ANJ announces new RG campaign ahead of Euro 2024

ANJ, France’s National Gaming Authority, has launched a new prevention campaign to raise awareness of the risk of gambling-related harms ahead of Euro 2024.

The tournament kicks off in Germany later this month and according to the ANJ’s statistics, more than half of the French population plan to follow the competition.

Football remains the popular sport to bet on in the country, with 52% of all stakes going on the game, which totalled €4bn in online bets last year.

A third of those who have pledged to watch the tournament this summer are likely to place bets on fixtures, with 44% of that group under the age of 35.

The ANJ has forecast Euro 2024 could spark €1bn in stakes, though the progression of the France national team will play a part given they are the side that generate the most betting activity.

The last Euros, held in the summer of 2021 following a one-year delay due to the pandemic, generated €700m in stakes in France, which was surpassed by the 2022 World Cup that amassed €900m in the same metric.

Before the opening game of Euro 2024 on 14 June, the ANJ’s campaign is looking to highlight the risk of sports betting addiction by using real stories of addiction to emphasise that the typical legal disclaimers in betting adverts do not do enough to represent the impact of gambling addiction.

A yellow banner featuring copy that reads: “2 [sic] lines at the bottom of an ad will never be enough to tell the story of the spiral of addiction to sports betting” is one of the initiative’s leading images.

The banner also refers players to the Evalujeu website, which allows bettors to assess their typical playing practice and sends advice on how to ensure their habit remains healthy, rather than addictive.

Other key features of the ANJ’s campaign, designed by the Rosbeef! agency, include a digital display campaign, social ads on Snapchat, a digital audio radio spot, an event publication in French football outlet So Foot and video clips with player testimonials.

The ANJ has pointed to research from 2019, which claimed there were 1.4 million people in France at-risk, with almost 400,000 people suffering from gambling-related harm at a “pathological level”.

It is set to be a busy summer of sport in France, with the Euros not the only event taking place in the coming weeks. Two weeks after the tournament ends, the Olympics will get underway in Paris on 26 July.

Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, ANJ president, shed light on the thinking behind the advertising campaign. “Since the excesses of the Euros in 2021, gambling operators have become aware of their responsibilities in the fight against excessive gambling and have adjusted their practices,” she explained. “This positive dynamic must continue during the Euros and the Olympic Games and the ANJ will be vigilant on the actual practices of each.

“In addition to the campaigns carried out by public authorities, the ANJ wishes to make an impact with its campaign which aims to make people understand that legal notices on advertisements are not only a legal obligation but that they contain stories of players’ lives and testimonials on the risks linked to excessive gambling such as those we receive every day at the ANJ.”

As part of the ANJ’s 2024-2026 strategic campaign, the regulator has made clear it aims to drastically reduce the number of problem gamblers within three years.

In the same week as the ANJ launched its campaign, the Swedish Gambling Authority (SGA) debuted its “With your future as a bet” initiative on 3 June.

The scheme is aimed at those aged between 18 and 25 to shine a light on the consequences of gambling.

The SGA has worked with both the Public Health Agency of Sweden and the Swedish Crown Prosecutor as part of the campaign and will make sure its visible on digital platforms used by young people.

Yvonne Hejdenberg, head of communications for the SGA, explained: “Many come into contact with some form of gambling for money via computer games and apps. Through the campaign, we try to talk about the consequences of unhealthy gambling in an emotional way.

“We believe that the campaign will also be able to speak to adults, especially parents or relatives of children in the target group.”