The Barrière group of casinos and hotels announced on Monday that it was filing a complaint against advertisements "usurping the image of the Barrière brand to encourage players to register and play on platforms offering illegal online gambling activities".
The group has "decided to refer the matter to the Public Prosecutor of Paris so that the perpetrators of these acts, namely not only the owners of online games operating without approval and using the image of the Barrière group for their advertisements but also the platforms broadcasting such advertisements and thus enriching themselves at the same time, be identified and held accountable," according to a statement.
The group "is surprised that platforms, which are regularly made aware of the aforementioned risks, allow the dissemination of such prohibited elements to the general public and in particular to a minor population," the statement continued. "In particular, the investigation will have to establish whether these international players, who are well known to the general public, have complied with their obligations under French law and European regulations," notes Barrière.
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The law punishes with three years' imprisonment and a fine of 90,000 euros for offering online gambling to the public without an exclusive license or right, and a fine of 100,000 euros for advertising an unauthorized betting or gambling site. Barrière recalls.
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By filing a complaint and thus referring the matter to the public authorities, the Barrière group believes that it is doing its part to put an end to such acts with serious consequences and thus protect its customers," comments Grégory Rabuel, Chief Executive Officer of Barrière quoted in the press release.
