Their names are Raphaël, Inès or Yanis. They are 15, 16, sometimes 17 years old. And already, some of them are scratching tickets in the school playground or betting online on the result of a Ligue 1 match. Yet the law is clear: gambling is prohibited for minors.
But the figures are implacable: more than a third of young people aged 15 to 17 have already gambled, according to the latest study on the subject. And this is despite the rules that are supposed to prevent this drift. An article published in Les Echos on 1 July, signed by a group of public bodies and associations, sounds the alarm that gambling is becoming a norm, almost a tradition, from adolescence onwards.
Poisoned gifts: when adults give away games
The paradox is striking. 94% of French people regard gambling as a risky activity for children. Yet a quarter of them admit that they have already given scratch card games to minors.
This finding is disturbing. It highlights a double social discourse: on the one hand, an awareness of the danger; on the other, a trivialisation of everyday activities. Why such a discrepancy? Is it simple ignorance, or a collective blindness?
A flourishing industry, an overly permissive framework
The commercial success of gambling continues unabated. Both online and in physical outlets, the sector is thriving. Advertising campaigns extol the virtues of luck, adrenalin and the thrill of betting. And they often target young people, even indirectly.
The group of signatories is calling for greater restrictions on advertising, in particular by banning gambling-related spots before, during and after major sporting events. A similar measure already exists for other sensitive products such as alcohol.
An under-recognised public health issue
Excessive gambling can quickly become pathological. And in young people, the danger is amplified by brain plasticity, impulsivity and the quest for identity. The experts want to delay young people’s first encounter with gambling as long as possible, as is already the case with tobacco and alcohol.
The proposed measures include:
- Setting a limit on bets and losses for 18-25 year olds
- Stepping up checks at points of sale
- Raising awareness in amateur sport of the risks of exposure to gambling
- Mobilising Civic Service volunteers for prevention work in secondary schools
Towards a collective awakening?
This text, signed by the ANJ, the ARPEJ (Association de recherche et de prévention des excès du jeu), the Fédération Addiction, the Département de la Seine Saint-Denis, the Unaf (Union nationale des associations familiales), the Ligue de l’Enseignement and the Observatoire de la Parentalité, is not just a cry of alarm. It is also a call to action, and fast.
Gambling has become commonplace insidiously. But it could be in for a rude awakening. Drawing on the signs that are already visible, the authors call for a wake-up call. For, as they point out in their conclusion:
“Let’s not wait for a major, lethal public health problem before we change, in particular, the idealised representations associated with gambling. Let’s act together now!”
Is society an unwilling accomplice?
Why is it that this phenomenon, which is so worrying, remains so little discussed in the public arena? Perhaps because it is not making any noise. Not yet.
When gambling becomes an addiction, it silently destroys: isolation, debts, psychological problems. For young people, the consequences can be devastating and long-lasting. And the whole family, school and social environment is affected.
It’s time to rethink the way we think about gambling, which is often seen as harmless and even fun, when in fact it has an addictive potential comparable to that of many substances.
The article published in Les Echos is a call to action. It’s a call to regain control, to reinstate safeguards and to launch a national debate on the place our society accords to gambling and the protection of its children.
Because a scratchcard should never be the gateway to addiction.