France’s gambling regulator, the Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), has launched a regulatory framework for games featuring monetisable digital objects, making it one of the first jurisdictions in Europe to create a dedicated regime for blockchain-based gaming mechanics.
The framework, known as Jeux à Objets Numériques Monétisables (JONUM), operates as a three-year pilot programme. It covers games that sit at the intersection of traditional video gaming and regulated gambling — specifically those in which players can acquire digital assets, such as NFTs or blockchain-based items, that can be traded on secondary markets for real-world value.
Legal Foundation
The JONUM regime was first established under the Security and Digital Space Regulation (SREN) Act, passed in May 2024. That legislation created a distinct legal category for online games involving chance, financial stakes, and resellable digital assets, without direct cash payouts in legal tender. The framework became active following the publication of implementing decrees in 2026.
JONUM-classified games are prohibited from offering cash prizes in the manner of licensed gambling products. The regime also caps the total value of digital assets a single player can accumulate over time, placing limits on reward distribution that do not apply to conventional video games.
Operator and Player Obligations
Minors are banned from participating in JONUM-regulated games. Operators must verify age and identity at account creation, and are required to provide responsible gambling tools including play-time limits, spending limits, and self-exclusion mechanisms.
Any company seeking to offer JONUM products in France must file a declaration with the ANJ and maintain detailed activity logs. Where blockchain infrastructure or digital wallets are involved, operators must provide regulator access to transaction flows for anti-money laundering and compliance oversight purposes. The cost of non-compliance with such obligations has risen sharply across European markets, as outlined in an earlier analysis of enforcement trends.
European Context
The French approach differs substantially from how other European jurisdictions have handled the loot box and digital asset question. Belgium classified loot boxes as gambling and prohibited them outright. The UK’s Gambling Commission concluded that loot boxes fall outside the scope of the Gambling Act 2005, opting instead for industry self-regulation coordinated through trade body Ukie. The UKGC has, however, moved faster on adjacent digital asset questions, accelerating its cryptocurrency regulatory timeline as adoption grows among younger demographics.
Poland is currently considering a draft amendment to its Gambling Act that would establish a new legal category for games involving randomly awarded virtual goods. Under the proposed Polish rules, in-game purchases with randomly distributed prizes would be treated as gambling, restricted to adults, and subject to a licensing requirement. The broader push toward coordinated oversight was on display when seven European regulators convened in Madrid to address cross-border enforcement challenges.
The JONUM pilot adds France to a short list of jurisdictions that have moved beyond the loot box debate to address the broader category of blockchain-enabled gaming with real-world asset value. Whether the three-year pilot leads to a permanent regime — and how ANJ uses the compliance data gathered in that period — will inform regulatory thinking across Europe as the sector continues to expand.
Source: Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ)
