(AsiaGameHub) –   France has introduced a new tool for detecting problem gambling, and initial results indicate a much broader group at risk than what operators currently report.

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Key Points

• The ANJ identified approximately 600,000 players with a high likelihood of excessive gambling.
• About 300,000 were classified as manifestly excessive gamblers.
• These flagged players generated around €1.2 billion in online gambling GGR.

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The French National Gaming Authority (ANJ) has developed an algorithm designed to detect risky online and in-play betting behavior at the account level. The model was built using real-time data from operators and incorporates 23 indicators derived from gambling harm research, such as payment patterns, gambling intensity, player history, and the use of self-exclusion tools.

France Regulator Sets A Higher Bar For Player Risk Detection

ANJ categorizes players into four groups: recreational, moderate risk, excessive, and manifestly excessive. The tool’s performance was evaluated against the Canadian Problem Gambling Index, and its methodology was reviewed by an independent scientific committee.

Early findings are based on data from the second half of 2025. The algorithm identified roughly 600,000 high-probability excessive gamblers—equivalent to 8.7% of the total population engaged in regulated online and in-play wagering under ANJ oversight. This includes all licensed online operators, as well as the two major account-based operators: La Française des Jeux (FDJ) and Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU).

Half of this flagged group—about 300,000 individuals—were placed in the manifestly excessive category. ANJ expects operators to prioritize intervention for these accounts.

The financial impact is significant: players identified by the algorithm are estimated to have generated €1.2 billion in gross gaming revenue (GGR), accounting for roughly 60% of total online gambling GGR. ANJ notes that this share has increased since 2023.

In contrast, operator reporting remains far below these figures. Licensed companies reported identifying only 31,000 excessive gamblers in 2024 and 89,000 in 2025. While ANJ acknowledges progress, it emphasizes that the gap between algorithmic estimates and both operator reports and population surveys remains substantial.

According to the French Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, about 1.17 million people exhibited problematic gambling behaviors in 2024, of whom around 360,000 were classified as excessive players.

ANJ will make the algorithm available to operators on an optional basis. The regulator intends it to serve as a compliance benchmark, allowing companies to compare their internal detection systems against an independent standard. ANJ also plans to continue cross-checking operator reports with its own data.

Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, president of ANJ, described the tool as “a decisive step for the regulator.”

She stated that ANJ expects operators to begin targeting the 300,000 manifestly excessive players first, followed by expanded efforts across the broader at-risk group.

The initiative forms part of ANJ’s strategy from 2024 to 2026, which aims to reduce excessive gambling by 2027. ANJ also seeks to strengthen detection capabilities in retail gambling, particularly within FDJ and PMU operations.

ANJ clarified that the algorithm does not replace epidemiological studies or provide an exact national prevalence rate. Instead, it offers a practical benchmark for regulatory oversight, trend monitoring, and accountability in improving player protection measures.