The National Gaming Authority of France (ANJ) reported a return to growth in 2021, recording $11.5 billion of revenue in the country’s gambling sector.
Buoyed by pandemic-related restrictions, 2020 saw a significant drop in activity, but a shift towards the internet and easing of public health measures in 2021 put France’s gaming industry on the path to recovery.
Overall, revenue was up 7% year-on-year, driven by “enthusiasm for online sports betting”. Gaming gross revenue (GGR) for this sector reached over 1.3 billion euros, up 44% from 2020, while a record 7.89 billion euros on an increase of 47%.
France’s two monopoly operators, La Francaise des Jeux (FDJ) and Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU), accounted for more than half of the 2021 GGR.
FDJ generated more than €5 billion, while PMU produced approximately €1.6 billion, an increase of 16% and 14% on the previous year, respectively. However, while the FDJ’s GGR exceeded pre-pandemic levels, the PMU continued to underperform in 2019, for which it generated €1.8 billion.
Casinos, meanwhile, continued to feel the impact of Covid-19 in 2021. As of October 31, casinos’ GGR reached 1.08 billion euros, representing a decline of 41% compared to the previous year.
“The gambling market revenue, affected by the health crisis in 2020, which particularly affected the game’s offer, returning to growth only in 2021”, declared the ANJ.
The growth of gambling around the world
The entity added: “From a long-term perspective, the gambling market has increased since 2017. The global GGR has increased by almost 7% since 2017, from €10 billion to around €10.7 billion.”
“This progress is clearly driven by online gaming, more specifically online sports betting. At the end of 2021, online market revenue represented approximately 20% of global industry revenue, compared to 9.5% in 2017.”
