2026 FIFA World Cup Prevents Stagnation in French Regulated Gambling Market
The commencement of the 2026 FIFA World Cup played a critical role in sustaining growth across France’s regulated online gambling market during the first half of 2026, helping offset operational contractions across land-based monopoly networks. According to performance data released by the Autorité nationale des jeux (ANJ), total gross gaming revenue (GGR) across non-casino sectors reached €5.66bn between January and June, marking a modest 0.5 per cent year-over-year increase. This reflects a sharp deceleration compared to H1 2025, which saw a 4.1 per cent year-over-year growth rate.
Online gambling emerged as the primary growth engine for the French market, generating €1.45bn in GGR, an 11 per cent year-over-year increase. Online sports betting contributed €995m in GGR (up 11.6 per cent), driven almost entirely by an unprecedented spike in June ahead of the World Cup kick-off. Wagering stakes in June surged by 47 per cent year-over-year, contrasting sharply with the 4 per cent growth rate recorded over the preceding five months and bringing total semester stakes to €6.6bn. Online poker also posted solid gains, with GGR rising 13.4 per cent to €290m as Active Player Accounts (APAs) expanded by 38.5 per cent to 2.3 million.
Conversely, land-based exclusive operators faced ongoing pressure. FDJ United’s French lottery and retail sports betting GGR declined 2 per cent year-over-year to €3.43bn, dragged down by a 7.6 per cent drop in draw games due to fewer high-value EuroMillions jackpot cycles and lower retail traffic during European summer heatwaves. FDJ United, which commands 61 per cent of overall French GGR, aims to stabilize its domestic operations by the end of FY 2026. Meanwhile, pari-mutuel horse racing operator PMU recorded its third consecutive year of H1 GGR decline, falling 5.8 per cent to €782m as its market share dropped to 13.8 per cent. PMU is currently undergoing state-backed restructuring under the Pacte PMU 2030 plan, which reduces its financial contribution to the racing industry to €725m in 2026, down from €802m in 2025.
