The national lottery operator of France FDJ or Francaise des Jeux, the parent company of Relax Gaming. It faces a growing investigation. A French newspaper, Le Monde, revealed that one of its subsidiaries obtained an iGaming license in the Comoros. The license came from the island of Anjouan.
The report, published on February 4, said that an FDJ-linked entity secured a license from Anjouan. This jurisdiction has become known for issuing low-cost online gambling licenses with limited regulatory oversight. Le Monde reports that the licensing regime involves practices deemed illegal and harmful under Comorian law.
The findings raise questions about governance oversight across FDJ’s international operations. So far, no one has publicly identified the specific FDJ subsidiary involved. This includes ownership of Relax Gaming, one of the largest B2B casino content suppliers of the industry.
Anjouan is an autonomous island within the Union of the Comoros. It has drawn criticism from international bodies. Classifying it as an activity not allowed by law a 2024 report by the FATF or Financial Action Task Force said that gambling is restricted under the Comorian Penal Code. The Central Bank of the Comoros has also repeatedly said it does not recognize that AOFA or Anjouan Offshore Financial Authority, which issues gambling licenses and has warned against what it calls unauthorized offshore activity.
The situation highlights a contrast between the domestic and international positioning of FDJ. FDJ in France operates under one of Europe’s strictest gambling regimes, supervised by the ANJ (Autorité Nationale des Jeux). This is with strong requirements on player protection, as well as anti-money laundering controls. By comparison, Anjouan licenses operate in what analysts describe as a regulatory grey area. They also explicitly restrict operators from accepting players from France and several other major markets.
