French Q3 online gambling revenues stagnate
Regulator ARJEL reports total GGR fell 0.3% year-on-year to 176.1m as sports betting remains the standout vertical
The French online gambling market flatlined for a second consecutive quarter in Q3 as a modest 3% year-on-year growth in sports betting helped level out a fall in online poker revenues.
According to figures released by l’Autorité de regulation des jeux en ligne (ARJEL), gross gaming revenues (GGR) fell by 0.3% to 176.1m for the three months ended 30 September 2015.
The country’s online sports betting market was the standout vertical during the three-month period with revenues up 3% year-on-year to 62m as the number of weekly active players increased 5% to 165,000.
However, online poker continued its downward trajectory after the vertical recorded a 5% year-on-year in GGR, down from 57m (£40.2m) to 54m (£39.4m).
The decline in revenues came despite a 21% rise in tournament stakes, with cash game stakes falling 20% year-on-year from 1bn (£700m) to 833m (£656.3m).
Revenues from horse race betting increased slightly compared to the corresponding period in 2014, up 0.5% year-on-year to 60.1m, with total stakes remaining 238m for a second year running.
The new market figures come after ARJEL issued a new batch of licences to operators including Unibet, bwin.party and Betclic Everest Group in May, extending the companies’ operating licences to 2020.