Gambling in France is on the rise, with L’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) announcing a 3.5% increase in gross gambling revenue to €13.4 billion in 2023.
Growth was seen across all verticals, marking a record for the sector after stabilizing in 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
But although growth was slightly below the European average of 5.5%, it was comparable to neighboring markets Germany, the UK and Spain.
FDJ and PMU represent more than half of gaming revenue
Former monopoly operators Francaise des Jeux (FDJ) and PMU accounted for 62.7% of all gross gaming revenues. That’s €6.6 billion and €1.7 billion, respectively.
FDJ’s online and land-based sports betting revenues increased by 10.4% to €1 billion. FDJ now operates across all segments following the acquisition of ZEturf in the third quarter. On the other hand, PMU reached pre-pandemic levels.
In other words, the combined GGR (Gross Gaming Revenue) of casino operators was €2.7 billion, an increase of 8%.
The ANJ said most land-based casino operators had higher revenues than in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic. More than 80% of revenue came from slots.
Casino Operators See 8% Increase in Revenue
Online gambling GGR rose 7.2% to €2.3 billion, with sports betting accounting for 63.3%, online poker 21.6% and online horse racing betting 15%. Online casino is not regulated in France.
Sports betting revenue increased by 6.4% to €1.5 billion and bets increased by 2.2% to €8.5 billion. However, there was a 3.9% drop in the number of active accounts.
The ANJ warned operators to be particularly attentive to player behavior. The body fears that there will be an acceleration of the intense game amid the Euro 2024 football tournament and the Paris Olympic Games.
Earlier this week, Française des Jeux reported that its first-quarter revenues rose 7.2% to €710 million.
Revenue from the game was €645 million, an increase of 3.1% compared to the previous year. But, although total revenue growth did not reach the group’s 8% target, FDJ hopes that the Euros and the Olympic Games will help boost the numbers.
