Sports Betting and danger of addiction: ANJ launches campaign for European football Championship
With the European Football Championship around the corner, the Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) is launching an important campaign to make gamblers aware of the risks of addiction to sports betting. The campaign, created by agency Rosbeef!, aims to bring to life the often ignored legal notices on gambling advertisements by showing the reality of addiction.
Gambling in France: A popular activity
Sports betting is a popular activity in France, with more than €4 billion wagered online by 2023. Football is the most popular sport to bet on, with 52% of total stakes. The Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup generated €700 million and €900 million in stakes respectively. It is expected that the stake during the 2024 European Championship will approach €1 billion, depending mainly on the performance of the French team.
Gambling during the 2024 European championship
More than half of French people, 55%, say they plan to follow the European Football Championship. Of those who will follow the European Championship, more than half (35%) plan to make friendly bets with family and friends. Also, 44% of people under 35 plan to bet money on the competitions. The French team’s matches are the most bet-on matches.
Addiction risks
82% of French people are aware of the risks of addiction and gambling addiction, especially among those who plan to bet during the European Championship. This awareness has increased by 9% compared to 2022. In 2019, the Observatoire des Jeux estimated the number of players with risky gambling behavior at 1.4 million, of which almost 400,000 were pathological players. Sports betting poses the greatest individual risk of problematic gambling. The percentage of excessive players is 6 times higher than in lotteries 5.9% for sports betting.
The ANJ’s “Derrière les mentions” campaign
In its strategic plan 2024/2026, the ANJ has set it as a priority goal to drastically reduce the share of excessive players within three years. The “Derrière les mentions” campaign aims to:
- Draw attention to the legal notices on gambling advertisements.
- Showing the reality of sports betting addiction through real stories.
- Inform people about the help and support available.
The campaign includes:
- A digital billboard campaign offered by JCDecaux and Metrobus.
- Social media ads on Snapchat.
- A radio spot on digital audio.
- A publication in SO FOOT.
- Video clips with player testimonials.
- The Evalujeu website
The Evalu Jeu website offers the opportunity to evaluate your gambling behavior, provides personalized advice to stay in control and provides all useful information about the support structures available for players and their loved ones.