SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
L’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), has published its H1 2022 market report detailing mixed results for the make-up of French gambling.
France’s gambling sector recorded a total market turnover of €5bn, up 7% on comparative H1 2021 results of €4.9bn.
The market’s headline growth reflected the post-pandemic recovery of French monopoly operators, FDJ and PMU, who generated respective GGRs of €3.2bn (+12%) and €970m (15%).
A breakdown of monopoly performance saw a full-strength FDJ lottery network accumulate total sales of €8bn, which accounted for a lottery GGR (instant + draws) of €2.7bn.
Lottery growth mitigated a decline in FDJ’s sports betting performance (online + retail) that recorded wagers of €2bn and GGR of €485m – as FDJ sports could not match peak comparative results of H1 2021.
Meanwhile, freed from venue restrictions and reopened to the public, PMU, France’s horseracing operator, generated increased wagers of €3.9bn (+18%).
The improved results of French horseracing reflected a new ‘betting pool system’, which helped PMU generate a first-half GGR of €970m.
ANJ’s report reflected a tough period for France’s licensed online gambling operators who reported an 11% drop in GGR to €1.1bn (H12021: €1.25bn).
The decline in online gambling GGR reflected a 12% decrease in active player accounts to 3.7m.
H1 trading saw online gambling register declines across all segments, as sports betting saw wagers decline below €4bn, reporting an 8% GGR decline to €685m.
Meanwhile, online poker registered a 3% decrease in GGR to €216m, as activity drags against its pandemic-influenced comparatives of 2021.
ANJ noted a quietening of French online gambling marketing activities, with period marketing expenditure falling to €57m (-46%).
French online gambling operators were reminded that they must submit ‘advertising action plans’ to the ANJ by November, in order for the regulator to monitor French gambling advertising during the FIFA Qatar World Cup (20 November to 18 December).
