France’s gambling industry recorded €6.4 billion in gross gaming revenue (GGR) during the first six months of 2024, marking an 8% increase year-on-year. The data, released by the Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), reflects robust performance across all three major regulatory segments: lottery games, online gambling, and land-based casinos.
Among these sectors, online sports betting was a standout, continuing the upward trend from previous years. However, the first half also saw lottery and poker contribute significantly to the market’s overall performance. The industry continues to show resilience and adaptability, buoyed by consistent online engagement and strong player participation.
Lottery Games Lead in Revenue, But Sports Betting Surges in Activity
Lotteries remained the primary revenue generator, delivering €3.3 billion in GGR—an 1.8% rise compared to the same period last year. Of this, draw-based games contributed €2 billion and instant games €1.3 billion. While this represents a modest increase in revenue, the segment still accounted for over half of total GGR.
Meanwhile, online sports betting posted the most notable growth in both stakes and revenue. Stakes climbed to €5.1 billion, a 17.5% increase, while GGR rose 14.3% to reach €658 million. This performance was driven in part by the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying matches, with football accounting for 56% of bets placed.
“Football remains the dominant sport, followed by tennis and basketball,” the ANJ noted. Tennis stakes remained stable at 21% of all bets, while basketball held 7%. In addition to stake growth, player numbers rose 4% to 3.5 million active accounts per quarter on average.
Poker and Horse Racing See Varied Results
Online poker reported mixed results. Although the number of active players dropped by 2.2%, totaling around 950,000 accounts per quarter, the vertical managed to post a 2.9% GGR increase, reaching €220 million. The rise in tournament revenue (+5.5%) offset a 2.6% dip in cash game GGR. Despite a slight decline in participation, player engagement remained high.
Horse racing, regulated by the same oversight framework, experienced a reversal of its prior decline. Stakes grew by 3.7% to €583 million, while GGR saw a marginal 1.5% boost to €138 million. The number of active player accounts also increased to 587,000—an improvement over 2023 levels.
Casino Sector Rebounds With Consistent Performance
France’s 203 land-based casinos delivered steady returns, reporting €1.2 billion in GGR in the first half of the year. This marked a 10.4% year-on-year growth, largely attributed to a normalization of visitor flows post-COVID and continued interest in slot machines, which remain the dominant revenue source. Table games also maintained a solid presence, contributing 9% of casino GGR.
ANJ Reinforces Commitment to Responsible Gambling
In parallel with this market growth, the ANJ reiterated its commitment to promoting safer gambling environments. The regulator emphasized the importance of monitoring player behavior across platforms and released a new data dashboard during the period to aid in market analysis and policy evaluation.
The regulator also pointed to increased advertising scrutiny and is working with operators to ensure compliance with responsible gambling obligations.
As the French gambling landscape evolves, the ANJ’s report confirms that the industry is on solid footing—both in terms of revenue and regulation. With major sporting events such as the Olympic Games on the horizon, stakeholders expect continued momentum in the second half of the year.
Source:
Synthèse du marché – 1er semestre 2024, Autorité Nationale des Jeux, 1er octobre 2024.
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