Euro 2024: ANJ praises iGaming industry anti-addiction efforts, launches awareness campaign

Garance Limouzy June 18, 2024

As the Euro 24 tournament kicks off, the French National Gaming Authority (ANJ) acknowledges the efforts made by gambling companies to tackle addiction while launching a new awareness campaign.

Football and the surge in sports betting in France

More than half of the French population plans to follow the Euro football tournament, which runs from June 14 to July 14. Among these viewers, over a third intend to bet, according to a survey published by the National Gaming Authority (ANJ). This study conducted in May 2024 reveals that while more than half of those planning to follow the Euro consider making friendly bets with friends and family, 35% intend to wager money on the matches, a proportion that rises to 44% among those under 35 years old.

Three years ago, during the previous Euro, 700 million euros were generated in bets in France, both online and at retail outlets. The following year, during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar where the French team reached the final, bets rose to 900 million euros.

The regulator predicts that total bets could set a new record during Euro 2024, potentially reaching one billion euros, with the performance of the French team likely being a significant factor in the betting amounts.

With over 4 billion euros in online bets in 2023, football continues to dominate as the most bet-on sport in France, accounting for 52% of all wagers, followed by tennis and basketball.

Raising awareness to fight addiction

About 64% of sports bettors are between 18 and 34 years old, notes the ANJ, which launched an ambitious prevention campaign on the risks of sports betting addiction on June 13, the day before the Euro starts.

The ANJ’s campaign focuses on the legal notices in gambling advertisements, aiming to highlight the risks of sports betting addiction by replacing the usual legal jargon with real-life stories of addiction. The campaign also directs individuals to various tools for assessing their gambling habits and accessing advice and support services.

The iGaming industry is on the right track according to the ANJ

“Since the excesses of the Euro in 2021, gambling operators have become aware of their responsibilities in fighting excessive gambling and have adjusted their practices,” noted Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, president of the ANJ, in a press release. “This positive momentum must continue during the Euro and the Olympics, and the ANJ will be vigilant about the practices of each operator,” she cautioned.

In April 2024, the ANJ had already acknowledged “significant progress across the entire market in terms of preventing excessive gambling”, as well as an “improvement of protection standards for identifying and assisting excessive gamblers.” The report adds that “most operators have implemented more individualised support measures. Most exclude the highest-risk identified players from commercial incentives.”

Upcoming SiGMA event: The SiGMA East Europe Summit 2024 will be held in Budapest this September.