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The sports betting market in France is booming as the sector recorded a massive 52 per cent year-on-year revenue growth for the first quarter of 2019. In contrast, results weren’t as good for poker games.
According to the figures released by France’s gambling regulatory body ARJEL (L’Autorite de regulation des jeux en ligne), the first quarter sports betting revenue increased from €147m in Q1 of 2018 to €222m this year €1.27b was a total amount of sports betting wagers, as the number of weekly active bettors went up 42% to 655k. All results are the highest since the market’s liberalization in 2010, with market developing so rapidly over recent years that Q1 results show that it generated more than in all of 2014.
Football remains the dominant wagering sport. A total of €716.8m was placed on football games up 54% on €464.9m wagered during the same period in 2018. Tennis ranked second with €250.0m and the 53 per cent growth year-on-year.
First quarter results weren’t as positive for poker games, as online poker revenue dropped 1% to €68m. Tournament poker did improve, with entry fees and revenue up 1% to €599m and €45.4m, respectively. However, cash games were down by 3 per cent from €1.106bn the previous year to €1.106bn in 2019.
