A fresh study by France’s National Gaming Authority (ANJ) suggests that gambling participation has increased among teenagers since 2021. According to the report, more than four in 10 young people aged 15 to 17 have gambled in 2025.
The ENJEU-Mineurs survey, conducted by the Association for Research and Prevention of Gambling Excesses, found that 42.6% of respondents had participated in gambling during the previous 12 months. This represented an increase of 7.8 percentage points from 34.8% in 2021.
It polled 5,000 individuals between the ages of 15 and 17 at the end of summer 2025. Gambling sales to minors are prohibited in France, but the findings highlight continued access to gambling products, particularly through family members.
Scratch Cards Remain the Most Popular Product
According to the research, scratch cards were the most common gambling product among minors, as 34.3% of respondents admitted participation, up from 27.3% in 2021. Lottery games also increased in popularity, rising from 16.9% to 20%.
Sports betting engagement rose from 9.9% to 11.4% over the same period. The increase can be mainly attributed to teenagers who played scratch cards exclusively, which parents had predominantly purchased at physical retail outlets.
Meanwhile, participation in online casino activity rose more moderately, from 3.9% in 2021 to 5.5% in 2025. But the ratio of young people combining land-based and online gambling increased from 13.5% to 14.9%.
Boys were more likely than girls to report gambling, at 45.5% and 39.6%, respectively. However, the survey also found that 67.4% of teenagers held negative attitudes towards gambling, including concerns about addiction, family life and the number of opportunities to gamble.
Gambling Frequency and Spending Increase
The study also identified an increase in gambling frequency and spending among young people.
The proportion of teenagers gambling weekly rose from 8.9% in 2021 to 12.1% in 2025. Meanwhile, the share gambling between one and three times a month increased from 10.8% to 14.2%.
Median spending per gambling occasion increased from €6 to €10 over the four years. Higher spending levels also became more common, with 17.2% of young gamblers reporting spending between €15 and €20 per session, compared with 12.5% in 2021.
Parents Play a Central Role in Access to Gambling
According to the survey, 65% of young gamblers accessed gambling products at physical retail outlets through their parents. Additionally, 36.9% played using their parents' online gambling accounts with their permission, while 26.4% created personal accounts with parental assistance.
Overall, around one-third of young gamblers accessed gambling directly, while just under two-thirds accessed it through people around them.
The study also found that minors participated in online activities prohibited in France, including online slots and betting on esports competitions. These activities were often conducted through parents' online accounts, with or without their permission.
The researchers pointed to a separate qualitative study suggesting that many parents view gambling as a recreational activity and underestimate its potential effects on minors. An exception was parents who themselves experienced problem gambling.
Advertising Exposure Remains Widespread
Despite a decline in advertising exposure compared with previous findings, gambling marketing remained widespread among French teenagers.
Some 78.8% of respondents said they had encountered gambling advertising. The figure increased to 85.1% among young gamblers, compared with 74.2% among those who did not gamble.
Traditional media was the most frequently reported advertising channel among exposed young gamblers, cited by 50.2%. Social media followed at 43.8%, while 39.6% reported exposure at physical retail outlets. Influencer content was another significant source, reaching three in 10 young gamblers.
Meanwhile, 63.6% of all respondents said they had seen gambling prevention messages during the previous three months. The proportion was nearly three-quarters among young gamblers.
Study Highlights Risks of Problem Gambling
The survey used the Canadian Problem Gambling Index to assess gambling-related risks among teenagers. It found that 10.5% of all respondents reported problematic gambling behaviour, including 5.4% who reported excessive gambling.
The proportion of young people classified as problem gamblers may have declined slightly since 2021, but the researchers note the findings were still alarming. Boys were more likely than girls to report problematic gambling.
Young gamblers also reported increasing harms, particularly stress, disruptions to daily routines and mood changes.
Emmanuel Benoit, director of ARPEJ, said the findings underlined the importance of regularly monitoring gambling participation among minors and adapting prevention policies to protect vulnerable young people.
He called for stronger advertising restrictions on social media and around major sporting events, alongside practical prevention tools and greater parental involvement.
ANJ Concerned about the New Data
ANJ president Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin also expressed concern about the increase in underage gambling, warning that early exposure could raise the risk of addiction.
She called for stronger enforcement of the prohibition on gambling sales to minors at retail outlets, restrictions on young players' gambling journeys, the removal of provisional online player accounts and tighter controls on gambling advertising and sponsorship.
Overall, the findings underline the continuing challenge of preventing underage gambling in France, particularly when access is facilitated by parents, and exposure to gambling marketing remains widespread.
