Risk Zone: the ANJ’s prevention campaign  

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaching, the ANJ is launching a prevention campaign to highlight the risks of sports betting addiction. Dubbed “Risk Zone”, it transforms the yellow legal notice banner into a warning sign to remind people that excessive betting can turn the enjoyment of sport into a dangerous spiral.  

When the match fades into the background behind the bet  

What remains of football when the score only matters in terms of the money staked? This is the question posed by the new campaign from the French National Gaming Authority. A week before the kick-off of the 2026 World Cup, the French regulator has chosen to make a strong statement: to show what happens when betting takes centre stage, to the point of overshadowing the match itself.  

The campaign, devised by the agency Libre, is based on a simple and instantly recognisable visual concept. The yellow banner that accompanies gambling adverts, usually seen as just another mandatory disclaimer, becomes a barrier tape marking a boundary: the line we cross when gambling is no longer under control.  

The tagline sums up the message:   

“Excessive gambling means entering a high-risk zone.”   

A World Cup that has regulators concerned  

According to a Toluna–Harris Interactive online survey conducted between 19 and 21 May 2026 for the ANJ among 1,071 people representative of the French population aged 18 and over, 57% of French people say they intend to follow the Football World Cup.  

Among those planning to watch the tournament, many are considering placing friendly bets with friends and family. But the main issue lies elsewhere: 41% of those planning to follow the World Cup say they intend to place bets with a bookmaker. This figure is higher than that observed during the 2022 World Cup, representing a 5-point increase, and higher than that recorded during Euro 2024, representing a 6-point increase.  

Among those under 35, this intention to bet is even more pronounced: it stands at 54%. This data confirms a key point for the regulator: young adults are particularly exposed to sports betting, both in terms of their participation and their vulnerability to excessive behaviour.  

The trend is not limited to the number of potential bettors. More French people who plan to bet are also saying they will spend more money than in the past. This figure stands at 30% in 2026, compared with 19% in 2022. This increase is fuelling the ANJ’s concerns, given that the tournament is set to attract significant media, sporting and advertising attention. 

Football, the driving force behind betting in France  

Football already occupies a dominant position in the French sports betting market. In 2025, more than €6 billion was wagered online. Football alone accounts for 55% of all bets, ahead of tennis and basketball.  

The previous World Cup illustrates the scale of the phenomenon. The 2022 tournament generated over €900 million in bets, both online and at retail outlets. The France-Argentina final reached a record level, with nearly €54 million in online bets placed on that single match.  

For 2026, the ANJ estimates that a figure of around €1.2 billion could be reached. This projection takes into account market trends, the stakes observed during recent competitions and the tournament’s revamped format. The regulator stresses, however, that the French team’s performance will remain a key factor in the final level of wagers.  

Signs of loss of control already present  

Available data shows that risky behaviour already exists among a proportion of sports bettors. In 2023, the French Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Addictive Behaviours estimated that 15.3% of sports bettors were problem gamblers. 

Among the warning signs mentioned, the most common behaviour is gambling again to recoup a loss. This is followed by betting more money than one can afford to lose, or feeling guilty after gambling.  

The Toluna – Harris Interactive survey commissioned by the ANJ confirms that the risks are widely recognised by the public. The risks of addiction and dependency linked to sports betting are recognised by 83% of French people. This figure rises to 91% among those who plan to bet during the World Cup. It has also risen sharply compared to 2022, with an increase of 14 percentage points.  

But being aware of a risk is not always enough to avoid it. More than a third of French people who regularly bet say they have already felt they were losing control. Among those under 25, the figure rises to 67%, meaning two-thirds of young bettors are affected.  

Those close to them are not spared this reality. One in five French people say they know someone close to them who has already lost control with sports betting. Among the youngest, this situation is mentioned much more frequently: 48% say they know someone affected.  

A living room scene to reveal the invisible 

To bring its campaign to life, the ANJ has set up an original installation in the heart of a public space. Behind yellow barrier tape marking out the ‘risk zone’, a living room has been recreated in the city. Throughout the duration of a match, an actor re-enacted the behaviours typical of a gambler in trouble.  

The scene depicts a trajectory that may seem mundane at first, but which gradually becomes worrying. Losses mount up. The gambler wants to recoup his losses. Agitation sets in. Anger emerges. The match, though the focus of the evening, becomes secondary.  

Many passers-by stopped to watch the scene and chat with the teams present. The aim of this immersive installation was to highlight behaviours that are often downplayed, trivialised or overlooked. The campaign thus seeks to help everyone better recognise the warning signs associated with excessive sports betting.  

Evalujeu, a tool for taking stock  

The campaign’s messages direct people to Evalujeu, a website designed to help gamblers assess their behaviour. The aim is to help everyone assess their relationship with gambling and receive tailored advice to stay in control. 

Evalujeu also provides access to useful information on the support services and resources available to gamblers and their families and friends. Loss of control does not only affect the person who gambles. It can also cause concern for loved ones, lead to tension within families or among friends, and make external support necessary.  

“Several red flags”  

The chair of the ANJ, Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, sums up the regulator’s state of alert as the tournament approaches:  

“As the World Cup approaches, we are entering a high-risk zone with several red flags for the regulator: a greater number of matches and therefore more adverts and betting opportunities, and at the same time, we are seeing an upward trend in the number of problem gamblers and their contribution to operators’ turnover. The study conducted by Toluna-Harris confirms this concern by highlighting rising betting intentions, both in volume and value, as well as a very high level of vulnerability among young bettors. These are all reasons why the ANJ is speaking out to make a lasting impression with its campaign, which transforms the yellow banner of the legal notices into a zone of very real and visible dangers.” 

The 2026 FIFA World Cup promises to be a major event for sports fans, but also a sensitive period for the betting market. The ANJ anticipates potentially very high levels of betting. Against this backdrop, the ‘Risk Zone’ campaign aims to shift the focus. It is not just about figures, stakes or the market. It tells the story of what can happen to a person when betting becomes more important than the match, more important than the enjoyment, more important than the limit they thought they could stick to.