French wagered over €1 billion on sports during Q2

Sports bettors placed over €1 billion in the second quarter of 2018, driven by the national team’s success in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

France.- June was a key month for the sports betting industry worldwide as the first stage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup took place and generated a major increase in wagers, which later followed into July until the final match. However, it was especially productive for the segment in France, as the national team’s success drove the French to bet over €1 billion during the second quarter of the year.

Local regulator ARJEL showed that online sports bettors in the country gambled just over €1 billion during the three months ending June 30, 61 per cent higher year-on-year. Revenue at the 12 sites licensed by the body reached €181 million, more than two-thirds up from 2017.

In addition, it revealed weekly active sports bettors rose 75 per cent to 527,000, as football accounted for 59 per cent of all betting stakes in the second quarter, and betting handle reached €218 million for the 50 matches in the competition, representing 37 per cent of all football wagers.

There were also increases in horseracing wagers, up 5 per cent year-on-year to €250 million, and revenue, which reached €61 million, 6 per cent higher when compared to the same period in 2017. In addition, ARJEL explained weekly bettor ranks grew 5 per cent to €136,000.