France’s gambling regulator is considering whether certain sports bets should be restricted after research found that excessive gamblers account for a particularly high share of wagering on some lower-profile competitions and short-duration markets.
The Autorité nationale des jeux published its findings as French sports betting continues to expand. Online stakes reached €11.5 billion in 2025, a 12% year-on-year increase, while operators’ gross gambling revenue rose 10.4% to €1.77 billion.
ANJ Examines Whether Specific Betting Markets Encourage Risky Behaviour
The regulator’s focus is moving beyond the total amount wagered to the types of competitions and bets available to consumers. Football represented nearly 55% of online stakes in 2025, while tennis accounted for 23%. The expanded Champions League schedule helped increase football betting, with the number of matches rising from 137 to 189 and stakes increasing by 48.6%.
Live betting was more common in less prominent competitions. In-play wagering represented 26% of Champions League betting and between 30% and 35% in major domestic leagues. The proportion rose to 48% in secondary competitions and as high as 58% in some lower-profile leagues.
The ANJ said excessive or manifestly excessive gamblers accounted for more than 80% of stakes on leagues in Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Australia during the first half of 2026. It cautioned that the data did not prove those leagues were inherently more addictive.
Short-Period Bets Attract High Proportion Of Higher-Risk Players
A similar pattern emerged in markets covering short periods of play, such as a football half, basketball quarter or tennis set. Depending on the sport, players in the two highest-risk categories accounted for between 80% and 89% of stakes on these markets.
“This finding could, in time, make the case for integrating player protection into the regulation of authorised betting options,” the ANJ said.
France maintains a list of permitted competitions and bet types, which was overhauled in 2024 to improve clarity and reduce the risk of match manipulation. Adding gambling-harm indicators to those decisions would be a major change, although the regulator has not announced a new restriction.
Young Bettors Face Possible Loss Limits From January 2027
The ANJ’s concerns also extend to younger adults. A survey conducted before the 2026 World Cup found that 37% of regular bettors felt they were losing control, rising to 67% among respondents under 25.
Legislation enacted on 3 August will give the regulator powers from January 2027 to impose loss limits on gamblers aged 18 to 25 for periods of up to one year. Young adults will also face a minimum two-week waiting period before increasing their limits.
“Even if gambling is authorised and regulated, it should not become a product of everyday consumption,” ANJ director general Pauline Hot warned.
Industry Calls For Stronger Action Against Illegal Gambling Platforms
The French Online Gambling Association has urged authorities to prioritise enforcement against unregulated gambling websites.
“The priority must now be clear: to concentrate public authorities’ efforts on combating the illegal market, in order to effectively protect players and preserve a regulated model that finances sport, the media and public finances,” the association said.
France allows online sports betting, horse-race betting and poker, but continues to prohibit online casino games. The ANJ can determine which competitions and markets licensed operators offer, while further changes to gambling legislation would require parliamentary action.
France is moving towards a more targeted form of player protection, where regulators assess not only how much people gamble but also which products attract the highest-risk behaviour. This approach could improve intervention, but it will require careful interpretation of the data so unpopular competitions are not treated as inherently harmful.
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