ANJ and Addiction Federation Sign Partnership Agreement

Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, president of the ANJ, and Catherine Delorme, president of the Addiction Federation, signed a partnership agreement on July 23, 2024 to strengthen the prevention of excessive gambling and the protection of minors, through the implementation of joint actions.

In 2019, the Gaming Observatory estimated the number of at-risk players at 1.4 million, including nearly 400,000 at a pathological level. Problem gambling thus generates more than 38% of the sector’s turnover and 21% for excessive players alone. These figures, which should be updated soon, illustrate the reality of a social problem, for young people in particular, with collateral damage in the player’s immediate entourage: over-indebtedness, family problems, academic difficulties, etc.

In its 2024/2026 strategic plan, the ANJ has set as a priority objective to reduce the share and number of excessive gamblers and to strengthen the ability of gamblers to better control their gaming practices, through preventive actions against excessive gambling, in addition to those implemented by the public authorities.

This strategic plan is based on two cross-cutting foundations which are of particular interest to the partnership with the Addiction Federation: making scientific knowledge of the market and gaming practices the compass of regulation and strengthening the mobilisation of all stakeholders, in particular through the conclusion of partnerships with addiction professionals.

The Addiction Federation is the leading addictology network in France: it represents 850 health establishments and services and more than 500 professionals, individual members. It brings together 80% of addiction treatment, support and prevention centres (CSAPA) and reception and support centres for risk reduction for drug users (CAARUD) and 20% of health systems (addiction liaison and care teams, follow-up and rehabilitation care, addiction consultations, health networks).

The collaboration between the ANJ and the Addiction Federation will focus on different areas of intervention such as:

• Studies, prevention support edition,
• The development of tools to support players or addiction professionals,
• The design and intervention in training programmes,
• Joint organisation of events.

In 2024, the ANJ and the Addiction Federation will carry out joint training activities and publish a document on the regulation of gambling for addiction professionals.