As per ANJ data, growth in the French gambling market slowed during the first half of 2026, with Gross Gaming Revenue, excluding casinos and gaming clubs, reaching €5.66 billion. This reflects a modest 0.5% increase compared to the first half of 2025, cooling down from the 4.1% growth rate registered a year prior. While traditional exclusive operators saw contractions across their retail networks, the digital gaming sector expanded robustly to sustain overall market momentum.
Online Gaming Powers Market Expansion
The online gaming sector served as the exclusive growth engine for the market, generating €1.45 billion in Gross Gaming Revenue during the first half of 2026, an 11% increase over the corresponding period in 2025. Online sports betting anchored this performance, fueled by a marked acceleration in June driven by the start of the FIFA World Cup.
Although stakes increased by 10.6% overall to reach €6.6 billion, activity was heavily weighted toward June, which recorded a 47% surge compared to a modest 4% growth rate between January and May. Enhanced promotional spending by operators, with acquisition bonuses nearly quadrupling compared to June 2025, contributed to a 69% year on year increase in active player accounts for that month.
Other digital segments also registered steady gains. Poker Gross Gaming Revenue advanced 13.4% to €290 million, bolstered by Sit and Go tournaments which comprise 70% of the vertical revenue. Concurrently, horse racing betting stakes rose 16% to €920 million, marking its strongest performance since 2021 despite a 3% reduction in participating users. Across all three online verticals, active player accounts grew 24% year on year to total 5.85 million.
Contraction Across Exclusive Rights Operators
Conversely, operators bound by exclusive rights encountered downward pressure. FDJ United reported a 2% decline in French Gross Gaming Revenue to €3.43 billion, stemming primarily from a €64 million reduction in lottery proceeds. Draw games fell 7.6%, which management attributed to smaller and less frequent Euromillions jackpot cycles alongside suppressed retail foot traffic during Q2 heatwaves.
At the same time, PMU recorded its third consecutive year of contraction in exclusive rights operations. Stakes dropped 3.8% to €3.1 billion, while Gross Gaming Revenue fell 5.8% to €782 million, accelerating the downward trend observed in H1 2025. Furthermore, PMU financial framework for 2026 earmarks €725 million in contributions to the horse racing industry, down from €802 million in 2025.
Outlook for the Remainder of 2026
Entering the second half of the year backed by an unprecedented base of 5.85 million active accounts, the online market annual performance will depend heavily on sustained player engagement following the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup. Market stability will also rely on FDJ United, which accounts for 61% of total Gross Gaming Revenue, excluding casinos and clubs, and targets stable Gross Gaming Revenue for its domestic network operations across fiscal year 2026. For PMU, 2026 functions as a transitional period dedicated to governance restructuring and the formulation of the PMU 2030 Pact.
