Fédération Addiction, one of France’s largest addiction support networks, has published a 15-point plan to tighten sports betting regulation as the country’s gambling regulator forecasts World Cup wagering could reach €1.2 billion.
A 15-Point Plan Targets Marketing
The package calls for a ban on athletes, coaches and commentators promoting betting operators, a whistle-to-whistle advertising ban during live broadcasts, an end to gambling sponsorships in sport, and the removal of bonuses and incentives designed to drive additional wagering. The organisation also wants the government to pause further expansion of the sports betting sector until player protection, prevention and support services are strengthened.
Fédération Addiction says it is not seeking a ban on gambling. It wants sports betting regulated the way alcohol and tobacco are, with harm reduction taking priority over tax revenue.
“Betting operators deliberately blur the lines between passion for sport and the incentive to gamble,” wrote Benjamin Tubiana-Rey, Head of Advocacy and Communication at Fédération Addiction. “For many fans, betting now appears as a normal part of the sporting experience.”
The timing follows the 2022 World Cup, when French bettors staked close to €600 million during the tournament, more than half again the amount wagered during the 2018 edition. The Autorité Nationale des Jeux estimates total stakes during the 2026 tournament could reach approximately €1.2 billion, though the figure depends on how far France advances and is described by the regulator as a forecast rather than a confirmed total.
High-Risk Players Drive Industry Revenue
The case for tighter rules rests heavily on figures from France’s gambling regulator. An estimated 600,000 players are classified as highly likely to gamble excessively. That group, a minority of the overall player base, accounted for around 60% of gross gaming revenue.
France’s gambling sector generated €2 billion in gross gaming revenue in the second half of 2025 alone. Of that, roughly €1.2 billion came from players categorised as high risk.
Separately, data from the French Observatory of Drugs and Addictive Tendencies found that 15.3% of sports bettors show problematic gambling profiles. A Toluna-Harris Interactive study commissioned by the ANJ found 37% of regular bettors said they had already felt a loss of control over their betting, a figure that rose to 67% among bettors under 25.
Targeting Younger Bettors
Fédération Addiction argues that marketing increasingly targets young men, including those from economically disadvantaged communities, whom it identifies as a key growth segment for operators. The organisation cites survey data suggesting many teenagers have already been exposed to gambling products despite legal restrictions barring minors from participating.
“These marketing strategies are not neutral: they primarily target young men, particularly those from underprivileged neighborhoods, who now constitute the core target audience for the growth of sports betting,” Tubiana-Rey said.
Tax Pressure Already High, Enforcement Powers Sought
France already operates one of Europe’s most heavily taxed gambling markets. Online sports betting operators pay public levies equivalent to 59.3% of gross gaming revenue, while land-based sports betting is taxed at 42.1%. Fédération Addiction argues that taxation and player protection are separate policy levers, and that France has leaned on the former while underusing the latter.
The proposals would also expand regulatory enforcement powers, including stronger penalties for operators found to target vulnerable consumers or to market gambling as a path to financial gain. The organisation is calling for a coordinated government strategy spanning health, education and youth services rather than measures confined to the gambling sector alone.
“The consequences of problem gambling can be severe: debt, loss of control, psychological distress, suicidal risk, family, academic, or professional difficulties, and financial crime,” Tubiana-Rey said. “Faced with the continued rise in gambling and the increasing prevalence of problem gambling, we are now confronted with a genuine public health emergency.”
Despite the tax burden, operators continue to enter the French market. bet365’s recent launch in the country has reinforced the view among industry observers that France remains commercially attractive even under strict taxation and existing advertising controls.
Player Image Disputes Add to the Pressure
The advocacy push lands alongside a separate controversy involving the French national team. Players including Kylian Mbappé and Rayan Cherki reportedly sought intervention from the French Football Federation after training-camp images were used by betting operator Betclic without prior authorisation, according to French media reports.
Ahead of the tournament, the ANJ also launched its “Zone à risques” campaign, directing players and their families to the Evalujeu self-assessment platform and warning that the World Cup places France in what regulator chair Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin described as a heightened risk period.
If French lawmakers move on any part of Fédération Addiction’s package, it would bring France closer to the advertising restrictions already in place in Spain, which has introduced tobacco-style warning labels for online gambling, and the Netherlands, where the regulator has warned against gambling normalisation as social attitudes shift. The push for coordinated oversight also echoes recent moves by seven European gambling regulators that convened in Madrid to address cross-border oversight challenges.
Source: Fédération Addiction
