Brussells, Sustainable Gambling Conference 2025: Stéphane Pallez calls for a safer and more responsible industry

In Brussels on 18 November, at the 2025 edition of the Sustainable Gambling Conference, Stéphane Pallez, Chairwoman and CEO of FDJ UNITED, opened the event with a message that resonated well beyond a standard keynote. Addressing operators, regulators, experts and consumer groups from across Europe, Pallez stressed that the gaming industry can no longer focus solely on providing products: it must take responsibility for the impact it generates in an increasingly digital and rapidly changing environment. Gaming, she reminded the audience, is designed as entertainment, yet it can quickly become harmful when it spirals out of control.

Brussels, the European Safer Gambling Week, and a clear political signal

The choice of Brussels and the timing of the conference were anything but incidental. The Sustainable Gambling Conference 2025 took place during the European Safer Gambling Week, the continent-wide initiative aimed at promoting safer play and raising awareness among consumers. The “where” and “when” reinforced the “why”: to bring the debate on responsible gambling directly into the epicentre of EU policy-making, at a time when the entire industry is reflecting on player protection and long-term sustainability.

From the very beginning, Pallez welcomed delegates by emphasising that FDJ UNITED has long embedded its commitment to consumer protection and responsible gaming into its business model. The group, she stated, does not simply declare responsibility as a principle; it integrates it into its strategy, its governance and the technological tools it develops.

“Safer gambling in a changing world”: a theme that becomes a roadmap

The conference theme – “safer gambling in a changing world” – was far from a superficial slogan. Pallez transformed it into a genuine working agenda. She explained that the environment surrounding gambling has evolved dramatically: the line between online and offline has blurred, consumer habits have shifted towards mobile, and competition now plays out on a continental – if not global – scale.

In this context, the crucial question is no longer whether the industry should focus on player protection, but how to deliver it meaningfully. The answer offered in Brussels was unambiguous: responsibility must be shared across the entire ecosystem, from operators and technology providers to regulators and civil society.

Artificial Intelligence and illegal gambling: two forces redefining the sector

In her address, Pallez identified two transformative forces reshaping the gaming landscape. The first is artificial intelligence, which enables operators to analyse player behaviour, identify early signs of risk and design more effective self-protection tools. The second is the rapid growth of illegal online gambling, which leverages the same digital channels to reach consumers well beyond any regulatory oversight.

Artificial intelligence, Pallez warned, is not neutral. The same algorithms capable of flagging vulnerable players can also be used to intensify play if deployed under purely commercial logic. The boundary is determined by corporate governance choices and the robustness of regulatory frameworks. For this reason, the use of advanced technology must be accompanied by transparency, independent auditing and open dialogue with authorities.

The weight of illegal gambling and the need for a unified front

Pallez’s remarks became even sharper when addressing illegal gambling. She described it as one of the most serious threats to consumer safety and to the credibility of regulated markets. Unlicensed sites rely on aggressive marketing, high-risk bonuses and the absence of safeguards, offering no guarantees on the protection mechanisms that licensed operators must provide.

She insisted that no individual country can tackle a phenomenon that moves across borders with such agility. Effective enforcement tools, cross-border regulatory cooperation and competitive conditions that allow licensed operators to remain both compliant and relevant are essential. Equally crucial is raising consumer awareness: if players do not understand the risks associated with illegal platforms, they may struggle to distinguish between regulated and unregulated environments.

Minors and young adults: the most sensitive frontline of protection

A central element of Pallez’s speech focused on minors and young adults. She noted that younger generations grow up in digital environments where the boundaries between gaming and gambling are increasingly blurred. Online advertising, influencers, social media and mobile apps expose adolescents to gambling-related content long before they reach legal age.

Pallez explained that FDJ UNITED has launched education and prevention programmes in France and Sweden, built on partnerships with experts, school-based initiatives, improved age-verification measures and early-intervention mechanisms. The objective is not merely to impose restrictions, but to explain: to help young people understand probability, risk, and the warning signs that may indicate harmful behaviour – whether in themselves or in someone close to them.

FDJ UNITED: rebranding, expansion and responsibility as a strategic asset

The context surrounding Pallez’s address is that of a group undergoing a major transformation. FDJ UNITED marks the evolution of the former Française des Jeux into a European-focused operator. The rebrand is not a cosmetic exercise but a component of a broader expansion strategy that includes major acquisitions and a growing footprint in regulated markets.

The acquisition of the Kindred Group – one of Europe’s leading online gambling operators – has strengthened the international scope of FDJ UNITED and expanded its regulatory responsibilities. Integrating an operator active across multiple jurisdictions means navigating diverse regulatory expectations, varying consumer-protection frameworks and a complex inheritance of data and behavioural patterns. In this environment, the public commitment to operate exclusively in regulated markets and to invest heavily in safer-gambling practices becomes both a strategic and identity-defining choice.

A European agenda for a safer and more sustainable gambling ecosystem

For a day, Brussels became the focal point of a continent-wide conversation about the future of gambling. Regulators, operators, academics and consumer representatives shared a consistent diagnosis: without cooperation, research and data exchange, meaningful player protection remains incomplete.

Pallez’s call fits squarely within this framework. She urged the industry to recognise the real-world impact of its business model and to take an active role in shaping the regulatory environment, rather than simply complying with it. When she speaks of “shared responsibility”, she speaks to operators, regulators, educators and society at large, all of whom play a role in fostering an informed and balanced approach to gambling.

From the stage to real-world action: the industry’s next challenge

As she concluded her opening remarks, Stéphane Pallez made it clear that “safer gambling in a changing world” is not merely the title of an event, but a direction of travel for an industry seeking long-term legitimacy and sustainable growth.

For FDJ UNITED and for the operators gathered in Brussels, the challenge now is to turn commitments into everyday practice: using artificial intelligence to protect rather than to intensify gambling, resisting the pressures of the illegal market rather than adapting to its dynamics, and investing in education and early intervention wherever players are most vulnerable. Only by doing so can gambling remain what it is meant to be: a regulated, informed and responsible form of entertainment in a world that is evolving at unprecedented speed.

This article was first published in Italian on 18 November 2025.

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