Bertrand Latour and the Lens-Como bet: legal, but risky for a journalist

Bertrand Latour committed no legal offense by betting on the number of goals in the Lens-Como match Wednesday evening while covering the game for Canal+. A sequence captured off-air, in which the journalist reveals his bet, circulated widely on social media, raising questions about the legitimacy of his actions.

Under French law, sports betting prohibitions set out in the Sports Code apply exclusively to direct competition participants: players, coaches, referees and officials. Neither the Internal Security Code nor the regulations of the National Gaming Authority (ANJ) contain any general provision prohibiting a journalist from wagering on an event he is commenting on. Bertrand Latour was therefore within his rights.

The ethical question, however, is real. Betting on a match one covers exposes one to a conflict of interest risk and can undermine the credibility of the analysis produced. Employer media outlets are free to adopt internal charters more restrictive than the law, and Canal+ may have its own rules on the matter. At this stage, no sanction has been announced against the journalist.