Highway to Hell… France warns of gambling risks in video games

Jake Pollard With 39% of respondents having played hybrid video/gaming products, ANJ, France’s gambling authority points to new research, raising the alarm at how games like Grand Theft Auto (GTA) act as a “gateway to real money gambling” Video games are increasingly creating behaviours that mirror excessive and problem gambling patterns among French adolescents as gamification mechanics resembling those of real money gambling products seep across video gaming formats, according to a new study by France’s Association fo Research and Prevention of Excessive Gambling (ARPEJ) that was published on Monday. ARPEJ carried out the study in partnership with France’s gambling regulator, the Autorité Nationale des Jeux, and interviewed 5,000 teenagers aged 15-17 about how they took part in “hybrid digital games” (jeux numériques hybrides, JNH) that utilise techniques and mechanisms linked to real money gaming products such as gamification/gamblification functions. The formats that fit the JNH description include social casino games that replicate slot machines, card or table games and use virtual currencies such as CrownCoins or McLuck, those that incorporate elements of gambling without this being the main gameplay format such as in the popular Grand Theft Auto (GTA) titles, where users can interact in casinos and play Concerns on the incorporation of gaming elements are detailed on titles featuring randomised reward purchases (loot boxes and game rewards) such as EA Sports FC Ultimate Team and Genshin Impact; and fantasy sports games such as Mon Petit Gazon and Fungiball. Grand Theft Auto VI is set to launch on 19 November 2026, with expectations of the biggest global video game launch ever, following the release of its predecessor, GTA V, in 2013. The survey found that 39% of the respondents had played games that fit that format in preceding three-month period, with boys accounting for 42.4% of the total, girls for 35.4%, with 15.6% of the respondents carrying a financial transaction linked to the games. POINTS-CLE-S-6—ENJEU-Mineurs-JNH-18102026-1Download Free to play and ready to pay The games are free to play in the majority of cases, but ARPEJ said “two thirds of the minors say they took part in JNH – and, more specifically, hybrid casino games – before engaging in real-money gambling,” explained AaRPEJ. The research agency further expressed alarm at how the games acted had a ‘gateway effect’: initiating players to gambling mechanics before they became real money gamblers. Although most are free, “they frequently incorporate mechanisms that encourage young players to make microtransactions in order to progress more quickly or gain advantages within the game”. The study also noted that while playing the hybrid games, nearly 69% of them had been exposed to advertising that “encouraged them to bet on real money games, mainly on social networks such as TikTok and Instagram”. The findings follow an ARPEJ announcement from February that showed that nearly 43% of the respondents had played a real money game of chance in the prior 12-month period in the form of a scratchcard or draw game in retail outlets, a rise of eight points compared with 2021 data. Youth in Revolt? Using the Canadian Adolescent Gambling Inventory (CAGI), which assesses risk-taking behaviour, the study found that minors who played both traditional gambling games and hybrid digital games had a higher severity score (26%) than those who played only traditional gambling games (3.9%). The research further detailed worrying concerns on health of individuals noting sleep disturbances, stress and difficulties regulating the mood of French youth drastically changing their gaming engagements towards higher risk verticals. The ANJ is amongst three European gambling authorities that has launched a dedicated research project to examine video gaming and gambling links on youth behaviours, others including Sweden and Denmark. In Europe, the gaming authorities of Spain and The Netherlands have noted game design features but concentrated reports on Loot Box interactions and protections. As stands, the European Union has yet to establish a common legal framework determining whether loot boxes should be regulated as gambling, leaving their classification largely to national authorities. The uncertainty has fuelled legal disputes, including in the Netherlands, where Electronic Arts successfully challenged enforcement penalties totalling up to €10m over FIFA loot boxes in the Hague. The penalties were overturned in 2022