The Secretary of State for Youth, Sarah El Haïry, wrote on Friday to the president of the National Gaming Authority, Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin to ask her “to consider sanctions” against the platforms of sports betting that targets young people from working-class neighborhoods.
According to the information reported by BFMTV, the government wishes to tackle the advertisements of large platforms such as Winamax, Betclic, la Française des jeux and others, deemed too aggressive towards young people. A letter sent at the end of Euro football, where young people bet heavily. “Our youth is not a business”, underlined the Secretary of State.
Already last February, a Bondy Blog survey highlighted the “ravages” of betting in certain neighborhoods, in particular the “development of addictive behavior encouraged by targeted advertising and well-chosen partnerships”.
On Friday, in a letter made public by BFMTV, the Secretary of State is worried that several platforms “are indeed directly targeting young people via specific communication and advertising campaigns, and more particularly the most vulnerable young people and the most vulnerable. more disadvantaged ”.
Ads that suggest you can earn a living from gambling
“These advertisements promote the game by implying that it contributes to social success” and the platforms are based “on public figures suggesting that one can earn a living thanks to the game”, denounces Sarah El Haïri, who recalls that these practices are contrary to the rules set by a decree of November 2020.
She calls on the president of the National Gaming Authority, Isabelle Falque Pierrotin, to “take up this subject” and, “after investigation”, to “consider sanctions against platforms that contravene these principles ( warning, suspension of gaming operations, or even financial penalties if applicable) ”.
“Having a strategy that specifically targets young people from working-class neighborhoods means building a business plan based on the difficulties these young people encounter by giving them false hopes (…), it is weakening situations that are sometimes already precarious in the sole aim to make money. This is not acceptable, ”warns the Secretary of State for Youth.
Since January the number of bettors has increased by 29%
The number of sports bettors in the first quarter of 2021 increased by 29% compared to the same period last year, according to figures from the ANJ, for a total of 2.5 million active accounts.
In transport, on social networks or at half-time of matches… Sports betting advertisements have invaded the public space since the start of the Euro, followed by two other major events of the summer, the Tour de France, until July 18, and the Olympic Games (July 24-August 9).
Authorized for eleven years in France, online gambling is supervised by the National Gaming Authority (ANJ), which has only been able to regulate advertising since November 2020.
