Sports betting drives online growth in France
Q3 results from the regulator reveal a 23% rise in online gambling revenues driven by influx of sports bettors
The French online gambling market recorded a 23% year-on-year revenue rise in revenues during Q3 2017 following strong growth in both sports betting and poker.
According to figures released by French gambling regulator ARJEL, online sports betting rose 23%, totalling €106m for the period ending September 30, while significant gains in online poker were listed at 11%.
The growth from poker marked the most significant increase in the vertical for almost six years after generating revenues of €57m.
Football accounted for 60% of total online sports betting revenue, despite the absence of Euro 2016, which fell in the prior corresponding period.
Horseracing betting also experienced strong growth, with wagers up 15% year-on-year sparking a revenue increase of 10%.
ARJEL, which narrowly avoided being scrapped in 2016, said the rise was primarily driven by an increase in the population of sports bettors, with 301,000 active weekly player accounts for Q3, compared to 239,000 in Q3 2016.