French Gambling Hits €5.7B as Online Bets Surge, FDJ United Soars

The online gambling segment achieved €1.4bn in GGR, up 6% compared with H1 2024. Active player accounts (APAs) reached 4.7m, up 9%, reflecting continued recruitment through cross-selling strategies.

Online sports betting led the growth, with stakes up 15% to €6bn, and GGR rising 10% to €961m. Football remained the most popular sport, though tennis showed the fastest growth, largely driven by the Roland Garros tournament.

Horse racing betting posted stable GGR (€174m) despite a 3% increase in active accounts and a 3% decline in unique players, reflecting increased competition and promotional activity.

Online poker declined 4% to €246m in GGR. Cash games fell 15%, while tournament formats (MTT and Sit&Go) remained stable. However, the number of active accounts grew 12% to 1.7m and unique players rose 10% to 1.3m, indicating strong player interest despite lower monetization.

FDJ United’s total GGR increased 19% to €4.4bn, driven by the integration of Kindred’s European online activities. The online betting and games segment surged 458% to €703m. Lottery revenues also grew, supported by multiple EuroMillions super jackpots.

PMU underperformed, with stakes declining 4.2% to €3.22bn and GGR falling 2.6% to €830m. The first quarter underperformance contributed to this decline.

Segment performance summary (H1 2025)

Online sports betting continues to expand even without major international events, with football accounting for 52% of total bets and tennis 26%. Poker maintains strong player interest, although lower monetization per active account is observed due to cross-selling strategies. FDJ United continues to consolidate its market share across lotteries, sports betting, and online games, while PMU faces increasing competitive pressure in both retail and online channels, resulting in a declining market share.

The ANJ concluded that while the French gambling market shows overall growth, performance varies significantly by segment, highlighting online sports betting as the primary growth driver and FDJ United as the strongest market consolidator.