France’s gambling regulator has intensified pressure on licensed operators after unveiling a new algorithm capable of identifying players showing signs of problematic gambling behaviour.
The tool, developed by the Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), analysed data from the second half of 2025 and identified around 600,000 online gamblers considered highly likely to be at risk. According to the regulator, roughly half of that group, around 300,000 players, displayed such strong indicators of gambling harm that operators should already have detected them.
The figure is far higher than existing estimates of problem gambling in France, which currently stand at around 89,000 people. ANJ acknowledged the gap but did not provide a direct explanation for the discrepancy. The regulator stated that growth in the gambling market since 2023 partly contributed to the rise, though the increase in at-risk players was occurring faster than overall player growth.
ANJ said the 600,000 flagged accounts represent nearly 9% of all registered online gambling customers in France. Those players were also responsible for approximately €1.2bn in gross gaming revenue, equal to around 60% of the country’s total online gambling GGR.
The regulator now expects operators to integrate the algorithm into their responsible gambling systems as part of their compliance obligations. The technology will allow ANJ to compare the number of problematic gamblers detected internally by operators against the number identified through the regulator’s own monitoring system.
French operators are likely to face increased scrutiny as a result, particularly because the new framework could expose a much larger share of revenue generated from vulnerable customers than previously reported.
ANJ President Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin described the launch as a major milestone for the regulator, saying the system reflects real gambling behaviour and provides an objective way to identify excessive gambling patterns.
The algorithm was developed using operator data collected since 2024. It evaluates players through 23 separate indicators linked to financial transactions, betting frequency, gaming behaviour and player history. Users are then placed into categories ranging from recreational gamblers to severe problem gamblers.
ANJ said the model was tested against the Canadian Problem Gambling Index and reviewed by a scientific committee made up of specialist researchers.
The regulator also wants similar monitoring systems introduced across the retail betting operations of FDJ United and PMU, a move it has reportedly been pushing for since 2020.
The initiative could influence wider European regulation, with similar responsible gambling projects already under development in Spain and the Netherlands.