French regulator raises red flags over “concerning” results from first-of-its-kind European gambling risk algorithm

(AsiaGameHub) –   Players classified as high-risk accounted for 60% of operators’ gross gaming revenue (GGR).

France.- The Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) has launched a new algorithm designed to assess problem gambling in France, and early results have sparked significant concern. According to the regulator, high-risk players contributed 60% of total operator gross gaming revenue (GGR).

The data revealed an increase in both the number of problem gamblers and their share of operator revenues. During the second half of 2025, the algorithm identified approximately 600,000 players with a high probability of engaging in excessive gambling. This group represented 8.7% of France’s online gambling user base across licensed operators.

Of these, around 300,000 were categorized as “manifestly excessive” gamblers—a classification the ANJ stated operators must urgently identify. These high-risk individuals generated roughly €1.2 billion in GGR, equivalent to 60% of all online gambling income. The regulator noted this percentage has been steadily rising since 2023.

A first in European gambling regulation

While comparable initiatives are underway in Spain and the Netherlands, the ANJ asserts its new algorithm is the first operational system of its kind in Europe. Built using continuous player account data from licensed operators and scientific research, the model incorporates 23 indicators related to financial activity, betting frequency, use of self-limitation tools, and historical behavior.

Based on these metrics, gamblers are segmented into four groups: Recreational players, Moderate-risk players, Excessive players, and Manifestly excessive players.

Operators may voluntarily implement the algorithm alongside their own monitoring frameworks. The tool’s accuracy was tested against the Canadian Problem Gambling Index, with validation conducted by a scientific committee comprising leading researchers.

The French gambling authority described the findings as “concerning” and concluded that current efforts by operators to detect and assist excessive gamblers remain inadequate. It expects swift improvements in identification, especially for the 300,000 players labeled manifestly excessive.

Recent measures include an updated national self-exclusion register. Although operators have shown some progress—identifying 89,000 excessive gamblers in 2025 compared to 31,000 in 2024—the regulator emphasized this falls short of expectations relative to prevalence studies.

ANJ President Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin remarked: “The development of this algorithm and its availability to operators marks a decisive step for the regulator. It demonstrates our capacity to create an innovative and effective instrument tailored to reflect real-world online gambling practices.

“In addition to existing surveys, the algorithm enables a more objective evaluation of efforts to detect problem gamblers, which operators must continue without delay.”

Speaking about FDJ United and PMU, she added: “It is crucial that this detection also occurs at retail outlets, a goal we have been urging the two monopolies to pursue since 2024.”

The algorithm forms part of the ANJ’s 2024–2026 strategy, which prioritizes reducing excessive and pathological gambling. French law mandates operators to intervene with problematic gamblers via mechanisms such as bet limits, account monitoring, referrals to support services, and, if necessary, account suspension or closure.

The regulator has issued a warning ahead of the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, cautioning operators against launching aggressive promotional campaigns.