ENJEU‑Mineurs 2025: 39% of French 15–17‑year‑olds played hybrid digital games; spending linked to higher harm scores

ANJ page summarises ARPEJ research showing wide adolescent exposure to 'hybrid' games (social casino, loot boxes, casino‑like mechanics, fantasy sports, Web3); 15.6% of those players reported spending money. Media buyers should prioritise audits of youth‑facing social inventory and placements that route users toward casino‑like experiences.

Verified facts

• Geography/source: France; study published on ANJ website summarising ENJEU‑Mineurs 2025 research by ARPEJ (report referenced).
• Prevalence: 39.0% of 15–17 year‑olds reported playing at least one category of 'jeux numériques hybrides' (JNH) in the 12 months before the study; higher among boys (42.4%) than girls (35.4%).
• Categories measured: six JNH types including social casino games, free demo versions of gambling games, video games with casino‑like mechanics, games with loot boxes, fantasy sports, and Web3/play‑to‑earn titles.
• Most common formats: video games with casino elements (26.3%), free demo casino games on casino platforms (18.1%), and social casino games (16.6%).
• Spending: among adolescents who played JNH, 15.6% reported making monetary expenditures linked to these games; spending levels vary by format (e.g., 19.4% of social casino players spend >€50/month; 38.7% of loot‑box purchasers spend <€10/month).
• Dual use and risk: 58.8% of JNH players also play real‑money gambling; mixed players show much higher problem‑severity scores measured by ICJA — 26.0% with high severity vs 3.9% for exclusive JAH players.
• Association with harm: among mixed JNH players who spend money, 40.7% present a high severity score vs 14.1% for non‑spenders.
• Advertising exposure: 68.9% of adolescents reported seeing ads during JNH that encouraged real‑money betting, primarily on TikTok and Instagram.
• Design mechanics: qualitative findings highlight random/rare rewards, immersive audio‑visuals, notifications, time‑limited events and promotional framing as engagement strategies facilitating repeated spending.
• Source examples and definitions: ANJ page lists illustrative titles/brands in each category (e.g., CrownCoins, McLuck, Grand Theft Auto, Overwatch, Counter‑Strike2, FIFA Ultimate Team, Mon Petit Gazon, Sorare, The Sandbox, Axie Infinity).

GEOs and markets

France

Brands and organisations

Examples cited in ANJ/ENJEU report: CrownCoins, McLuck, Grand Theft Auto, Overwatch, Counter-Strike2, FIFA Ultimate Team, Mon Petit Gazon (MPG), Fingiball, Sorare, The Sandbox, Axie Infinity

Impact on media buyers

GameHub editorial analysis: For media buyers at GameHub Partners this ANJ‑summarised research signals heightened regulatory and reputational risk when buying youth‑facing social inventory, influencer placements and content adjacent to games that include loot boxes, social casino mechanics or Web3 reward models. The evidence ties small‑value microtransactions and heavier spend in social casino formats to substantially higher problem‑severity scores for mixed players. Additionally, the clear identification of TikTok and Instagram as primary ad exposure channels should drive immediate targeting, placement and creative audits for France campaigns. Expect increased regulator and NGO scrutiny, potential restrictions on youth‑facing ad placements, and stronger calls for platform‑level age‑verification and ad transparency measures in France and EU markets. Campaigns that route traffic to casino‑like experiences or emphasise bonus mechanics risk elevated compliance checks and brand safety incidents.

GameHub comment

GameHub editorial analysis: Practical actions for acquisition and affiliate teams (approx. 400 words): 1) Immediate creative and placement audit: flag all France‑targeted creatives that reference or depict loot boxes, casino imagery, wheel/spin mechanics or offer microtransaction incentives. Remove or rework any creative running on TikTok, Instagram, Snap or other youth‑skewing placements until age‑gating and contextual suitability are confirmed. 2) Inventory and partner QA: require proof of platform age‑restriction capability and placement‑level audience demographics from publishers and influencers. Where publishers cannot demonstrate robust age‑screening, move budgets to whitelist partners with adult audiences or contextual, non‑youth channels. 3) Landing‑page and funnel checks: ensure destination flows do not normalise casino mechanics or present demo/skill games that can serve as gateways to real‑money gambling. Disallow cross‑promotional messaging that directs users from game‑style content to betting offers without clear age verification and responsible‑gambling notices. 4) Measurement and cohorting: tag acquisition cohorts exposed to loot‑box or social‑casino creatives separately to track retention, deposit behaviour and any rapid escalation in spend. Use these cohorts to measure short‑term promo lift vs downstream indicators of risky behaviour (frequency, average monthly spend >€50, rapid deposit escalation). 5) Compliance and advocacy monitoring: follow ANJ and ARPEJ outputs and local policy proposals on 'gamblification', loot boxes and Web3—these findings make France a jurisdiction likely to tighten rules on youth exposure and ad transparency. Factor potential near‑term product restrictions into ROI modelling and partner negotiations. Editorial summary: the ANJ/ENJEU findings document measurable porosity between gaming and gambling among French adolescents. For buyer teams, the operational priority is preventing under‑18 exposure and avoiding placements that materially contribute to a pathway from games to real‑money gambling; the reputational and regulatory costs of failing to do so will escalate.

Editorial note: The “Verified facts” section reports the primary source. The impact and GameHub comment sections are editorial analysis, not claims made by the organiser.