French online revenue increased to €962m in 2017

ARJEL, the French regulator has revealed that the country’s online gaming market generated €962m ($1.18bn) in revenue during 2017.

The amount represents an increase of 18% on the previous year, boosted by a rise in bets and entry fees, which collectively grew 9% year-on-year to €9.2bn.

French punters wagered a record €2.51bn on sports in the 12 months through to December 31, 2017, while the number of active players in this market increased from 1.6 million in 2016 to two million.

ARJEL noted an improvement in online horse betting activity for the first time in four years, with the number of active players also up from 484,000 to 523,000.

Elsewhere, online poker stakes increased 1% year-on-year to €3.6bn in regards to cash games, with entry fees for tournaments also up 9%.

ARJEL collected a total of €439m in tax from online gambling activities in the past year, which is 13% more than in 2016.

In a statement, ARJEL said: “These results are encouraging: they testify to the dynamism of the licensed operators and reflect the determined action of the regulator.

“It’s our responsibility to make this market live and fight the illegal supply because it is the most protective for the market.”