France moves towards gambling loss limits for under 25s
France has decided to move closer to gambling loss limits for players aged 18 to 25. The bill on the organisation, management, and financing of professional sport, adopted by the National Assembly (Assemblée nationale) on 29 June 2026, includes a provision that could have a direct impact on the online gambling and betting industry.
The measure would give the Autorité nationale des jeux (ANJ), the public regulator for France’s gambling and betting sector, the power to limit not only deposits and stakes, but also the amount of losses to which this group of players may be exposed.
How the text influences loss limits
The core of the new measure is set out in Article 10 quater of the text adopted by the Assemblée nationale as part of the bill on the organisation, management, and financing of professional sport. The provision amends Article L. 320-11 of the Code de la sécurité intérieure by adding an explicit reference to “losses” as one of the elements that may be subject to limits.
Under the text, the ANJ could, by reasoned decision and for a maximum period of one year, limit the amount of losses that players aged between 18 and 25 may incur with the operators concerned. This is a significant step because it shifts the focus from deposit or stake capacity alone to the actual economic outcome of gambling activity. In other words, French lawmakers are looking at the concrete risk of loss, treating it as a central indicator for protecting younger consumers.
According to the text adopted by the Assemblée nationale, the provision is expected to enter into force on 1 January 2027. However, the published document is described as provisional. The final wording will depend on the continuation of the legislative process.
The role of the ANJ
The measure would strengthen the ANJ’s role in preventing excessive gambling. The authority would be able to intervene, by reasoned decision, to limit young players’ exposure to losses for a maximum of one year.
For operators, the possible entry into force of the rule could bring new operational and technical obligations. These could include more precise monitoring systems, the management of individual limits, and dedicated procedures for the players aged 18 to 25. The central issue will be how the concrete criteria for activating limits and the methods of operator control are defined in subsequent implementing measures.
Young adults at the centre of the new protection
The age group concerned is considered particularly exposed to the risks associated with excessive or problematic gambling. The text does not introduce a gambling ban for young adults of legal age, but provides for stricter tools to contain their economic exposure.
Another important element concerns increases to imposed limits. For players aged between 18 and 25, any increase in limits may take place only after a period set by decree, which must be at least two weeks. The rationale is to prevent impulsive and immediate changes, especially when a user attempts to increase their gambling capacity quickly after a period of losses.
A tightening focused on prevention
The proposal forms part of a broader focus on responsible gambling and the protection of vulnerable consumers. In recent years, across several European markets, deposit, stake, and loss limits have become one of the most debated issues in gambling regulation policy.
In France, the most significant development is the specific focus on young adults. The issue is not only to control how much a user can deposit into a gambling account, but to intervene on the maximum sustainable level of loss, with the aim of reducing risks before they become problematic.
If confirmed in the final text, the measure could set an important precedent for other European markets, where the debate on player protection and, in this specific case, the protection of young people, is likely to remain central.
This article was originally published on the Italian SiGMA News page on 3 July 2026.
Stay ahead with the stories driving global iGaming. Select SiGMA World as your source preference for exclusive voices, betting trends, prediction markets and key regulatory updates.
