted the interest of Japan, which is seeking to strengthen its own mechanisms.
Towards a lasting alliance?
While this meeting in Paris is only a first step, it nevertheless marks an important milestone. This is already the second time in 2025 that France and Japan have met on this subject. The future will tell whether these exchanges will lead to concrete initiatives: cooperation agreements, data sharing, or even coordinated actions.