Online poker, sports betting, scratch games… While gambling and games of chance are prohibited for minors, the share of young problem gamblers is on the rise, warns the National Gaming Authority (ANJ). 12% of 15-17 year olds are currently affected.
Online games and games of chance prohibited by law to minors
Online games, sports or horse betting, commercial games of chance (Lotto, scratch games, etc.), casino (roulette, blackjack, etc.) and Poker are strictly prohibited for minors. According to the law, the prohibition applies even if the minor is emancipated or accompanied by a parent. Moreover, even if he does not play, a minor cannot access the entrance to a casino. Despite the law and the ban on the sale of gambling and games of chance (JAH) to minors, in points of sale as well as on the Internet, the practice exists. Indeed, according to a study conducted by the Society for Mutual Aid and Psychological Action (SEDAP) and the National Gaming Authority (ANJ), among 5,000 young people aged 15 to 17, 34.8% of young people surveyed were players in 2021. In addition, “the share of young problem gamblers has risen sharply since the last study in 2014 and now concerns 12.1% of young French people aged 15 to 17“, warns the ANJ in a press release dated February 17, 2022.
For the young, these prohibitions do not represent a brake on their desire to play. 88.7% of them have no trouble going through a place of physical distribution, while online games are more and more widespread in France. Indeed, “more than half say it is very or fairly easy for them to play scratch cards (53.1%), a quarter of them participate in raffles (24.0%) and one in five to bet on sports bets (20.0%) at a tobacconist. Concerning online gambling, sports bets are those whose accessibility seems the easiest to them (25.2%)“, says the study.
At what age do teenagers start gambling?
More than a third of young people aged 15 to 17 (34.8%) surveyed said they had played gambling at least once during the 12 months preceding the study. Although there are more boys than girls, this practice is nevertheless widespread in all socio-cultural backgrounds. And on average, teenagers started playing these gambling games at 13 years and 3 months.
Gambling and gambling: what do minors play?
- scratch games : they are practiced by 78.4% of young people, who often start with this type of game, also favored by girls.
- Draw games: 48.4% of teenagers tried their luck
- Sport bets : 28.3% of young people bet on their favorite players or teams… With a predilection for boys;
- Bets on e-Sports competitions: 21.5% have made this type of bet, knowing that this practice is prohibited in France.
- The other games played are: horse betting (17.7%), poker (17.1%), and illegal games in France such as slot machines (17.7%) or other casino games (16 .6%) and financial bets (15.9%).
- 60.1% play several games.
- One out of two teenagers (50.1%) uses the Internet to gamble.
Parents often facilitate access to gambling for their children
To play games of chance and money, teenagers use their own pocket money. Sometimes parents even play with their children: 45.7% play with their mother and 35.7% with their father, in front of friends. A quarter of young people (23.6%) say they even access online games using their parents’ account, with their consent. Finally, “Although 68.5% of teens say their parents are aware of the risks associated with gambling, some of these adults seem to have an ambiguous position insofar as they actively intervene in the purchase and practice of YAH of their minor children” notes the study. Furthermore, advertising messages for gambling in the media, points of sale or on social networks seem to encourage nearly a third of players. In conclusion, “the survey demonstrates that the risky behaviors of young people do not concern draw or scratch players, but rather are based on a diversified practice that concerns legal and illegal online games”.
What solutions to protect minors from online games?
For Emmanuel Benoit, Director General of SEDAP, there is an urgent need to “develop psychoeducational prevention strategies based on proven and validated programs. The emotional fragility of adolescence constitutes favorable ground for the establishment of vulnerability, thus the protection of minors must be a priority”. In fact, the sooner young people are attracted to gambling, the more the risk of addiction increases in adulthood. “The ANJ is determined to mobilize all its tools to fight vigorously against these practices, including through sanctions. All the actors concerned must also be mobilized, parents, operators, social networks and public authorities” recommends the ANJ.