French trade body urges zero tolerance on underage gambling after release of new research
A new survey found that four in 10 minors in France have gambled in the past year.
France.- The French online gambling trade body L’Association Française du Jeu en Ligne (AFJEL) has called for more measures against illegal operators to help prevent underage gambling. The call follows the release of a new study that found that 42.6 per cent of minors in France gambled in the past year, an increase of 7.8 points since 2021.
The survey of 5,000 French children aged 15 to 17 was conducted by ARPEJ, the Association for Research and Prevention of Excessive Gambling. The body has delivered its findings to the French gambling regulator, the Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), which said the research was concerning.
AFJEL represents France’s licensed online gambling sector, including ANJ-authorised operators such as Betclic, Betsson, Entain and Genybet. It stressed that the legal online market remains the safest environment for preventing minors from gambling and that licensed operators demand full identity checks to open accounts, including official ID, a bank account in the player’s name and proof of address.
“These technological and regulatory requirements make access by minors structurally impossible without fraud or identity theft,” AFJEL stated, adding that when minors do gain access, it is often due to an adult’s involvement, most often parents.
Despite strict safeguards in the regulated sector, AFJEL warned that illegal gambling in France continues to expand. Recent figures show 5.4 million French players are using unlicensed platforms, marking a 35 per cent increase in just two years. Such sites operate without age verification, identity checks, or advertising restrictions, and aggressively target users through social media, the association warned.
AFJEL criticised the “omnipresence” of illegal gambling ads online and urged authorities to step up enforcement. It’s proposed measures including faster blocking of illegal websites, greater pressure on technical and financial intermediaries that enable illicit gambling and the prohibition of the promotion of unlicensed sites on social networks and app stores. It also proposed that more resources be dedicated to tackling the black market
The association also called on policymakers to ensure that future public health studies distinguish between regulated and unregulated markets. AFJEL argued that conflating the two undermines the efforts of licensed operators who comply with strict responsible gambling standards.
According to the ARPEJ survey, gambling participation among minors remains higher among boys (45.5 per cent) than girls (39.6 per cent). Scratch cards were the most common format, played by 34.3 per cent of respondents, up from 27.3 per cent in 2021. Some 20 per cent said they had participated in national lottery draw games, up from 17 per cent.
