France Bans Influencers From Creating Paid Content for Online Sports Betting

With the support of both the French government and Parliament, Europe’s first law limiting the freedoms of influencer marketing on social media will go live in two weeks’ time. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

France has gone where no other country in Europe has before and passed a law regulating influencer marketing on social media. The new law passed Thursday includes a list of what influencers can monetize and endorse online, and if it were in the US, the likes of Dave Portnoy and Kelly Stewart would have to think twice about their sportsbook endorsements.

could face up to two years in prison and €‎300,000 ($323,000) in fines

When the new French law goes live in two weeks, influencers caught creating paid content for online sports betting or cryptocurrency sites could face up to two years in prison and €‎300,000 ($323,000) in fines.

The banned influencers — there are an estimated 150,000 active French-audience-facing influencers — could also potentially have their ability to post on platforms revoked.

The well-supported legislation sailed through the French Senate in record time and will also give content creators something additional to think about. When the law goes live in a fortnight, as is already law on French television, all social media posts promoting burgers, or sodas, for example, will need to be counterbalanced with prominent healthy lifestyle messages.