French Gambling Market 2026: Online Surge Offsets Slowing Retail Growth

The French gambling regulator, L’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), has released its latest statistical review for the first half of 2026. The figures present a complex picture of a market in transition. While total Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) increased by only a minimal 0.5% year-on-year to €5.66 billion, the online segment showed remarkable resilience. This growth appears modest compared to the first half of 2025, when revenue surged by 4.1%. These figures exclude land-based casinos and gaming clubs, emphasizing the weight of the digital transformation.

A striking discrepancy exists between different market participants. Private online operators celebrated double-digit growth rates, while the country's traditional heavyweights struggled with declining interest. The World Cup in June proved to be the decisive lifeline for the statistics. Without this major sporting event, the overall result would likely have been negative. This demonstrates how heavily the market now depends on specific events and digital user behavior.

Numbers and facts

In the online sector, licensed operators reached a GGR of €1.45 billion, representing an 11% increase. Consequently, internet business now accounts for 25.6% of the total French market. Online stakes rose by 10.6% in the first half of the year to a total of €6.6 billion. A deeper look at the monthly statistics reveals the power of football: from January to May, growth was a moderate 4%, but in June, stakes skyrocketed by 47%. The number of active player accounts also reached a new high of 5.85 million, a significant 24% increase compared to the same period last year.

However, it is not all good news. Monopolists La Française des Jeux (FDJ) and Pari-Mutuel Urbain (PMU) still hold 61% of the market but lost massive ground. FDJ's GGR in the lottery and retail sports betting segment fell by 2% to €3.4 billion. The horse racing specialist PMU was hit even harder, with its revenue dropping by 5.8% to €782 million. This downward trend appears to be accelerating, as the decline in the previous year was only 2.6%.

Background

The ANJ views this development with a degree of skepticism. While the record number of active players is welcomed, the dependence on major sporting events poses risks to long-term stability.

“With 5.85 million active player accounts, the online market enters the second half of the year with an unprecedented player base. Its annual growth will depend on the activity of these players after the FIFA World Cup.” - Spokesperson for the ANJ, L’Autorité Nationale des Jeux

Interestingly, poker continued its upward trend, increasing GGR by 13.4% to €290 million. Total horse racing stakes also rose to €920 million, the highest figure since 2021, suggesting that the product remains popular while the traditional retail distribution via PMU needs modernization. PMU has already responded by launching new betting products to stabilize its core market and attract younger audiences.

Why it matters for German players

For players in Germany, these developments in France provide an interesting benchmark. France relies heavily on a channeling model, though in the online sector, it is primarily limited to sports betting, poker, and horse racing. German players operating under the State Treaty on Gambling 2021 (GlüStV 2021) have access to a wider range of legal online slots but must accept stricter limits. In Germany, a cross-operator deposit limit of €1,000 per month applies, monitored via the LUGAS system. Furthermore, stakes on virtual slots are limited to €1 per spin. The French figures show that player protection through account registration and monitoring of active accounts plays a central role there as well, similar to the practices of the GGL in Germany.

What it means for GGL-licensed casinos

German GGL-licensed providers can learn from the French market that sports betting events offer massive synergy effects for the rest of the portfolio. A 24% increase in active accounts in France shows how effective major events are for new customer acquisition. For German casinos with a GGL license, this means that marketing measures surrounding such events are particularly valuable, as long as they remain within the strict advertising guidelines of GlüStV 2021. The success of online poker in France (up 13.4%) also illustrates that niche products alongside slots can be stable revenue generators, provided liquidity is ensured by enough players. In Germany, the challenge remains to pull players from unregulated MGA or Curacao platforms into the legal market, where player protection and fairness are guaranteed.