ANJ, the French unified gambling regulator, has partnered with the children’s news journal, Mon Quotidien, to publish ‘Gambling and the Protection of Minors’ to raise awareness around the potential harms of gambling whilst underaged.
Within the special edition, Mon Quotidien will highlight the launch of the regulator’s first educational campaign, targeting children aged 10-14. It will also aim to raise awareness of gambling behaviours amongst families and schools of the journal’s target audience.
Founded in 1995 by PlayBacPresse, the Mon Quotidien journal is distributed across France’s 38,000 state schools.
ANJ’s edition will feature interviews and testimonials from “gamblers who discovered gambling at a minor age” and “cartoons and infographics showcasing gambling risks”.
Sparking the idea for the special edition, research by Harris Interactive found that 41% of parents had suggested that their children play or participate in a gambling game.
Additionally, research by OFDT, the French addiction observatory, underlined that 39% of people aged under 17 had already participated in gambling for money with 78% of those using scratch cards, 48% had played lottery draws and 28% had placed a sports bet.
ANJ has begun work with UNAF – the National Union of Family Associations to raise awareness of children’s engagement with gambling products, specifically alerting families of the 13-to-14 age group, when minors begin their first experiences with gambling.
Launching its first children’s specific campaign, ANJ stated that “Gambling is never child’s play”, as educational stakeholders must be prepared to intervene on children’s gambling behaviours at their most formative ages, to prevent negative outcomes.