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France’s illegal online gambling market has overtaken the regulated sector for the first time, according to new data from the Association française des jeux en ligne (AFJEL). The group estimates 5.4 million players now use unlicensed websites generating about €2 billion in gross gaming revenue (GGR) in 2025 — a 25% increase since 2023.
AFJEL’s latest study, based on PwC’s research for the French regulator, shows the black market growing 35% in players since 2023, compared with 3.5 million players in the legal market. “The illegal market has surpassed the regulated online gambling market in France,” AFJEL warned, calling it an “industrialized form of organized crime” amplified by widespread online advertising.
Rising Addiction and Consumer Risks
AFJEL reports that more than 3 million people in France are now affected by gambling addiction, and 62% of users on illegal sites show excessive or pathological behaviors — a level the group calls “unprecedented.” Awareness remains poor: 82% of users don’t know the sites they visit are illegal.
The most popular forms of illegal gambling are online casinos, sports betting, and e-sports betting. Despite the ban, online casino play continues to dominate the unlicensed market.
Meanwhile, France’s legal sector continues to expand modestly. According to the Autorité nationale des jeux (ANJ), regulated GGR grew 3.5% in H1 2025 to reach €5.7 billion, though that hasn’t slowed illegal competition.
Cybercrime, Advertising, and Lost Taxes
AFJEL’s report highlights deepening risks. Around 70% of illegal players report data theft, phishing, or financial fraud, while 90% say they were targeted by unsolicited ads.
The fiscal impact is also significant: an estimated €1.2 billion in annual tax losses and up to €4 billion in social costs linked to gambling addiction.
Industry Pushes for Reform
AFJEL president and Betclic CEO Nicolas Béraud has called for a review of France’s restrictive framework. “It is important that the public authorities control in the same way the other games of chance as online sports betting,” he told France Info.
He stressed that online casinos already exist in practice — just outside state oversight. “France is one of the few countries that has not regulated online casino games,” Béraud said.
“It’s not about creating something new; it’s about controlling what already exists.”
Regulator Responds with Caution
Pauline Hot, director of the ANJ, agrees reforms may be needed but warns against liberalization without strict safeguards. “If one day they were to be authorized, it would have to be within a very strict regulatory framework,” she told SiGMA News, citing the addictive design of casino games.
Hot has also raised concerns about the normalization of gambling, especially its close association with sports. She said the ANJ is exploring tighter advertising and sponsorship rules and potential player ID systems to strengthen youth protection.
With illegal gambling now outpacing the regulated market, France faces mounting pressure to act — whether through stricter enforcement, new rules, or long-delayed legalization.
Source: SiGMA News
