Addictions France condemns ‘intense’ 2026 World Cup betting push, urges tighter marketing rules | OneFootball

Addictions France said the 2026 World Cup brought an intense marketing push by betting firms, alongside a record 1.3 billion euros staked in France, and argued that tighter controls are needed.

The tournament ran from 11 June to 19 July. Operators heavily backed the event and had announced 150 million euros of marketing to recruit new customers and retain active bettors, after the association analysed campaigns by Betclic, Winamax and Parions Sport/Unibet, as well as often problematic influencer content.

The study logged an average of nine TV betting adverts per match and 671 posts on operators’ social media accounts.

Exposure was described as permanent and unavoidable, and, more alarming, often aimed at young people in working class suburbs. Between Seine-Saint-Denis and Paris, public transport carried roughly one advert every two minutes.

Betclic, sponsor of the France team and of World Cup coverage, set up red domes in six cities where people could back Les Bleus, exposing passers-by, including children, to a campaign linking betting with a France win.

No broadcaster aired prevention spots despite a 2022 code of conduct with Arcom. An offer to run the association’s own film on TF1, M6, France TV and BeINSports was not taken up.

The report highlights a permissive framework and limited enforcement at the Autorité nationale des jeux (ANJ), leaving the regulator struggling to curb aggressive promotions. It urged MPs and the government to schedule Green MP Emmanuel Duplessy’s bill, warning of rising problem gambling with consequences including debt, isolation and suicides.

Source: Le Progres

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