Gambling: France is booming
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12 May 2025 •
Reading time: 3 minutes In 2024, the French gambling market grew significantly. Gross gaming revenue (GGR) reached €14 billion, up 4.7% on the previous year. This growth is in line with the average for European markets of a comparable size.
La Française des Jeux (FDJ) consolidated its leading position, accounting for almost 50% of the market with a PBJ in excess of €7 billion, up 6% on 2023. This performance is mainly attributable to the lottery, which generated €5.8 billion, up 5%.
The boom in online gambling: stronger momentum
The online gaming segment had a record year, with PBJ of €2.6 billion, up 12% on 2023. This performance was largely due to the exceptional sporting calendar, including the Euro football tournament and the Paris Olympic Games.
Online sports betting has emerged as the main driver of this growth, with PBJ up 19% to nearly €1.8 billion. It now accounts for more than 12% of the total gambling market and contributes 43% of the sector’s overall growth.
At the same time, the number of active player accounts (APAs) rose by 11% to 5.7 million. The number of unique players rose by 8% to 3.9 million. Notably, 30% of sports bettors are between 18 and 24 years old, indicating a rejuvenation of the player population.
The other segments: between stability and slight fluctuations
The casino sector experienced a year of consolidation, with the number of admissions stable at 31 million and a slight increase of 1.2% in gross gaming revenue to €2.7 billion. Gaming clubs saw their growth slow, with a PBJ of 123 million euros, up 3.7% from 11% in 2023.
PMU recorded €6.6 billion in bets and a PBJ of €1.7 billion, down 2% on the previous year. However, the number of PMU players rose by 6% to 3.5 million, returning to the level seen in 2019 before the health crisis.
A European perspective: France on a par
At European level, the French online gambling market grew by 12%, compared with 14.5% for Europe as a whole. Although slightly lower, this performance puts France in line with the average for comparable European markets.
Isabelle FALQUE-PIERROTIN, President of the French National Gaming Authority (ANJ):
“The French market is growing at a rate comparable to the major European markets. While operators were particularly active in 2024 due to major sporting events, the first few months of 2025 have confirmed this growth dynamic. Against this backdrop, the regulator is highlighting two major challenges: the need to reorient the sector’s business model towards less intensive gambling that is less focused on high-risk players; and the need to mobilise all stakeholders to change the representations associated with gambling, which have led to it becoming commonplace in French society”.
Challenges and prospects: towards tighter regulation
In view of this growth, the ANJ stresses the need for tighter regulation to prevent the risks associated with excessive gambling. According to an estimate by the Gaming Observatory in 2019, 1.4 million gamblers were at risk, including nearly 400,000 at pathological level. These figures, although in need of updating, illustrate the importance of proactive regulation.In addition, the ANJ plans to keep a close eye on the opening up of the market for games with monetisable digital objects (JONUM), an experiment introduced by the SREN law of 21 May 2024, which could have an impact on the entire sector.