ANJ partners SportEasy for responsible sports betting

The French gambling regulator, Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), has announced a new partnership with the sports management platform SportEasy to launch an educational campaign that addresses the risks associated with sports betting. The initiative focuses on amateur sports clubs across France and is intended to promote responsible gambling practices, reduce the influence of betting on community-level athletics, and safeguard the integrity of sports at the grassroots level.

This campaign comes at a time when discussions about gambling-related harm, particularly in relation to sports, are becoming increasingly prominent in France and across Europe. By targeting amateur clubs, the initiative highlights the importance of preventative action before issues escalate into widespread problems affecting athletes, supporters, and local communities.

The objectives of the campaign

The central goal of the collaboration between ANJ and SportEasy is to encourage safe and responsible engagement with sports by limiting the exposure of amateur players and their networks to the risks linked with sports betting.

According to the announcement, 14 amateur clubs from across France will be chosen to act as ambassadors of prevention. These clubs, which remain unnamed at this stage, will carry out local awareness campaigns aimed at their members and communities.

Each participating club will receive resources to strengthen its prevention message. These resources include specially designed sports kits that bear educational messages about the risks of gambling. Furthermore, ANJ and SportEasy will provide each club with €450 in financial support to fund initiatives and daily activities, ensuring that prevention efforts are sustainable rather than symbolic.

Financial and material support for amateur clubs

A total of 196 awareness kits will be distributed under this scheme. These kits are more than simple sports equipment; they are designed to serve as visual reminders of the risks that accompany betting practices. By making prevention visible at training sessions, matches, and club events, the campaign aims to keep responsible gambling awareness integrated into everyday sporting activities.

Alongside the distribution of kits, ANJ has earmarked €6,300 to directly support the participating clubs. Though modest in scale, this financial commitment is notable because it reflects an official recognition of the role amateur sports can play in disseminating public awareness messages. Unlike professional clubs, which are often subject to commercial partnerships with betting operators, amateur clubs rely heavily on community engagement and volunteerism. The financial support provided ensures that prevention initiatives do not place an undue burden on clubs’ limited resources.

Why focus on amateur sports?

Amateur sports represent the foundation of France’s sporting ecosystem. Clubs at this level nurture the majority of young athletes, foster community engagement, and play a critical role in instilling values such as fair play, teamwork, and discipline.

However, amateur athletes and supporters are not immune to the risks associated with sports betting. With the rapid expansion of online betting platforms, access to gambling has never been easier, and even grassroots participants can find themselves exposed to potentially harmful behavior.

By focusing on amateur clubs, ANJ and SportEasy acknowledge that prevention must begin at the local level. Awareness among young athletes and amateur sports enthusiasts is vital to ensure that gambling remains a recreational activity rather than developing into a source of addiction or conflict within communities.

The role of ANJ

The Autorité Nationale des Jeux is France’s independent regulator for gambling. Since its creation in 2020, following the replacement of ARJEL (Autorité de Régulation des Jeux en Ligne), ANJ has been tasked with overseeing all forms of legal gambling in the country, including sports betting, online gaming, and lotteries.

ANJ’s mission extends beyond regulation and licensing to include the protection of players. Central to its mandate is the prevention of excessive or underage gambling, the promotion of responsible practices, and the fight against illegal gambling.

This new campaign reflects ANJ’s broader strategy of combining regulation with education. Rather than relying exclusively on enforcement, ANJ seeks to collaborate with partners like SportEasy to integrate prevention into everyday sporting environments.

The role of SportEasy

SportEasy, founded in 2012, is a French sports management platform that provides digital tools to amateur clubs and teams. The platform assists clubs in coordinating schedules, managing members, collecting fees, and improving communication between coaches, players, and parents.

In 2018, SportEasy received an official license from French authorities related to gambling-awareness initiatives. Its established role within amateur sports makes it a suitable partner for ANJ, as it already engages with thousands of clubs across the country.

By leveraging its digital infrastructure and existing relationships with clubs, SportEasy ensures that prevention messages reach a broad audience. The company’s involvement also allows ANJ to operate efficiently by using established communication networks rather than creating new structures from scratch.

Broader context of sports betting regulation in France

Sports betting has grown significantly in France over the last decade. According to official figures, betting turnover reached record highs in recent years, driven largely by online platforms and major sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship.

With this growth, however, concerns about gambling addiction, match-fixing, and the influence of betting on sports integrity have also intensified. Regulators and policymakers have been under pressure to balance the economic benefits of the betting industry with the social costs associated with problem gambling.

The French government has implemented several measures aimed at limiting harm, including advertising restrictions, self-exclusion systems, and mandatory responsible gambling messages in promotional material. The ANJ-SportEasy campaign can be seen as an extension of this wider policy framework, with a particular emphasis on prevention at the grassroots level.

How the campaign will be implemented

The 14 selected clubs will serve as pilot projects for the campaign. Each club will be expected to share prevention messages with members during training sessions, matches, and community events. The distribution of awareness kits will ensure that players, parents, and spectators are regularly reminded of the potential dangers of sports betting.

Additionally, the financial support of €450 per club is intended to encourage creative and practical initiatives. Clubs may use this funding to organize workshops, host educational seminars, or develop long-term prevention programs tailored to their specific communities.

SportEasy will coordinate the logistics of the campaign, ensuring that messages are consistent and widely disseminated. The platform may also use its digital communication tools, such as team management apps, to further spread awareness among players and supporters.

Preventing gambling harm through education

Experts in gambling regulation consistently emphasize the importance of education in preventing gambling-related harm. By targeting young athletes and amateur sports enthusiasts, the ANJ-SportEasy campaign aims to instill responsible attitudes toward betting before harmful habits develop.

Educational initiatives also have the potential to reduce stigma around gambling-related problems. By openly discussing the risks, amateur clubs can foster an environment where individuals feel comfortable seeking help if they experience difficulties.

This approach aligns with broader public health strategies in France, which prioritize prevention and early intervention as essential tools for addressing social challenges.

The potential long-term impact

While the campaign is currently limited to 14 clubs, its long-term significance lies in its potential scalability. If successful, the model could be expanded to hundreds of amateur clubs across the country. By embedding prevention in grassroots sports, the campaign has the potential to create lasting cultural change in how communities perceive sports betting.

Moreover, the initiative could serve as a reference for other European countries grappling with similar challenges. France’s approach demonstrates that prevention does not have to rely solely on regulation and can be meaningfully integrated into everyday sporting environments.

Conclusion

The partnership between ANJ and SportEasy represents a proactive step in France’s efforts to address the risks associated with sports betting. By focusing on amateur clubs, the campaign recognizes that prevention is most effective when it begins at the grassroots level.

Though modest in financial scale, the initiative combines visibility, education, and community engagement in a way that could have long-term benefits for both athletes and supporters. If the pilot proves successful, it may pave the way for a broader national strategy to promote responsible gambling practices across all levels of sport in France.

FAQs

What is the purpose of the ANJ and SportEasy campaign?
The campaign aims to raise awareness about the risks of sports betting and promote responsible gambling practices among amateur sports clubs in France.

Which clubs will participate in the campaign?
A total of 14 amateur clubs across France will be selected to act as prevention ambassadors and share awareness messages with their communities.

What kind of support will the clubs receive?
Each participating club will receive awareness kits and financial assistance of €450 to fund their initiatives and operational projects.

How much funding has been allocated overall?
ANJ has allocated €6,300 in financial support, in addition to 196 awareness kits, for the 14 participating amateur clubs.

Why focus on amateur sports instead of professional clubs?
Amateur sports are the foundation of France’s sporting ecosystem and provide an effective platform for prevention by directly engaging young athletes and communities.

What is the role of SportEasy in the campaign?
SportEasy will help coordinate the initiative by distributing resources, managing communication, and leveraging its platform to reach thousands of amateur clubs.

What authority does ANJ have over gambling in France?
ANJ is France’s national gambling regulator, responsible for overseeing legal gambling, ensuring player protection, and promoting responsible practices.

How does this campaign fit into broader gambling regulation in France?
The initiative complements existing regulations, such as advertising restrictions and self-exclusion systems, by embedding prevention into grassroots sports.

What are the long-term goals of the campaign?
The long-term goal is to create cultural change around sports betting, beginning at the amateur level and potentially expanding across the country.

Can this model be applied outside of France?
Yes, the initiative could serve as an example for other European countries seeking to balance the growth of sports betting with the need to prevent gambling-related harm.