World Cup boosts French gambling revenue as online growth offsets retail decline
Online gambling was the main driver of growth, while lottery and horse racing revenue continued to fall.
France's regulated gambling market saw a slight increase in revenue in the first half of 2026, largely due to betting activity ahead of the FIFA World Cup. Total gross gaming revenue, excluding casinos, reached 5.66 billion euros between January and June, a 0.5 percent increase compared to the same period in 2025. This was a sharp deceleration from the 4.1 percent year-over-year growth recorded in the first half of 2025. Online gambling was the main engine of growth, generating 1.45 billion euros, an 11 percent increase. Online sports betting revenue grew 11.6 percent to 995 million euros, with stakes in June alone skyrocketing by 47 percent year-over-year as the World Cup began.
Online poker also saw strong growth, with gross gaming revenue rising 13.4 percent year-over-year to 290 million euros. The number of active player accounts for online poker jumped 38.5 percent to 2.3 million. The French gambling regulator ANJ said poker providers have been expanding their player base faster than sports betting operators, where active accounts rose 69 percent in June but were up only 11 percent in May. In contrast, retail gambling revenue declined. GGR from Française des Jeux's lottery and retail sports betting activities fell 2 percent to 3.43 billion euros. The regulator said lottery draw games were a noticeable drag, down 7.6 percent due to "fewer and lower Euromillions jackpots" and weaker foot traffic in the second quarter because of higher-than-average temperatures. FDJ represents 61 percent of the total French market GGR, and the operator has indicated it aims to stabilise its France-facing activities by the end of the 2026 financial year.
Revenue from the pari-mutuel horse racing betting operator PMU declined for the third consecutive year, down 5.8 percent to 782 million euros. This decline accelerated from the 2.6 percent drop recorded in the first half of 2025. PMU is undergoing a state-backed restructuring through the Pacte PMU 2030 plan, which aims to modernise the French horse racing sector. The operator's own financial contributions to the sport will drop to 725 million euros in 2026, compared to last year's 802 million euro commitment. The transformation will be led by Cyrille Giraudat, who was appointed chief executive officer at the end of 2025.