Revenue was up 16 per cent despite lower than expected Euro 2024 betting.

France.- The French gambling regulator Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANL) has reported that licensed bets in the country hit €5.2bn in H1, a rise of 24 per cent year-on-year. Gross gaming revenue (GGR) was up 16 per cent at €871m.

Online betting was up 10 per cent at €1.3bn, with the number of online active player accounts rising by 13 per cent year-on-year to 2 million in June. The growth in June was particularly strong, likely because of Euro 2024. Nevertheless, the amount wagered on the Euros was some way below the ANJ’s forecast of €1bn, reaching just €650m. That compares to €900m staked during the previous tournament in 2021.

The ANJ attributed the drop to the poor performance of the French team as well as to the French general election. However, the French online gaming association AFJEL has suggested that unlicensed betting on Euro 2024 led its members to take around half of the handle estimated.

Paris 2024 Olympic Games betting forecast

The ANJ has forecast that some €240m will be wagered on the Olympic Games, currently underway in Paris. That would be a rise of 100 per cent from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. A survey by Toluna-Harris Interactive has estimated that 59 per cent of French adults will follow the event and that a quarter of those planned to bet. Some 74 per cent said Paris hosting the Games was a key reason to bet.