The COVID-19 crisis pummelled French online sports betting in Q2, with revenue crashing 56%. 

With Ligue 1 football and all major sporting events in France, and most around the world, suspended due to the pandemic, sports betting in the country ground to a virtual halt. 

According to figures from the recently established French gambling regulator, L’Autorité nationale des Jeux (ANJ), gross gaming revenue (GGR) for online sports betting fell to just €94m for the quarter.

During the French lockdown, from 16 March to 10 May, sports betting operators’ turnover fell through the floor, crashing an incredible 87%. Active player accounts fell by 36%, and the average spending per player was down 32% year-on-year. 

In an attempt to support struggling betting operators, the ANJ did authorise French operators to add betting for 7 more competitions that were still running: Australian football, 1st Australian soccer league, Hungarian football cup, 1st South Korea and China football leagues, Korean baseball, and Belarusian hockey. 

Illustrating the extent to which sports betting was affected compared to other verticals, in total the online gambling market in France saw GGR drop by only 6% during the period, to €323m. 

Interestingly, horse racing betting GGR actually rose during the quarter, by 33%, to €88m, and saw punters bet more, with wagering increasing by 35% to €362m. 

As seen in other markets, online poker was a big winner from the lockdowns, with GGR surging 126% to €142m  and the number of active players growing by 68%. 

Overall, GGR for the French online market was up 8% year-on-year, to €758m, for the first half of 2020. 

AYO.NEWS says:

With the lockdowns hitting almost every country, it’s no surprise to see French sports betting crash during Q2, but after the resumption of sports, albeit mostly behind closed doors, things should improve during Q3. 

Staying with French sports betting, last month online betting operator VBET, which is celebrating a year operating in the French market, was named official betting partner of Ligue 1 football club AS Monaco. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

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