France Study Highlights Rising Underage Gambling Participation, Calls for Stronger Prevention Measures

The ENJEU-Mineurs 2025 survey, carried out online in late summer among 5,000 adolescents aged 15 to 17, offers a detailed snapshot of youth gambling behavior despite the country’s strict prohibition on sales to minors. The findings reinforce the importance of coordinated action among regulators, parents and industry stakeholders to strengthen safeguards and responsible gambling frameworks.

Participation Growth Driven by Retail Lottery Products

According to the study, 42.6% of respondents reported having gambled at least once in the previous 12 months, up 7.8 percentage points from 2021. Participation remains higher among boys (45.5%) than girls (39.6%).

The increase is primarily linked to scratch cards and draw-based lottery games purchased at physical retail outlets. Scratch card participation rose to 34.3% (from 27.3% in 2021), while draw games climbed to 20% (from 16.9%). Sports betting also showed moderate growth, reaching 11.4% compared to 9.9% four years earlier.

Importantly for the regulated sector, online-only gambling saw a more moderate increase, from 3.9% to 5.5%, while mixed participation (retail and online) rose marginally from 13.5% to 14.9%. These figures indicate that land-based access points continue to play a central role in youth exposure, often via adult intermediaries.

For the first time, the survey also assessed adolescents’ perceptions of gambling. Nearly two-thirds (67.4%) expressed a negative view of gambling, describing it as “like a drug,” “dangerous for family life,” and too widely accessible. This sentiment was even stronger among girls (70.2%).

Frequency and Spending Trends Signal Need for Vigilance

The intensity of gambling activity among minors has also increased. Weekly participation rose from 8.9% in 2021 to 12.1% in 2025, while those playing one to three times per month increased to 14.2%.

Median spending per session climbed from €6 to €10. The proportion of respondents reporting higher expenditures also expanded significantly, with 17.2% spending between €15 and €20 per occasion and 19.7% exceeding €20.

Despite these upward trends, the proportion of minors classified as problematic gamblers showed a slight decline compared to 2021, according to the Canadian Problem Gambling Index methodology used in the study. Overall, 10.5% of respondents exhibited at-risk or excessive behaviors, including 5.4% identified as excessive gamblers. While still concerning, the stabilization suggests that awareness and preventive tools may be having a measurable impact.

Parental Mediation Emerges as Key Factor

One of the most significant findings relates to parental involvement. In 2025, 65% of minor gamblers reported accessing retail gambling products through their parents. Additionally, 36.9% used a parent’s online gambling account with permission, and 26.4% created personal accounts with parental assistance.

These findings highlight the critical role families play in either facilitating or preventing early exposure. Qualitative research conducted in parallel indicates that many parents perceive gambling as a recreational activity and may underestimate its risks for minors.

At the same time, 63.6% of adolescents reported having seen prevention messages in the previous three months, including nearly three-quarters of active gamblers—an encouraging sign of expanding public health communication efforts.

Advertising Exposure and Regulatory Focus

Exposure to gambling advertising remains high, with 78.8% of respondents reporting contact with promotional content. Among active gamblers, that figure rises to 85.1%. Traditional media remains the leading exposure channel (50.2%), followed by social media (43.8%) and retail points of sale (39.6%). Influencer content accounts for exposure among nearly three in ten young gamblers.

ARPEJ Director Emmanuel Benoit emphasized the importance of sustained monitoring and practical prevention tools:

“In a context of strong accessibility to gambling for adolescents, ENJEU-Mineurs 2025 underlines the importance of regularly measuring practices in order to continuously adapt prevention policies, particularly for the most vulnerable young people. Prevention cannot be limited to media messages; it must rely on concrete and proven tools to develop minors’ critical thinking and psychosocial skills.”

He also pointed to the nationwide rollout of ARPEJ’s OPERA prevention program as a positive development and called for stronger advertising regulation on social networks and during major sporting events.

ANJ President Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin echoed concerns while outlining regulatory priorities:

“This increase in underage gambling participation is worrying. It reflects a normalization of gambling when young people’s first encounter with these products should be delayed, not encouraged. The earlier gambling begins, the greater the risk of addiction. We therefore need determination from all stakeholders.”

She highlighted potential measures including stricter enforcement of retail age-verification, removal of provisional online player accounts, and tighter controls on advertising and sponsorship exposure.

A Framework for Stronger Protection

While the data confirms an upward trend in youth gambling participation, the ENJEU-Mineurs 2025 study also demonstrates the growing sophistication of France’s monitoring and prevention ecosystem. The collaboration between ARPEJ and ANJ, combined with enhanced public messaging and structured prevention programs, provides a foundation for targeted policy adjustments.

For international stakeholders, the French experience illustrates both the challenges of youth exposure in a diversified gambling market and the value of continuous data-driven regulation.