Figures released by the French gaming regulator ARJEL show the country’s licensed online sports betting operators handled wagers worth €847m in the three months ending March 31, a 34% rise over the same period last year and a new record for online betting handle since the regulated market launched in 2010.
Online betting revenue fared even better, rising 55% year-on-year to €147m – another quarterly record – thanks to favorable sporting results that pushed the return to players down 2.1 points to 85% (the minimum return allowed under French law).
Football wagers were up 34% year-on-year to €465m, accounting for 55% of Q1’s total wagering handle. Tennis wagers grew 26% to €163m for a 19% share of Q1’s overall handle, while basketball wagers jumped 53% to €125m, representing a 15% share.
Online horseracing wagers improved 9% to €270m, marking the fourth consecutive quarter of year-on-year growth.
France’s once-struggling online poker market reported cash game spending jumping 18% to just over €1.1b but cash game revenue slipped 2% to €24.1m. Online poker tournament fees were up 14% to €594m and tourney revenue gained 15% to €44.8m.
Source: calvinayre.com
