France’s ANJ Links Niche Football Leagues to Excessive Betting
France.- 15 October 2026 | www.zonadeazar.com France’s gambling regulator, the Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), has published an analysis of online sports betting behaviour revealing a high concentration of wagers from players classified as excessive in less prominent football competitions and certain betting markets.
According to the study, more than 80% of stakes placed on the Brazilian, Saudi Arabian, Japanese and Australian football leagues came from players identified as excessive or manifestly excessive.
The report, published on 12 October 2026, also highlights continued growth in France’s sports betting market, where total stakes reached €11.52 billion in 2025, representing a 12% year-on-year increase.
French Sports Betting Market Grows 12%
Online sports betting maintained positive momentum during 2025, despite the absence of a major international tournament comparable to Euro 2024.
The principal market indicators were:
- Total stakes: €11.52 billion, up 12%.
- Gross gaming revenue (GGR): €1.77 billion, up 10.4%.
- Active player accounts: 5.27 million, increasing 7.9%.
- Unique players: 3.65 million, up 8.6%.
- Average annual stakes per player: €3,159.
The ANJ noted that average annual betting expenditure had increased from €2,512 in 2020, potentially indicating more intensive gambling activity.
Football Accounts for 54.9% of Stakes
Football remained France’s leading betting sport, generating €6.32 billion in stakes during 2025.
This represented 54.9% of total sports betting activity and a 10.2% annual increase.
The Champions League became the most heavily bet football competition, attracting €829 million, up 48.6%.
The tournament’s expanded format increased the number of matches from 137 to 189, accounting for approximately three-quarters of its betting growth.
Meanwhile, the Club World Cup generated €248 million in stakes.
Tennis Maintains Strong Growth
Tennis consolidated its position as the second-largest sport in France’s online betting market.
During 2025, it recorded:
- €2.65 billion in stakes.
- 16% year-on-year growth.
- 23% market share.
- €353 million in gross gaming revenue.
Grand Slam main draws accounted for 26.6% of tennis betting, while ATP Masters 1000 tournaments represented 16.6%.
Notably, women’s competitions generated approximately 40% of tennis stakes, compared with just 2% in football.
The most heavily bet tennis match was the Roland-Garros final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, which attracted €14 million in wagers.
Secondary Football Competitions Generate €2.3 Billion
The ANJ identified 93 secondary football competitions, defined as tournaments individually accounting for less than 2% of football betting stakes.
Together, these leagues generated approximately €2.3 billion, representing 37% of all football wagers.
In-play betting accounted for 48% of stakes on these competitions, compared with 34% across major tournaments.
For European second divisions and less prominent leagues, the proportion of live betting ranged from 50% to 58%.
The regulator highlighted that the geographical distribution of international competitions enables football betting activity around the clock.
More Than 80% Comes From Excessive Bettors
One of the report’s most significant findings concerns the characteristics of customers wagering on lesser-known football competitions.
The ANJ uses a detection algorithm to classify bettors into four categories:
- Recreational.
- Moderate risk.
- Excessive.
- Manifestly excessive.
Analysis of football stakes during the first half of 2026 found that more than 80% of wagers on leagues in Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Australia came from excessive or manifestly excessive players.
By comparison, recreational players accounted for approximately 35% of betting stakes on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, rising to 50% when moderate-risk players were included.
ANJ Warns Against Misinterpreting the Findings
The regulator emphasised that these findings do not necessarily mean lesser-known football leagues have a greater inherent addictive potential.
The higher concentration of excessive bettors may instead reflect lower interest among recreational customers.
Furthermore, these competitions account for only a relatively small proportion of the total stakes placed by higher-risk bettors.
This distinction is important because the statistical relationship does not establish that the competitions themselves cause excessive gambling.
Period-of-Play Bets: 80% to 89%
The analysis also identified substantial differences between betting markets.
During the second quarter of 2026, between 80% and 89% of stakes on individual periods of play came from customers classified as excessive or manifestly excessive.
These markets include wagers on:
- A single half of a football match.
- A basketball quarter.
- A tennis set.
- An individual game within a match.
Recreational customers accounted for only 5% to 11% of stakes in these categories.
By contrast, outright bets on tournament winners attracted greater recreational participation, accounting for 33% of football stakes and 36% of tennis stakes.
Score and Player Performance Markets
The ANJ also identified a higher concentration of excessive bettors in certain football betting categories.
Its analysis found that these players accounted for:
- 69% to 70% of stakes on scores and individual player performance.
- 57% of stakes on match-winner markets.
These results suggest significant differences in customer profiles depending on the type of betting market.
The regulator believes this information could help inform future player protection and market supervision policies.
Return to Player Reaches 84.67%
The report also examines Return to Player (RTP), which measures the proportion of stakes returned to customers as winnings.
France applies an 85% annual RTP ceiling for each licensed operator.
During 2025, the market-wide RTP reached 84.67%, compared with 84.45% in 2024.
The ANJ identified significant monthly variations, including 94.5% in September and 74.2% in November.
The authority suggested that these fluctuations may reflect adjustments to betting odds as operators manage margins and comply with regulatory limits.
Player Protection and New Betting Markets
The study raises questions about the criteria used to expand the range of competitions and betting markets authorised in France.
Betting opportunities increase both when organisers add matches to existing tournaments and when the ANJ approves additional competitions or wagering formats.
According to the regulator, the introduction of niche competitions and period-specific betting products appears primarily to benefit players identified as excessive.
The ANJ believes these findings support integrating stronger player protection considerations into decisions concerning authorised betting markets.
However, the report does not introduce specific regulatory amendments or propose immediate bans on individual competitions or betting products.
Next Steps and Impact
The ANJ’s analysis highlights substantial differences in France’s sports betting growth depending on the competitions, markets and customer profiles involved.
Although total stakes reached €11.52 billion in 2025, data from the first half of 2026 reveals significant concentrations of excessive betting activity across certain international football leagues.
The high proportion of higher-risk bettors participating in period-specific markets also presents challenges for existing prevention measures.
The regulator’s next priority will be to use these findings to improve the assessment of authorised betting products and strengthen responsible gambling policies.
The research could become an important reference for future discussions concerning the relationship between product diversification, commercial growth and player protection.
Editó: @fonta
