France Seeks Stricter Sports Betting Controls and Youth Protection

The political debate over the future of gambling and its role in professional sports is heating up in France. As the country prepares for next year’s presidential elections, crucial decisions regarding regulation and financing are being made in parliament. At the heart of the matter is a professional sports bill aimed at modernizing oversight, ensuring financial stability for leagues, and significantly expanding protection for young consumers. The discussions in the Assemblée nationale prior to the summer recess highlighted the tension between strict player protection and economic necessities.

Young adults are a primary focus for the French gambling authority, Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ). The regulator is concerned about the level of exposure 18-to-25-year-olds have to gambling products. To address this, the current legislative proposal includes mandatory loss limits for this age group. Should this pass, France would become a pioneer in Europe. To date, only the Netherlands has legislated such a model for players under 24. These measures would also enable the ANJ to increase the number of game moderators and more strictly supervise the loss levels to which players are exposed.

Numbers and facts

Illegality remains a major challenge for the French market. According to the Association for the Protection of Sports Programmes (APPS), nearly 60 percent of France’s estimated 9.9 million football fans watch matches via illegal streaming platforms. This drains essential revenue from the regulated market and undermines youth protection efforts. The ANJ estimates there are approximately 1.2 million problem gamblers in France, with 360,000 classified as excessive gamblers. A 2021 study cited by the regulator indicated that 34.8 percent of surveyed minors had already engaged in gambling.

The economic importance of betting providers for sports remains undisputed. An amendment proposing a whistle-to-whistle ban on advertising and a ban on sponsoring sports clubs was rejected. Belkhir Belhaddad, rapporteur for the commission overseeing the bill, defended this decision in parliament.

“Whether you like them or not, sports betting companies are a genuinely useful source of funding for the sporting world at a time when money is hard to find.” - Belkhir Belhaddad, Rapporteur of the Assemblée nationale

Background

The financial situation of French professional football has been strained for years. Following the collapse of the Mediapro deal around 2020 and the uncertain market entry of DAZN in 2024, the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) had to act. In 2025, it launched Ligue 1+, its own direct-to-consumer service. In this volatile environment, sponsorship money from bookmakers is vital. Politically, however, the topic is divisive: while left-wing parties like La France Insoumise call gambling a tax on the poor, conservative and right-wing parties adopt a more pragmatic approach.

Additionally, the ANJ is taking firm action against new forms of gambling. Prediction markets like Polymarket were blocked in France. The authority argues that these platforms exhibit addictive characteristics amplified by the lack of protective mechanisms such as identity verification or spending limits. In 2019, problem gamblers were estimated to contribute a 38.3 percent share to the country’s gross gaming revenue (GGR), further increasing pressure on regulators.

Why it matters for German players

For German players, the development in France shows that the trend toward strict regulation is continuing across Europe. Anyone playing with a provider licensed by the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL) in Germany is already connected to the LUGAS central blocking system. A general monthly deposit limit of 1,000 euros applies here across all providers. The French plans for specific youth loss limits could also trigger debates in Germany, as the protection of players under 25 is also a high priority in the 2021 State Treaty on Gambling.

Currently, German customers do not need to worry about a sudden whistle-to-whistle advertising ban as long as they bet with legal providers on the whitelist. However, the French example illustrates how quickly political sentiment can shift. German players should ensure they only use platforms with a GGL license, as only these technically monitor the strict German limits for stakes (1 euro limit for slots) and losses. Illegal offerings, heavily promoted via prediction markets in France, offer no legal certainty in Germany.

What it means for GGL-licensed casinos

Licensed operators in Germany must closely monitor French developments. The call for stricter loss limits for young adults could serve as a model for future adjustments to German law. GGL-licensed casinos are already required to operate early detection systems for gambling addiction. The ANJ in France is now demanding measurable results from its operators regarding the identification of excessive gamblers. This underscores the need for German providers to continuously refine their algorithms for detecting conspicuous gaming behavior to stay ahead of potential regulatory tightening.