Gambling Revenue Surges in France Driven by Euro Cup and Paris Olympics
France’s gambling sector experienced a significant boost in 2024, fueled by the Euro football championship and the Paris Olympics. According to a report released by the Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, the industry’s revenue climbed by nearly 5%, reaching €14 billion. The gross gaming revenue (GGR), representing the difference between stakes and winnings paid out, saw a substantial increase.
Online Sports Betting Leads the Way
Online sports betting demonstrated strong growth, with a 19% increase, resulting in a GGR of almost €1.8 billion. Football, tennis, basketball, and rugby accounted for the majority of bets placed. Online horse race betting saw a slight increase of 1.5%, reaching €339 million, while online poker experienced a decline of 2%, falling to €493 million.
Changing Player Demographics
The number of active player accounts reached 5.7 million, representing 3.9 million unique players. The profile of bettors is evolving, with 30% aged between 18 and 24, and 15% being women. La Française des Jeux, now known as FDJ United, remains the market leader with a GGR exceeding €7 billion (+6%), primarily driven by lottery games.
A Shift Towards Less Intensive Gambling
French casinos reported a moderate increase of 1.2%, reaching €2.7 billion, with stable attendance figures of 31 million visits. The seven Parisian gambling clubs achieved a GGR of €123 million. Conversely, PMU experienced a 2% decrease in its GGR, falling to €1.7 billion, but maintained a stable net profit of €837 million and saw its player base grow to 3.5 million.
“This growth calls for increased vigilance. We need to evolve towards a less intensive gambling model and combat the social normalization of gambling,” stated Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, president of the ANJ.
The planned tax increase on July 1, 2025, could potentially slow down this growth.
Monitoring New Gambling Markets
The ANJ is also closely monitoring the opening of the market for monetizable digital object games (JONUM), scheduled to begin in September 2025. The authority asserts that it will carefully monitor compliance with the boundary between these games and traditional gambling.
Afjel, the association representing online gambling operators, believes that the growth in 2024 is misleading due to the threat of increased taxation. Casinos de France, on the other hand, denounces regulatory distortions and calls for structural reform. (With AFP)
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