In a scenario of constant digital transformation and strong regulatory pressure, the French betting market <5>.
This consolidated growth of 3% places the country, undeniably, in the select group of the five biggest powers in the sector in Europe, keeping pace with economies such as the United Kingdom and Italy.
Driven by the impressive leap in digital platforms, the sector managed to maintain its pace of expansion even in a year without the great appeal of national team tournaments, proving that the current business model is profitable and sustainable in the long term.
How digitalization is redefining France’s betting market and player profile
Currently, the digital environment already accounts for 18.5% of all industry revenue in the country, reaching the mark of €2.61 billion.
Of this amount, sports betting easily dominates the scenario.
Football leads alone, moving €6.32 billion and benefiting mainly from the new format of the European Champions League, followed by the strong increase in interest in tennis matches.
Consequently, customer behavior has also changed. The internet base grew to 4.2 million unique users, consolidating the trend that the sector calls “multiactivity”.
In other words, more and more people are dividing their budget between sports, poker and horse racing, while players focused on just one sport are losing ground.
On the other hand, land-based retail is experiencing a mixed reality: while traditional casinos are growing again, gaming clubs in Paris suffered a sharp 21% drop in revenue due to temporary closures at the beginning of the year.
Corporate challenges and the impact of the new tax burden
In addition to changes in consumption, the annual balance reveals the disparity between the country’s large operators.
The state-owned FDJ continues to dominate the sector by guaranteeing almost half (49.2%) of total French revenues, supported by the stability of lotteries, despite facing difficulties in its digital operations across Europe.
On the other hand, the PMU remains on alert after recording another year of decline in horse betting and the shrinking of its customer base, which requires urgent restructuring by 2030.
Given this panorama, the year 2026 will be a true trial by fire for the industry.
Companies will face, for the first time, the full financial impact of the tax increase approved in July 2025.
Added to this, the sector will need to deal with the entry of new competitors, assess the real commercial momentum of the next World Cup and ensure full compliance with the new and emerging market for games with monetizable digital objects (JONUM).
