As France positions itself on the global gambling stage, the ANJ (Autorité Nationale des Jeux) has documented a noteworthy surge in the nation’s gross gaming revenue (GGR), which ascended to €13.4 billion in 2023. This figure represents a 3.5% increment from the preceding year and indicates all market segments flourishing in concert for the first instance since the fateful year of 2019.
Nevertheless, France’s uplift has trailed the 5.5% average growth scene across Europe, a fact not lost on the regulatory body. Yet there is a silver lining—evidently, the French online gambling arena is experiencing an upward swing, having achieved stability in 2022. This newfound stability signals a rebound from the trough carved by the Covid-19 pandemic, setting a precedent for future market behavior.
Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, who stands at the helm of the ANJ as president, has observed that the sector’s robust performance mirrors the efficacy of France’s stringent regulatory framework in contrast to that of other markets. She noted, “This good health of the market demonstrates that demanding regulation is not an obstacle to development.” Falque-Pierrotin vouchsafes that this progress underpins the ANJ’s pivotal goal of diminishing the population of excessive gamblers.
The fulcrum of this growth narrative, as posited by the ANJ, is the online gambling sector, where GGR rocketed to an impressive €2.3 billion in 2023—a robust 7.2% leap year-on-year following a meager 0.8% rise the year before. The online player base has now escalated to 3.6 million with gains seen across all categories barring sports betting. Yet in the realm of online betting, sports prevail as the most saturated segment, hosting 16 legal operators.
Boasting a GGR uptick of 6.4% over 2022, online sports betting achieved a GGR of €1.5 billion, despite the absence of a major sporting spectacle. With Euro 2024 and the Olympic Games—set to grace Paris—on the horizon, the vitality of sports betting is unquestionably on an ascending trajectory.
Delving into the fabric of online GGR, sports betting accounts for the lion’s share at 63.3%, while poker and horse racing trail at 21.6% and 15.1%, respectively. The digital domain saw some declines, with the unique player pool shrinking by 7.3% and active account figures dipping by 3.9%. Despite this, football reigned in dominance over France, responsible for a massive €4.4 billion in wagers, with tennis, basketball, and rugby following suit, collectively contributing 88.5% to the online sports betting turnover in 2023.
La Française des Jeux (FDJ) and Pari-Mutuel Urbain (PMU), the twin pillars of France’s exclusive operators, have not been left behind in this sweeping growth. Together, they generated 62.7% of the national GGR. The FDJ, in particular, distinguished itself by garnering a GGR of €6.6 billion in 2023, marking a 1.8% increase from the previous year. Attracting nearly 27 million French players—an annual increase of 6%—FDJ’s growth was largely driven by point-of-sale sports betting and competition-related activities.
Further evidencing FDJ’s robust performance in 2023 is its carryover into 2024, with revenues touching €710 million in Q1 and a 7.2% year-on-year revenue spike. Gaming revenue itself stood at €645 million, again signifying a 3.1% climb over the same quarter last year. In strategic developments, FDJ announced its intent to purchase Kindred Group—a move indicative of its ambition to secure the position of Europe’s second-largest gambling operator.
PMU also enjoyed its fair share of growth, albeit at a gentler pace, realizing a GGR of €1.7 billion, a modest 1% rise from 2022. It wasn’t just online segments that prospered; casino activity soared by 8.1% across the year, hitting a GGR zenith of €2.7 billion, with over 80% attributable to slot machines across the majority of French establishments.
Even amidst this tidal wave of financial success, the ANJ remains vigilant, cognizant of the surge in betting activity and the incumbent risk. With a 6.3% increment in average stakes per active player signaling increasingly intensive play, the regulatory body earnestly advises operators to maintain acute awareness and safeguard vulnerable bettors. Falque-Pierrotin has underscored the urgency of this mission in the face of 2024’s packed sporting calendar, emphasizing the necessity for rigorous oversight, particularly targeted at preventing gambling detriment among minors and vulnerable populations, particularly those aged 18-24.
In summary, the vibrancy of France’s gambling industry reflects not only the potential for economic growth but equally the paramount importance of responsible gambling measures. With a year laden with marquee sporting events ahead, operators are reminded to tread carefully, balancing industry ambitions with the imperative of player protection.
