French Gambling Industry Thrives in First Half of 2024

The French gambling industry is experiencing a period of strong growth, with gross gaming revenue (GGR) increasing by 3.8% year-on-year in the first half of the year, reaching €5.5 billion. According to the regulator, this positive trend is “driven by the strong performance of La Française des Jeux (FDJ) and online gambling operators.”

Online Gambling Sees Record Performance

The French online gambling market is booming. The regulator highlights the “record performance” of sports betting. Online poker is also performing well, albeit to a lesser extent.

While the first half of 2023 benefited from the Qatar World Cup, resulting in a 16% increase in GGR, this year’s growth is a more modest 2%. However, the €257 million generated in the first six months of the year represents a new record for the period.

Active Player Accounts Surge

There’s good news for the industry: the number of active player accounts is at an all-time high. Reaching 1.5 million, they have increased by 11% year-on-year. In June alone, the increase reached 31%, mainly concentrated on Sit&Go games.

The regulator suggests that the popularity of Expresso and Spin games may have surged due to the coinciding Euro football tournament and the resulting influx of casual players.