French gambling regulator announces partnership with Addiction Federation

The two bodies will conduct joint training and research activities.

France.- The French gambling regulator Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) has announced a new partnership with the Addiction Federation. The move aims to strengthen the prevention of excessive gambling and the protection of minors through joint actions.

There will be four main areas of focus: studies into prevention and support, the development of tools to support players or addiction professionals, the design of training programmes and the joint organisation of events. The partnership will involve joint training activities and the publication of a document on the regulation of gambling for addiction professionals.

In 2019, France’s Gaming Observatory estimated the number of at-risk players to be 1.4 million, with nearly 400,000 at a pathological level. That suggests that problem gambling generates over 38 per cent of the sector’s turnover. In its 2024/2026 strategic plan, the ANJ outlined reducing this as one of its priorities.

Rise in betting in France

This week, the ANJ reported that licensed bets in France hit €5.2bn in H1, a rise of 24 per cent year-on-year. Gross gaming revenue (GGR) was up 16 per cent at €871m. Online betting was up 10 per cent at €1.3bn, with the number of online active player accounts rising by 13 per cent year-on-year to 2 million in June.

The growth in June was particularly strong, likely because of Euro 2024. Nevertheless, the amount wagered on the Euros was some way below the ANJ’s forecast of €1bn, reaching just €650m. That compares to €900m staked during the previous tournament in 2021.

The ANJ attributed the drop to the poor performance of the French team as well as to the French general election. However, the French online gaming association AFJEL has suggested that unlicensed betting on Euro 2024 led its members to take around half of the handle estimated.