The FIFA World Cup in Qatar kicks off on Sunday, and it also says who says popular world sporting event sport bets. And this year, according to the forecasts of the National Gaming Authority (ANJ), Internet betting will arrive at least 530 million euros, 70% more than in 2018, during the previous World Cup in Russia. The opportunity for the Seine-Saint-Denis department to launch a prevention campaign against sports betting, “for the population of course, but especially for young people,” assures Stéphane Troussel, socialist president of the department.
In fact, according to a study by Public Health France published in October, out of 100 sports bettors, around fifteen are likely to have a problematic practice. And according to a 2021 National Gaming Authority study, 69% of online gamblers are under the age of 35. But the Seine-Saint-Denis it was for years the youngest department in mainland France. “This World Cup in Qatar is one of all excesses, also in terms of sports betting, we are taking advantage of this recovery window to have good visibility for our campaign”.
“I like this adrenaline”
Karim, 20, met at the exit of a PMU bar in Pantin reassures him: the World Cup is the perfect opportunity to get back on track. “I have been playing for at least 3 or 4 years. Small sums eh and especially on football. The young man, who works on a fixed-term basis, admits that he has never calculated his earnings… and his losses. “I prefer not to know. Because surely that in total, I lost more. But I like this adrenaline, I discuss it with my socks, let’s compare our bets. In 2021 only 0.02% of players won at least 10,000 euros in the year thanks to sports bets.
Asked if a prevention campaign could have any effect on him, Karim hesitates: “I know I could spend my money elsewhere. But frankly I’m not addicted. It’s just to pass the time. “A pastime forbidden to minors and which carries a high risk of addiction. Also according to the 2021 ANJ study, more than a third of 15-17 year olds surveyed bet online. And if risky behavior and transgression are often obligatory passages of adolescence, we must be wary of them when we can no longer do without them.
The codes and the vocabulary of the little ones
At the departmental council of 93, we know the addiction risks of online betting and the striking power of these companies: “They use increasingly aggressive ads to seek out this audience, the youngest and ultimately the poorest among them, analyzes Stéphane Troussel. We have therefore thought it appropriate to take back their slogans by deflecting them because if the campaign had been smooth, without a hitch, we would never have heard of them.“ He also welcomes the echoes of this new campaign, with in particular a retweet from the mother of Kylian Mbappethe PSG player flatly refuses to appear in this type of advertisement.
Although Winamax was forced to withdraw its “Tout pour la daronne” ad earlier this year because, according to the ANJ, it was spreading “the message that sports betting can contribute to social success”, the punchline it makes noise, especially among young people from whom it borrowed codes and vocabulary. And it may also have conquered new audiences: the 2021 ANJ survey also found that in 2020, 34% of sports bettors were between 18 and 24 years old, compared to 25% in 2012. The line is therefore increasingly younger.
“With us it’s the law of the jungle”
The president of Seine-Saint-Denis wants to rely on this campaign to change the legislation. “Obviously we are taking advantage of the sporting event that is the World Cup, of the enthusiasm it will arouse, to shed light on this huge problem of betting addiction, particularly when we know that 65% of bets are made on football. ” Stéphane Troussel assures him, France can do much better in regulating advertising on this specific market: “When we look at Spain, Italy or the United Kingdom, for example, we realize that for ten years jungle. »
He hopes to alert MPs to decide on the British model of banning influencers, personalities and top athletes from participating in such campaigns. And put an end to “welcome offers, such as “win 100 euros, even before you start playing”, to attract new players. France must adopt legislation as it did a few years ago for tobacco and alcohol. An ambitious bet.
