The new agreement was signed on Wednesday (18 September) by ANJ president Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin and UNAF president Marie-André Blanc. The partnership will particularly look to strengthen cooperation between the pair over the prevention of excessive and underage gambling.

ANJ and UNAF first entered into a partnership in 2020, after 2019 data from the Gaming Observatory estimated the number of players at risk of gambling addiction in France was around 1.4 million, with 400,000 of those vulnerable at a pathological level.

A reduction in excessive players and increased protection for minors are now the ANJ key focuses, it said. Both missions have been prioritised in the regulator’s two-year strategy plan, released in January of this year.

UNAF represents the 18.5 million families living in France and is active on the topic of gambling, particularly in how it relates to minors.

How will the new ANJ and UNAF partnership be different?

The renewed partnership will see more of a focus placed on developing tools for professionals who support vulnerable groups.

It will involve studies and the publication of materials to raise awareness on gambling, as well as training programmes for professionals and volunteers.

Additionally, the agreement will look to enhance tools for families in preventing underage betting, as well as limiting gambling addictions and harms.

Throughout H2 2024, ANJ and UNAF will work together to design materials aiming to raise awareness of the problems relating to underage and excessive gambling.

Concerns over the illegal market in France

An additional concern within underage and excessive gambling is the rise of the black market in France.

In July the French online gaming association (AFJEL) warned black market players totalled four million in 2023, outpacing the regulated sector’s 3.6 million.

The AFJEL claimed this was the first time the illegal market outperformed licensed offerings across a whole year since online gambling was legalised in 2010.

“This development, contrary to European trends and the digitalisation of the sector, confirms the massive diversion of players from the legal offer to the illegal market, the impact and danger of which cannot be precisely assessed at this stage,” AFJEL explained.