French National Gaming Authority publishes online gaming and sports betting report

The online market’s gross gaming revenue (GGR) reached €1.45bn in the first half of 2026, an 11 per cent increase

The French National Gaming Authority (ANJ) published its semi-annual report analyzing gambling and games of chance in France on October 15.

While this report does not include the activity of casinos and gaming clubs, which are subject to annual reporting, the regulator notes a slowdown in growth. Indeed, the sector’s gross gaming revenue (GGR), excluding casinos and clubs, amounted to €5.66bn for the first half of 2026 (H1), showing an increase of only 0.5 per cent compared to H1 2025, versus +4.1 per cent a year earlier. The ANJ also observes that the activities offered by Française des Jeux United (FDJU) and Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU) are declining, unlike the market for authorised online gaming, which “is driving market growth, particularly due to the dynamism of sports betting.” A symbol of this good health, in the first half of the year, 5.85mactive player accounts (APCs) were recorded (+24 per cent).

The online market’s gross gaming revenue (GGR) reached €1.45bn in the first half of 2026, an 11 per cent increase compared to the same period of the previous year. It now represents more than a quarter of the market (25.6 per cent) excluding casinos and gaming clubs.

“Online sports betting remains the driving force of the online segment, ahead of poker and horse racing,” notes the French National Gaming Authority (ANJ) in its report. Its growth is concentrated primarily in June, the month the FIFA World Cup begins. The analysis reveals that stakes increased by 10.6 per cent over the six-month period (€6.6bn), but while they rose by four per cent from January to May, they reached a peak of +47 per cent in June. This month also accounts for the bulk of the increase in the number of players: +69 per cent of active player accounts between June 2025 and June 2026. An explosion that may reflect the promotional efforts of operators during this period, with acquisition bonuses multiplied by almost four compared to June 2025, indicates the ANJ.

The report reveals that other segments are growing more steadily. Poker’s gross gaming revenue (GGR) reached €290m (+13.4 per cent), with average daily wagers (ADWs) up year-on-year and 39 per cent over the half-year. Horse racing stakes, meanwhile, increased by 16% to €920 million, “their strongest growth since 2021,” despite a mere three per cent increase in the number of players.

After contributing 2.7 points to market growth in the first half of 2025, FDJU’s gross gaming revenue (GGR) in France declined by two per cent in the first half of 2026, to €3.43bn. Lottery games accounted for the bulk of this decrease (€64m). Draw games fell by 7.6 per cent due, according to the operator, to “fewer and smaller Euromillions jackpots and lower foot traffic at retail outlets in the second quarter, linked to the heatwave.” PMU’s exclusive rights activities declined for the third consecutive year. Stakes fell by 3.8 per cent, to €3.1bn, and GGR by 5.8 per cent, to €782m.

Online sports betting confirmed its growth in 2025. Wagers reached €11.52bn, up 12 per cent year-on-year, while gross gaming revenue (GGR) stood at €1.77bn (+10.4 per cent ), according to a press release from the French National Gaming Authority (ANJ) on Monday, October 12. The market had 3.65 million unique players, an increase of 8.6 per cent.

Football remains by far the main driver of the market. It accounted for 54.9 per cent of bets, or €6.32bn, up 10.2 per cent , for a gross gaming revenue (GGR) of €1.05bn (+11.8 per cent ). This increase is partly due to the expansion of the betting options. The Champions League, for example, went from 137 to 189 matches over the calendar year (+38 per cent ), while bets jumped by 48.6 per cent. According to the French National Gaming Authority (ANJ), three-quarters of this growth is explained by the increased number of matches, suggesting that “a more abundant supply generates additional demand.”

The new Club World Cup also quickly found its audience. Its 63 matches generated €248m in bets, or €3.9m per match, a level close to the €4.4m average recorded during Champions League matches. With €829m in bets placed over the season, the Champions League has become the football competition projected to generate the most bets in 2025, ahead of Ligue 1, La Liga, and the Premier League.

Matches involving French teams also occupy the top spots in the rankings. The Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan generated €38.2m in bets, ahead of the Club World Cup final between Chelsea and PSG (€26.7m).

Tennis, the second most popular sport in the market, saw €2.65bn in bets placed, a 16 per cent increase, despite not benefiting from a major international football tournament. The main draws of Grand Slam tournaments accounted for 26.6 per cent of the sport’s bets, while the ATP Masters 1000 events represented 16.6%. Bets on the WTA women’s circuit, however, rose by 33 per cent.

The study also highlights the importance of a multitude of less-publicised football competitions. The 93 competitions, each representing less than two per cent of total football betting, nevertheless account for €2.3bn, or 37 per cent of the total. They are more frequently bet on live: 48 per cent of bets, compared to 34% for major competitions. South American leagues, in particular, occupy the French evening slots, while Asian and Oceanian competitions fill the morning slots.

This finding raises concerns for the regulator. Analysis of bets placed in the first half of 2026 shows that players identified as excessive or manifestly excessive gamblers account for more than 80% of bets placed on the leagues in Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and Australia. The ANJ (French National Gambling Authority) emphasizes, however, that “this result does not necessarily mean that these competitions inherently present a greater potential for addiction.”

According to the regulator, this proportion primarily reflects recreational players’ lack of interest in these competitions. The same phenomenon appears depending on the type of bet. In the second quarter of 2026, bets on a specific period of play (halftime, quartertime, set, or game) were placed by excessive or clearly excessive gamblers in 80 per cent to 89 per cent of cases. This finding, according to the ANJ (French National Gambling Authority), “could argue in favor of better integrating player protection” into the regulations governing authorised betting platforms.

Finally, as reported by Journal des Casinos, the return to player (RTP) rate, capped at an average of 85 per cent per year for each operator, stood at 84.67 per cent in 2025. After reaching 94.5 per cent in September, it fell sharply in October and then in November, to 82.3 per cent and 74.2 per cent respectively, a sequence which, according to the ANJ, “seems to reflect an adjustment of odds at the end of the financial year”