The Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), the gambling regulatory body in France, published the results of a comprehensive review conducted between November 2025 and March 2026. The analysis evaluated the preventive action plans of all licensed operators in the country and reached a clear conclusion: while there is concrete progress, the sector must accelerate its efforts to achieve the gambling addiction reduction targets set for 2027.
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The report is published in a context of high social sensitivity. According to estimates from the French Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, released in 2024, approximately 1.17 million people in France exhibit problematic behaviors linked to gambling, of which nearly 360,000 are considered compulsive gamblers.
Gambling among minors: a rising alarm
One of the most critical points of the report is the growth of gambling among adolescents. The ENJEU-Mineurs survey, prepared by the ARPEJ association with the support of the ANJ, revealed that in 2025, 42.6% of young people aged between 15 and 17 had gambled at least once in the last year. This figure represents an increase of nearly eight percentage points compared to 2021.
The ANJ recognizes that most licensed operators have implemented measures to restrict access for minors, such as stricter age verifications, campaigns aimed at adults and guidance for parents on parental control tools. However, the regulator considers that these actions remain insufficient given the magnitude of the problem and demands more concrete and measurable results.
Detection of at-risk players: progress without sufficient scale
In the field of detecting problematic behaviors, the report identifies a significant improvement. During 2025, online gambling operators detected 89,000 players with excessive behaviors, compared to 31,000 recorded in 2024. Although the figure has nearly tripled, the ANJ warns that this progress is not proportional to the actual size of the platforms and demands an increase in identification rates relative to the total user base.
Added to this is a relevant economic factor. Data prior to the pandemic indicated that around 38% of gross gaming revenue in France came from players with some level of problematic behavior, while 20.7% corresponded to players with severe problems.
Casinos and racetracks: progress with pending challenges
Outside the digital environment, brick-and-mortar casinos and gaming clubs have also improved their identification and assistance systems. More than 2,200 employees completed the online prevention module launched by the ANJ in November 2024, a significant figure considering the size of the sector. Nevertheless, the prevention plan of at least one casino was rejected, highlighting that structural deficiencies persist in some operators.
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At racetracks, under the coordination of the National Federation of Horse Racing, information campaigns, staff training, and access controls have been intensified.
New regulatory frameworks: NFTs, advertising, and the 2026 World Cup
The report coincides with a transformation of the French regulatory framework. At the beginning of 2026, the ANJ formalized the JONUM (Jeux à Objets Numériques Monétisables) regulation, a three-year experimental regime designed for games incorporating digital assets with economic value, such as NFTs and blockchain-based elements. This framework seeks to organize a category that until now operated in a legal gray area.
In parallel, the regulator is pushing for a total ban on gambling advertising and plans to use the 2026 FIFA World Cup as a platform to reinforce responsible gambling campaigns.
The 2027 challenge: less margin, more pressure
The target set for 2027 now requires immediate acceleration. The review shows that, although the industry has taken steps in the right direction, the current pace is not enough to meet the goals within the planned timeframe.
The ANJ has made it clear that its warnings have consequences. The rejection of prevention plans and investigations into unauthorized platforms reflect a firm willingness to exercise its authority.
For a sector that derives a substantial portion of its income from the most vulnerable segment, the challenge is both ethical and economic. The French regulatory model is beginning to emerge as a reference in Europe, in a context where the debate over the limits of legal gambling, the expansion of online betting, and the protection of minors is gaining more weight on the public agenda.
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