France Flags High-Risk Players’ Heavy Use of Niche Sports Betting
France.- 13 October 2026 | www.zonadeazar.com France’s gambling regulator, Autorité Nationale des Jeux, ANJ, has identified a strong concentration of excessive and manifestly excessive players across certain niche sports competitions and live-betting markets.
The findings form part of a new analysis of online sports betting growth in France during 2025 and player behaviour subsequently observed during 2026.
€11.52 Billion in Sports Betting Stakes
Online sports betting generated €11.517 billion in stakes during 2025, representing 12% year-on-year growth.
GGR increased by 10.4% to €1.766 billion.
The expansion came despite a sporting calendar with fewer major international events than in 2024.
Player and Account Growth
The number of active accounts increased by 7.9% to 5.27 million.
Unique bettors rose 8.6% to approximately 3.65 million.
Average annual betting activity per customer also increased substantially compared with previous years.
ANJ Risk Algorithm
ANJ uses its own player-risk detection algorithm to classify bettors into four categories:
- Recreational.
- Moderate risk.
- Excessive.
- Manifestly excessive.
The tool allows the regulator to identify betting products disproportionately used by higher-risk customers.
More Than 80% on Certain Niche Leagues
Data from the first half of 2026 showed that more than 80% of stakes on certain competitions in Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Australia came from players classified as excessive or manifestly excessive.
These competitions generally attract comparatively little recreational betting activity in France.
Partial-Outcome Markets Raise Concerns
The pattern was even clearer across certain bet types.
Between 80% and 89% of stakes on partial-period outcomes were placed by players in the two highest-risk categories.
These markets include:
- Half-time results.
- Quarter results.
- Set results.
- Tennis game outcomes.
Greater Exposure to Live Betting
Many of these products are particularly suited to in-play wagering.
ANJ found that the proportion of live stakes increases as competitions become less prominent.
Live betting accounts for around 26% of Champions League stakes but can exceed 50% across secondary competitions and less prominent leagues.
Near 24-Hour Betting Window
The regulator also noted that the global football calendar effectively creates an almost continuous betting window.
South American leagues fill much of the French night-time schedule, while Asian and Oceanian competitions provide live betting opportunities during morning hours.
ANJ Urges Caution Over Interpretation
The regulator stressed that the concentration of higher-risk players does not necessarily mean those competitions or markets are inherently more addictive.
One possible explanation is simply that niche markets contain far fewer casual bettors.
Potential Regulatory Consequences
Nevertheless, ANJ believes the findings could support incorporating player-protection criteria into decisions over which betting products are authorised.
This could influence future rules covering competitions, bet types or markets available to licensed operators.
Football Remains Dominant
Football represented 54.9% of total sports betting stakes in 2025, generating approximately €6.32 billion.
It accounted for almost half of the overall increase in betting volume and roughly two-thirds of sports betting GGR growth.
Tennis Continues Strong Growth
Tennis represented around 23% of all stakes, generating €2.65 billion.
Betting volume increased 16% year-on-year, making tennis another major growth driver for the French market.
600,000 Higher-Risk Players
In a separate 2026 analysis, ANJ estimated that approximately 600,000 registered players have a high probability of excessive gambling behaviour.
That represents around 8.7% of account-based gamblers and has become a central concern within the regulator’s strategy.
Next Steps or Impact
The new analysis introduces a more granular approach to assessing risk within sports betting.
The regulatory debate is moving beyond overall betting volume and player numbers towards identifying the competitions and products disproportionately used by vulnerable customers.
ANJ may use these findings to strengthen player-protection measures and potentially reconsider which betting markets licensed operators are permitted to offer in France.
Editó: @fonta
