France’s Online Gambling GGR Rises 11% to €1.45 Billion in H1 2026

France’s licensed online gambling market generated €1.45 billion in gross gaming revenue in the first half of 2026, up 11% year on year, according to gambling regulator ANJ.

Online operators accounted for 25.6% of the market covered by the regulator’s half-year report. Total GGR reached €5.66 billion, an increase of 0.5%, compared with growth of 4.1% a year earlier. The figures exclude casinos and gaming clubs, whose results ANJ reports annually. 

The results show a widening gap between licensed online operators and the exclusive-rights businesses of FDJ United and PMU. Sports betting led online growth, while poker and online horse racing betting also expanded.

World Cup Lifts June Sports Betting

Online sports betting stakes reached €6.6 billion during the six-month period, up 10.6% year on year. Much of that increase came in June, when the 2026 FIFA World Cup began.

Stakes rose 4% between January and May before increasing 47% year on year in June. The tournament therefore provided a substantial boost toward the end of the reporting period.

Sports betting activity also attracted more accounts. ANJ reported a 69% year-on-year increase in active sports betting accounts in June, alongside acquisition bonuses that were almost four times their June 2025 level. The regulator highlighted the parallel increase in promotional spending and participation. 

Across all three licensed online gambling segments, active player accounts reached a record 5.85 million, up 24% from the first half of 2025.

Poker and Horse Racing Also Expand

Online poker GGR increased 13.4% to €290 million. Sit & Go games accounted for 70% of poker revenue, while active poker accounts increased approximately 39% over the half-year.

Online horse racing stakes rose 16% to €920 million. ANJ described this as the strongest growth since 2021. The number of participating players increased by around 3%, considerably less than the rise in stakes. 

These results gave the online market several sources of growth, although sports betting remained its largest segment and the main driver of the overall increase.

FDJ United and PMU Revenue Declines

FDJ United’s French exclusive-rights operations generated €3.43 billion in GGR, down 2%. Lottery activity accounted for most of the decline.

Draw-game revenue fell 7.6%. According to the operator, fewer and smaller EuroMillions jackpots affected performance, while heatwaves reduced visits to retail outlets during the second quarter.

PMU’s exclusive-rights business recorded a 5.8% decline in GGR to €782 million. Stakes fell 3.8% to €3.1 billion, marking a third consecutive year of declining activity in that business. 

For the second half, ANJ identified activity among the enlarged online account base after the World Cup as a key factor in determining full-year growth.