France’s ANJ reports record online gambling revenue for Q2

The national gambling regulator ANJ has reported that French online gambling revenue rose 91 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter.

France.- Online gambling revenue in France reached a record €617m in the second quarter according to the national gambling regulator, L’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ). That’s an increase of 91 per cent year-on-year from Q2 2022, when results were hampered by the cancellation of sporting events due to Covid-19.

Sports betting accounted for a record €420m, up 46.8 per cent from Q2 2020 and driven by the Euros. Betting on horse races generated €95m, up 7.9 per cent year-on-year. Conversely, online poker revenue was down 27.4 per cent year-on-year to €103m.

The number of active players was up 65 per cent to 3.3 million. Player deposits rose 89 per cent to €1.11bn, surpassing €1bn for the third consecutive quarter. Withdrawals were up 84 per cent at €523m. Operators increased their marketing spend by 387.5 per cent to €78m, almost a third of it on retention bonuses.

ANJ president Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin said: “The French bet more online and quite logically, the Euros boosted the segment of sports betting, with revenue reaching another record this quarter.”

Earlier this month, the ANJ hosted the first of a series of “citizen workshops” on gambling advertising. It will host several such events to gather opinions from the public about how France’s rules on gambling ads should be updated.

The regulator launched the public consultation following criticism of the amount of gambling advertising shown during the UEFA Euro 2020 championships, when it warned that a line had been crossed. It is keen to update French laws to protect young people and those vulnerable to gambling harm.