Updates on current research

Online in France in 2012

Marie-Line Given more intense illegal online gam- Tovar, bling and in response to high European How many people gamble online? What is their demand to open the gambling market profile and how do these people behave? Two Jean-Michel to competition, on 12 May 2010 France surveys provide us with an overview since the new Costes, opened “a controlled mar- legislation in the area was promulgated in 2010. ket to competition” in three areas: sports Vincent betting, horse race betting and . The Eroukmanoff 2010 law required all operators to take different measures for preventing exces- sive gambling and promote “responsible gambling”. Two years after the promul- gation of the law, in the fourth quarter of 2012, the French Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (OFDT) and the gambling. In its 2012 report, the ARJEL Monitoring Centre for Gambling (ODJ) mentioned, 1,700,000 “active gambler worked together to carry out two surveys on accounts” that could represent 1.2 mil- these activities. It was necessary to carefully lion gamblers based on the assumption document these online gambling practices that each player has an average of 1.4 by comparing the results with the initial gambling account (ARJEL, 2013). In 2012, study conducted on all gambling in 2010, la Française des jeux (the French national prior to the legislative changes. This issue of ’s operator, also known as the “FDJ”) Tendances presents the results of these two announced on its Internet “multimedia surveys. The first (Prévalence-e-JEU 2012) channel” that it had counted 900,000 was conducted on a representative sample active gamblers (FDJ, 2012). Finally, the of the French adult population so that the first national survey on gambling in prevalence of online gambling in the gene- France, which was conducted in 2010, ral population could be determined. The estimated that 9.1% of intensive gamblers second (e-ENJEU 2012) surveyed a sample (i.e., people who had gambled at least 52 of Internet users. The sociodemographic times and/or bet €500 in the last year, structure of this sample was based on the which represented one out of every four sociodemographic structure of all French gamblers) had gambled at least once on an Internet users. This enabled the profiles illegal site in the year prior to the survey of gamblers, their gambling practices and (Costes et al., 2011). the effects of such practices to be deter- mined (see the “methodological reference points”). QQ One quarter of online gamblers only use the Internet to gamble QQ Two million online gamblers in France in 2012 The second survey (e-ENJEU 2012), which described the profiles of the people The Prévalence-e-JEU 2012 helped esta- in question, indicated that the types of blish an initial overview of the online gambling most often played by Inter- gambling level (or prevalence) in the net gamblers were, in descending order: French population: 3.7% of people aged lottery and instant win and scratch card 18 or older (approximately 2 million games, poker, and horse race people) stated having gambled in the 12 betting. Slot machines and games months prior to the survey (Table 1). (except for poker), which are prohibited online, were played by less than 10% of June 2013 Due to the recent emergence of the on- gamblers. line gambling sector, there is still very little epidemiological data on online gambling Online gamblers were also questioned practices. Subsequently, in France, the only about their offline gambling practices: countrywide data available comes from 72.1% (Figure 1) stated that they had en- the online gambling operators or from the gaged in offline gambling in the last 12 French Regulatory Authority for Online months and only one quarter is exclusive Games (ARJEL). These data only shed online gamblers. Offline gambling tended light on one side of gambling, i.e., legal to precede online gambling: 70.4% of Table 1 - Prevalence of online gambling in France in 2012 to be younger. There were marked dif- ferences in age observed according to French population (age 18 and over) Estimate 95 % confidence intervals the type of gambling under conside- ration: Poker players tended to be the Lower endpoint Upper endpoint youngest: half of them were under the Prevalence in the last 12 months 3.7 % 2.9 % 4.5 % age of 33, while three quarters of them were under the age of 41. Source: Prévalence-e-JEU 2012 survey, ODJ - N = 2,761 and gamblers were also relatively young: overall, half of these online gamblers had frequented offline games were by far the activities that led gamblers were under the age of 35. gambling points of sale before playing to the highest expenditures; half of the Horse race betting involved an older online. people who had played slot machines population: three quarters of them in the last year had spent more than were over the age of 35. Half of lottery Internet abolishes the physical distance €480, whereas casino game players had and instant win and scratch card gam- and provides instant access to a wide spent over €360. Horse race betters blers were also over the age of 42. range of games, therefore one would also had relatively high expenditures, think that gamblers would be more with a median budget of €260. FDJ A study of the age at which gambling inclined to step up these activities. Yet, game and poker players spent a median began confirmed these observations. a significant proportion of online gam- of €180; those who bet on sports stated The median age for the first gambling blers only engage in one type of gam- spending less, with a median of €120. experience was 33 for all online gam- bling (i.e., are “exclusive gamblers”)1. Finally, half of gamblers who engaged blers. Poker players tended to start the Fans of the FDJ’s lottery or instant win in other types of gambling had spent earliest: at the age of 26, one out of and scratch card games were the most less than €50 per year. two players had already played poker “exclusive gamblers”: 59.7% of them online at least once in their life. It was only played those games and 43.0% of not until the age of 38 that one out of poker players claimed that they do not QQ A primarily young, male, two gamblers had bet online on horse engage in any other type of gambling. educated, well-integrated racing at least once in their life. In contrast, gamblers who played casi- population no games and slot machines, or who Online gamblers were relatively well engaged in sports or horse race betting, Like for offline gambling practices, educated: 53.0% of them had a post- had more of a tendency to be “multi- online gambling is male-dominated. Baccalaureate diploma. Furthermore, gamblers”. Proportionally fewer women gam- the level of education seemed to have bled online than offline (42.8% of an incidence on the type of gambling women versus 47.7% in the INPES practised. Poker, sports betting and QQ Variable gambling 2010 Health Barometer survey). Some FDJ games attracted more educated frequencies and amounts bet activities varied widely by sex. Fewer gamblers, while non-regulated games than one out of five sports betters was tended to attract less-educated gam- The majority of online gamblers female (football being the sport most blers (see the “Legal status of types of played on an occasional basis (55.0% frequent in online gambling); one gambling” box). played at least once a week). However, out of four horse race betters was a the proportion of gamblers who gam- woman. The mix was more balanced In total, by comparing the sociode- bled regularly was much higher than for casino games and slot machines. mographic profile of online gamblers what was observed in 2010 among all Finally, certain activities involved more to that of all gamblers (INPES 2010 gamblers (45.0% played at least once women than men; six out of ten non- Health Barometer survey) and to that a week versus 22.8% of all gamblers) FDJ lottery and gamblers of the general population (INSEE, or (Costes et al., 2011). Horse race betting were women. National Institute for Statistics and (70.4%), casino gambling (66.0%), slot Economic Studies), it was observed machines (64,2%) and poker playing Younger generations more frequently that online gamblers are predominant- (60.4%) had the highest proportion of use the Internet in general. As a result, ly male, younger, better educated and regular gamblers, whereas FDJ game the online gambling population tends in a higher social stratum (Table 2). players were fewer (42.4%).

In the 12 months preceding the survey, Figure 1 - Prevalence of online gambling by type of gambling (N = 4,042), in % half of the online gamblers had spent2 more than €208, one quarter had spent more than €520 and 10% had spent All games combined 72.1 more than €1,200. To analyse these 100 FDJ lottery or instant win/scratch card games 66.4 expenditures by gambling category, 58.2 Other (non-FDJ) lottery or instant only exclusive gamblers were taken win/scratch card games 20.4 8.9 into consideration for each specific Poker 19.2 gambling type. The median expendi- 11.8 « Offline » gambling Sports betting 16.4 ture by gambling type could then be 13 « Online » gambling Horse race betting 13.8 compared with the median expendi- 2.1 ture for all exclusive gamblers, which Other games 11.6 14.7 was €144. Slot machines and casino Slot machines 7.2 6.6 (excluding poker) 4 020406080 100

1. An exclusive X gambler is a gambler who only bets on X. Source: e-ENJEU 2012 survey; OFDT/ODJ 2. The gamblers had been asked the following question: … how Interpretation: 58.2% online gamblers played online FDJ lottery or instant win/scratch card games in the last 12 months; much did you bet or spend? 66.4% played FDJ lottery or instant win/scratch card games at points of sale

2 Table 2 - Profile of online gamblers versus the profile of all gamblers and that of the general Finally, the people surveyed were population asked to name the websites they vi- 2012 online Gamblers (INPES 2010 sited most. The responses were ana- in % gamblers Health Barometer) 2012 INSEE data lysed and recoded according to the (N = 4,042) (N = 11,655) legal status of the named websites. A Sex large majority (75.5%) of respondents Men 57.2 52.3 49.0 mentioned a legal website. However, 8.0% of gamblers mentioned at least Women 42.8 47.7 51.0 one website that was not conside- Age red legal as one of those they used 18-24 12.0 11.0 12.1 most often. Moreover, 11.0% of the 25-34 26.1 20.4 17.6 gamblers had also mentioned web- 35-49 35.0 34.2 29.1 sites that are in a legal “grey area”, i.e., websites that offer “free” gam- 50-64 21.0 26.0 27.8 bling (or integrate free gambling to 65-75 5.8 8.4 13.4 an extent) with a view to monetary Education or other gains. As regards practices on Did not complete illegal gambling websites, these gam- 22.2 42.4 59.7 Baccalaureate bling practices mainly involved casino games, slot machines and other games Completed 24.9 19.0 15.9 that are not available on legal web- Baccalaureate sites. Completed Post- 53.0 38.7 24.5 Baccalaureate diploma If online gambling legalised in 2010 Socio-Professional Category* (sports betting, horse race betting and Low SPC 23.8 41.8 31.1 poker) is examined more closely, only High SPC 52.5 31.7 25.9 poker was regularly mentioned as being played on illegal websites. Of the Inactive 23.7 26.5 43.1 exclusive poker players (N = 335), Source: e-ENJEU 2012 survey; OFDT/ODJ; INPES 2010 Health Barometer; INSEE 10.2% stated that they played on * Low SPC = employee, worker, farmer; High SPC = manager, mid-level profession, self-employed craftsman, merchant, company director illegal websites and 6.0% stated that they played on “free” websites.

To summarise the diverse information available in the survey on the legality Table 3 - Legal status of gambling supply Firstly, gamblers were asked whether or of gambling supply, a composite indi- All online gamblers (N = 4,042) in % not they knew the legal status of the cator based on previously described va- type of gambling in which they played. riables was created. It enables all online Knows the legal status Three out of four gamblers stated that gamblers to be classified based on the of the websites used they knew it. legal status of the gambling in which yes 75.1 they partake: 54.4% of gamblers no 24.9 Next, they had to specify the domain partook in their activities exclusively name extension of the websites they on legal websites, 19.1% exclusively Domain name of gambling websites used used (.fr or .com), with the understan- on unregulated websites and 26.5% on « .fr » 54.2 ding that legal websites only have an both kinds of websites (see the “Legal “.fr” extension. A majority of gamblers status of types of gambling” box). « .com » 11.5 only used websites with an “.fr” exten- « .fr » and « .com » 25.5 sion, and 37% used a website with a The people who gambled on unre- “.com” extension, the latter indicating gulated websites were predominantly Don’t know 8.8 that their online gambling was probably women (64.5% of those who gamble on Provided identification to gamble “unregulated” (Table 3). It cannot be unregulated sites were women compa- excluded that some of the players are red to 33.9% of women who gambled For all websites 39.7 directed from this “.com” extension on legal sites), younger (40.1% under For some webstites 19.5 towards a “.fr” one. the age of 30 vs. 18.5%) and less edu- Never 40.8 cated (42.1% with a post-Baccalaureate Another way to broach this subject was diploma vs. 57.6%). However, gambling Source: e-ENJEU 2012 survey; OFDT/ODJ to ask questions about the procedure on unregulated websites did not seem required to register on the gambling to be correlated with social status. This websites. Legal French gambling web- particular profile can be explained in sites require gamblers to submit a piece part by the people who frequent the of identification to the online game so-called, “free” websites (see the “Free QQ Legal gambling: dominant operator. Only four out of ten gamblers games” box). but not exclusive stated that they had sent identification to all the websites they used and, even One of the purposes of the survey more surprisingly, the same proportion QQ An activity practised was to attempt to assess the extent to state that they had never been asked to at home and mainly during which online gambling practices, exis- provide identification. When interpre- the day ting prior to the 2010 law, had shifted ting these results, one must consider towards legal practice. Methodologi- that one out of ten gamblers use “free” Gamblers who stated having gambled cally speaking, this question is difficult websites, where they are not required online in the last 12 months mainly to document. The survey tested four to identify themselves (see the “Free gambled from their home (97.5%), different approaches. games” box). and few (6.1%) gambled from the

3 workplace or school. Very few gam- game-related advantages, 15.9% stated gamblers were most invested, the preva- blers gambled online in public places the ability to take advantage of promo- lence of problem gambling was highest (cybercafés, shopping centres) or on tional offers, 28.4% saw it as a way to among those who played online slot public transport. attain more transparency with respect machines and casino games - games to bets, wins and losses, and 12.3% that are illegal online (Figure 2). Poker Of the different types of devices used appreciated the variety of ways to bet. was in third position and, in contrast, by online gamblers (computers, cell lottery and instant win and scratch card phones, tablets), the computer was In contrast, regarding the disadvantages games generated the lowest number of most often mentioned (97.3%, of related to online gambling, four out of problem gamblers. which 82.1% used their computer ten gamblers (42.4%) stated spending only). More than one out of ten gam- more money online than when using Even though the online problem blers also used their cell phone and offline gambling methods and three gamblers had a higher percentage of 7.5% a tablet. Online gambling apps for out of ten (34.0%) indicated a risk for men, the proportion of women was smartphones are becoming increasin- addictive gambling related to the quic- much higher than what was observed gly widespread, but they still tended kness of the gambling and/or the loss for offline gamblers (40.7% online vs. to be used at home. However, tablets of control. There was a certain reti- 24.1% of gamblers identified as pro- tended to be used both in public trans- cence among 20.5% of gamblers who blem gamblers by the INPES 2010 port and at home. mentioned the “difficulty in verifying Health Barometer survey). This is due the honesty of the games” as a draw- in part to the fact that the structure of Gambling mainly took place during back to online gambling. A lower pro- the games played by men and women the day: 52.7% of gamblers gambled portion had concerns about security: was not the same: the games most fre- during the day (and 9.1% did so in the 16.4% believed that the websites were quently played by women on the In- morning), while 42.9% played in the not secure enough and 16.6% thought ternet (which are illegal, for the most evening and 4.4% did at night. It was that the security of the deposits was part, and include non-FDJ lottery and mainly people over the age of 55 who not guaranteed. This proportion was scratchcard games, slot machines and gambled during the day and in the higher for non-regulated websites. casino games) were those for which morning, while those who gambled in the prevalence of problem gamblers is the evening tended to be younger. the highest. QQ Illegal websites: Advertising or information in the me- more problem gambling Problem gamblers were also younger dia (not on the Internet) were the main than all gamblers in the last year (Table ways in which people learned about The levels of risk were measured 4), and were more often single. They gaming websites (47.3% of the gam- using the Canadian Problem Gam- also had lower income than all people blers). The Internet (surfing or forums) bling Index (CPGI) tool (Ferris & who had gambled in the previous year. was the next most frequent vehicle Wynne, 2001). The CPGI was already (45.0%) for informing gamblers about used in the 2010 national survey. This gaming websites, followed by friends measurement can be compared with QQ Discussion or family (19.2%), and some discovered the statements made by gamblers on online gambling websites after having the games in which they invested, i.e., Online gambling represents a signi- been sent information directly by em- the games in which they stated having ficant economic sector that is rapidly ail (16.6%). spent the most time or having spent developing worldwide. In 2010, on- the most money. line gross gambling revenue (GGR = Before beginning to play online, half bets minus gains) was 23 billion euros, of the gamblers had first practised on According to estimates based on the which represents 8.5% of the entire free versions offered by online sites CPGI, of the people who stated having gambling market (European Commis- to help people become familiar with gambled online in the last 12 months, sion, 2011). these websites and/or allow them to six out of ten gain experience (49.1%). This free use (59.2%) were non- was mainly for games that require a problem gamblers, Figure 2 - Percentage of problem gamblers by type of online certain level of skill, like poker (81.2%). one out of four game in which they are most invested Making a free version available is also a (23.8%) were low- technique for recruiting new gamblers, risk gamblers, one as was demonstrated by the proportion out of ten (10.4%) 60 Probable pathological gamblers of gamblers who had first played free were moderate-risk Moderate-risk gamblers versions of slot machines (80.1%) and gamblers and 6.6% 50 48.5 other games (83.9%). were probable pa- 42.1 thological gamblers. 40 31.0 The problem gam- 32.1 QQ 30 21.9 25.9 26.1 24/7 availability: blers, who were the 12.8 grouping of mode- 7.8 9.5 an essential advantage 20 rate-risk gamblers 12.2 Of the list of advantages for online and probable patho- 10 5.2 20.2 gambling suggested during surveys, the logical gamblers, 18.2 16.4 18.1 16.6 7.0 environment and setting are predomi- represented 17.0% 0 nant: six out of ten gamblers (63.0%) of people who had Lottery Poker Slot Casino Sports Horse race or instant machines games betting betting stated 24/7 availability as the main gambled in the year win/scratch advantage and four out of ten gamblers prior to the survey. cards (45.3%) emphasised the fact that they could gamble online in the comfort When the problem and quiet of their own home. One out gambling was ana- Source: e-ENJEU 2012 survey; OFDT/ODJ Interpretation: Of the people who had gambled online in the last 12 months, 5.2% of five gamblers sought privacy and lysed by type of of those who played lottery or instant win/scratch card games were probable anonymity (21.4%). With respect to game in which the pathological gamblers and 12.2% were problem gamblers.

4 Table 4 - Socioeconomic characteristics of online gamblers criteria) was 5.3% for online games Men Mean age Income < e 1,200 Lives and 1.3% for all games (Wardle, 2011; alone Wood, 2009). The results of the 2009 national survey of Quebec show this as Gambled in the last year (N = 4,042) 57.3 % 40.6 yrs 22.0 % 32.8 % well: online gamblers engage in more Moderate risk gamblers (N = 418) 61.7 % 39.9 yrs 31.2 % 33.2 % intensive and more “at-risk” gambling practices (according to the CPGI) than Probable pathological gamblers 55.6 % 35.0 yrs 32.9 % 37.9 % offline gamblers (Kairouz et al., 2011). (N = 267) Problem gamblers (N = 685) 59,3 % 38.0 yrs 25.8 % 35.1 % The next national gambling survey, Source: e-ENJEU 2012 survey; OFDT/ODJ which is planned for late 2013, should confirm (or refute) the main findings of these surveys and provide more The range of online gambling sites rate risk gambling = 10.4%) is much detail on some of the issues that these and products is massive. Approxima- higher than what was measured using surveys raise. However, the limited tely 800 companies from 70 countries the same tool (CPGI) on a sample number of online gamblers that can offer over 4,000 virtual slot machine of gamblers in 2010: 0.4% of exces- be reached through a representative websites, 600 online casino websites, sive gambling and 0.9% of moderate- sample of the general population does 300 online websites, 260 sports risk gambling among all gamblers, not provide sufficient statistical power betting websites and 240 online poker corresponding to 0.9% of excessive to reproduce all analyses conducted in websites (Casino City website). gambling and 1.9% of moderate-risk both 2012 surveys. gambling among all people who had Three questions deserve in particular The European market, which is one gambled in the last year (Costes et al., to be explored: of the three main markets, along with 2011). This can be explained in part QQ What are the online gambling pre- North America and Asia (the latter is by the fact that the large majority of valence and the percentage of problem enjoying the highest rate of growth) offline gamblers, who are far more gamblers? represents 29% of global GGR and numerous than online gamblers, par- QQ What are the proportion and nature 44% of online gamblers. In 2008, take in this activity occasionally and of the problems encountered by fe- it was estimated that there were 7 on types of games that do not carry a male gamblers? million online gamblers in Europe. high risk of addiction, such as the ma- QQ How significant is this “grey area” Within Europe, France is the second jority of lottery games. It also appears around the so-called “free gambling” largest online gambling market, far that online gambling carries a higher revealed by these surveys in the expe- behind the United Kingdom (Euro- risk than all gambling combined. This rience of problem gamblers? pean Commission, 2011). observation is consistent with what has been established by other foreign sur- The initial estimates for these practices veys. A problem gambling prevalence QQ Conclusion seem to be consistent with internatio- (excessive + moderate risk) of 17.0% nal data. An online gambling preva- of French online gamblers is similar Two years after the promulgation of lence (online gambling in the last 12 to what was determined by the Cana- the regulatory framework, these two months in a population aged 18 and dians (17.1%) on a sample of gamblers surveys provide an overview of online older) of 3.7% (i.e., approximately 2 of different nationalities (16.6%). The gambling behaviours. million French people) places France United Kingdom’s national survey also This practice is carried out by 3.7% of somewhere in the middle compared documented a significantly high risk the French population. Although it is with the rare few countries that have with online gambling: the prevalence primarily regulated, the line between similar national surveys: 1 to 2% in the of “problem gambling” (DSM-IV legal and illegal websites is not fixed United States (where online gambling is prohibited), 2 to 3% in the Nether- lands, 2.1% in Canada, and up to 14% in the United Kingdom (Wardle, 2011; « Free games » Wood, 2009). When asked to specify the three main websites on which they play (games for which they bet money they can win or lose), 11% of online gamblers mentioned sites that Given the difficulty and cost involved are presented as “free” websites. Of those online gamblers who mentioned “free” web- in conducting the surveys among po- sites, 65% only mentioned this kind of website, which falsely appears to be “free”, as pulations with rare behaviours, the de- confirmed by visiting them. Moreover, this is the perception of the people surveyed cision to survey the French population who mentioned their activities on these websites within the scope of the survey: about their online gambling practices games of chance for which you bet money you can win or lose. was made possible by the Internet. This A hundred of these websites were mentioned among those cited by gamblers as being method has advantages: email solicita- the most frequently used, which demonstrates just their large number and how easily tion is less intrusive than by telephone accessible they are on the Net. These are websites with a wide Internet audience; they or face-to-face interviews, and the attract millions of different visitors each month, and billions of pages are visited. sample obtained is larger and enables These websites (or mobile applications) generally offer a wide range of games: games of skill or thinking games, as well as games of chance whose interface is similar to gambler subgroups to be analysed. that of slot machines or lottery games. The home pages systematically emphasise However, there are also disadvantages, two things: that the games are free and that you can win money, gift certificates or such as bias in the representativeness of gifts, such as communication terminals. The specific methods for winning are often the sample and the fact that prevalence unclear or masked. The “free” aspect of these websites is very quickly called into values cannot be extrapolated to the question, since players are encouraged to “pay” according to different modalities, general population. including through expensive text messages. In the survey, the public in question was predominantly female, i.e., twice as many The prevalence of problem gam- women as men gambled on these websites. This is a population that mainly plays bling among online gamblers, which online non-FDJ lottery games (whereas the FDJ has the monopoly on these types of was estimated by the second survey games) and slot machines. n (excessive gambling = 6.6%; mode-

5 methodological reference points Legal status of types of gambling In 2012, the French Monitoring Centre for Drugs and The 12 May 2010 law (Loi n°2010-476, JORF n° 110 of the 13 May 2010) opened three Drug Addiction (OFDT) and the Monitoring Centre for different areas of gambling up to competition: sports betting, horse race betting and Gambling (ODJ)* conducted two coordinated surveys poker. The law entrusted the regulation of this market to an independent administra- to help determine online gambling behaviours among tive authority, the ARJEL, or the French Regulatory Authority for Online Games, which French people. grants approvals to operators and controls their activity. An initial telephone prevalence survey (Prévalence- La Française des jeux (FDJ, France’s national lottery operator) also offers people the pos- e-JEU survey, ODJ) was conducted as part of the sibility to play some of its lottery and instant win and scratch card games online. FDJ “Observatoire des usages Internet” (Internet use survey) has exclusive rights to this activity. The FDJ opened its website to such practices prior conducted by Médiamétrie among a random sample to the 2010 law. of the Metropolitan French population using CATI The gambling activities that take place within the aforementioned scope are described (Computer-assisted telephone interview). Two as “legal” gambling practices. questions intended to measure the prevalence of online Nevertheless, recreational gambling can take place on illegal websites (i.e., sites offering gambling were asked of 2,761 French people aged activities not opened to competition by the 2010 law, such as casino games and slot 18 and older during three survey periods (from Septem- machines or gambling websites offering legal games but that have not been certified ber to November 2012). by the ARJEL) or websites that are illegal (“free gambling” websites, even though in A second, self-administered survey on gambling prac- reality, some of their visitors claim that they spend money in hopes of winning). These tices and gambler profiles (e-ENJEU survey, OFDT/ODJ) gambling activities are grouped under the term “unregulated gambling”. n was conducted on the Internet using Médiamétrie’s “Carré des médias” database of Web user addresses. This second survey was conducted weekdays for a period of four weeks. From 12 November to 11 Decem- and is uncertain, depending on the gambling, although predominant, is far ber 2012, 20,000 Internet users aged 18 to 75 were sur- veyed about their online gambling using CAWI (Compu- perception of the gamblers. Despite the from being exclusive. ter-assisted web interview). fact that online gambling is generally Médiamétrie’s “Carré des médias” database includes characterised by recreational, non-pro- These observations should lead to: 830,000 Web users and is mainly used for studies. blematic activity, it can generate signi- QQ monitoring of online gambling trends These Web users are recruited according to various ficant addiction risks in some gamblers and the prevalence of problem gambling methods and from several sources: telephone surveys, (10.4% of online gamblers engage in through regular, targeted surveys; face-to-face studies and Web studies. A rating-point moderate-risk gambling) or clear pro- QQ developing prevention measures that system was implemented for each fully completed blems that undoubtedly require health are appropriate for certain, specific questionnaire. These points could be converted into gift and social treatment care (6.6% are online gambling populations, such as certificates with a minimum of five thousand points. “probable pathological gamblers”). women, young people and high so- The operating procedure involved sending an invita- These data confirm that online gam- cioeconomic status individuals; tion with an announcement mentioning the survey to bling is of a higher risk than offline QQ reinforcing actions to prevent ille- a sample of Internet users selected according to quo- gambling. This risk is further exacer- gal gambling websites and reflecting tas that come from the results of the last quarter of the “Observatoire des usages Internet” (Internet use survey) bated for certain game categories, such on the actions to be taken against the by sex, age, socio-professional category and region. as those that are not regulated by law. “free” websites. The response rate to all emails sent and opened was Moreover, it seems that legal online approximately 40%. Follow-ups were performed on people who did not open their email and who did not bibliography click on the link for responding to the questionnaire. The procedures for controlling the quality of the data ARJEL (2013). Le marché français des jeux d’argent et de hasard en ligne, Bilan 2012, 5 pages. collected enabled questionnaires that were completed Casino City, http://www.casinocity.com [Last accessed 13 January 2014]. too quickly or whose responses were too inconsistent to be excluded. Costes J.-M., Pousset M., Eroukmanoff V., Le Nezet O., Richard J.-B., Guignard R., Arwid- son P. (2011), «Gambling prevalence and practices in France in 2010», OFDT, Tendances In total, 4,236 Internet users stated having gambled on n° 77, 8 pages. the Internet. Following quality and consistency controls of the responses, 194 questionnaires were ruled out. European Commision (2011), Greenpaper on on-line gambling in the Internal Market - The final sample of analysed questionnaires included Commission staff working document, SEC(2011)321 final, 35 pages. 4,042 online gamblers. FDJ (Française des jeux) (2012), 2011 Activity report ; un modèle de jeu utile à la société, The results were compared with the latest data from FDJ, 105 pages. the Internet use survey on Internet users with conside- ration for sex, age group, region and socio-professional Ferris J., Wynne H. (2001), The Canadian problem gambling index, Ottawa, ON: Canadian category. Centre on Substance Abuse, 58 pages. 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We would like to thank all members of the e-ENJEU French Monitoring Centre for Drugs questionnaire supervisory committee: Jeanne Etiemble, and Drug Addiction Ingrid Gillaizeau, Laurence Kern, Lucia Romo and Chief Editor 3, avenue du Stade-de-France Jeanne Piedallu. Maud Pousset 93218 Saint-Denis-La-Plaine cedex We would like to thank Diane Goineau and Jean-Baptiste credits Editorial Commitee Tél.: + 33(1) 41 62 77 16 / Fax: +33 (1) 41 62 77 00 Menguy of the ARJEL. Christian Ben Lakhdar, Emmanuelle Godeau, e-mail : [email protected] We would like to thank the Médiamétrie team: Valérie Bruno Falissard, Fabien Jobard, Serge Karsenty Baudo, Isabelle Tempier and Jamila Yahia. We would like to thank Sylvia Kairouz from Concor- Editor in Chief dia University and Louise Nadeau of the Université de Julie-Émilie Adès Montréal. Graphic Designer: Frédérique Million Finally, we would like to thank Marie-Ange Santarelli and Charles Coppolani, President of the ODJ. www.ofdt.fr Imprimerie Masson / 69, rue de Chabrol - 75010 Paris ISSN 1295-6910 / Legal publication registration