French Regulator Says High-risk Players Dominate Niche Betting Activity

The finding covers soccer leagues in Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Australia, plus bets on a single half or set. France's ANJ says it could one day shape which bets sportsbooks may offer.

French Regulator Says Excessive Gamblers Place Over 80% of Niche League Bets

Francis Gable

12/10/26 · 2 minOctober 12, 2026 · 2 min read

France's gambling regulator said on Oct. 12 that players it rates as "excessive gamblers" place more than 80% of the money bet on soccer leagues in Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Australia.

The Autorité nationale des jeux (ANJ) said the finding could eventually argue for building player protection into its rules on which bets are allowed.

That matters because the ANJ decides which competitions and bet types licensed French sportsbooks may offer. French bettors staked €11.5 billion (more than $12.9 billion) on sports online in 2025, up 12%, according to the regulator's note.

Obscure Leagues and Mid-Game Bets Draw the Riskiest Players

The ANJ checked soccer stakes from the first half of 2026 against its risk algorithm, which sorts players into four groups.

The more obscure the competition, the bigger the share staked by high-risk players. The 2026 World Cup drew the most casual money, with recreational players supplying about 35% of stakes.

Bet types showed the same split. In the second quarter of 2026, bets on a single period of play, such as a half, a quarter, a set or one tennis game, took 80% to 89% of their stakes from excessive players, depending on the sport. Recreational players supplied only 5% to 11%.

The regulator said the leagues are not more addictive in themselves. The numbers mostly show that casual bettors ignore them.

Regulator Eyes the List of What Can Be Bet

The ANJ's board sets the list of competitions and bet types open to wagering. The note says new markets on obscure leagues or single periods of play seem to benefit first the players whose gambling is judged excessive.

In May, the ANJ said its algorithm flagged 600,000 likely excessive gamblers, 8.7% of account holders. They generated €1.2 billion ($1.3 billion), or 60% of the money operators kept after paying winnings. Operators themselves had identified 89,000.

The ANJ has not proposed any rule changes yet. It plans to compare operators' counts of excessive players with its algorithm's in a 2027 review of their prevention plans.

Treat gambling as entertainment you pay for. 18+, and if it stops feeling like entertainment, help exists at BeGambleAware and GamCare.