Thomas Amadieu, researcher in the study group for methods of sociological analysis at the Sorbonne, is the author of The emergence of gambling addiction (Le Bord de l’eau, 2021). It details how gambling has become a public health problem in just a few decades.
When did gambling appear and why?
Gambling in its current institutional form constitutes a commercial practice and a tax – and is therefore a practice monitored by the state. It is a form that goes back to the national lottery introduced under Francis Ium.
Numerous lotteries have been created to finance construction and renovation work, for example those of the military school or the Saint-Sulpice church in Paris. The “Broken Mouths” lottery, the forerunner of the Française des jeux (FDJ), was created after the First World War, always with the idea of collecting a painless tax while eliminating moral concerns by using the money for good works is reduced, such as to help those disabled in war.
Gambling has changed a lot in a century.
Gambling has long been banned and, in theory, still is. But as numerous as the offerings are, there are also numerous exceptions. The growth of the market was driven by supply, with the emergence of new authorized and legalized games: the PMU and then additional lottery draws in the 1980s. The emergence of slot machines in casinos democratized convenience and accelerated gambling consumption. With the introduction of online games in 2010, we experienced a new acceleration.
This market is a bit strange as monopolies like the FDJ’s still exist in lotteries, all of which are overseen by the National Gaming Authority (ANJ).
What profile do people who gamble have?
The gaming audience is as diverse as the games: Typically, sports betting attracts a younger, predominantly male demographic; Women are slightly overrepresented in scratch games; Lottery games attract a much larger audience that is better distributed across society.
In general, the more working class you are, the more you will spend a significant portion of your income on gambling. Casinos also feature gambling among the richest through forms of conspicuous consumption.
What characterizes gambling as a social phenomenon is actually its massiveization, its democratization, unfortunately even among the youngest. The marketing strategy of online game providers is extremely well thought out and focuses on social advancement through gaming. These messages are aimed at young people, particularly those from working-class areas. We are witnessing an explosion of gaming among the youngest.
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