France’s Sports Betting Revenue Increases in Q1 2019

France’s sports betting market has recorded 51% year-on-year revenue growth for Q1 2019.

Locally licensed online operators generated combined revenue of €357m in the three months ending March 31. Active player accounts rose by one-fifth to 2.2m, while deposits were up one-quarter to €658m. Wagering revenue was up 51% to €222m, another all-time record, as the number of weekly active bettors spiked 42% to 655k.

Football remains the dominant wagering sport, capturing nearly €717m of Q1’s online handle. France’s Ligue 1 remains the most popular football betting product with €119.6m. Tennis ranked second on the overall handle chart with €250m, while basketball ranked third with €177m. Horseracing had a more modest quarter, with wagers up only 1% to €273m. Online poker revenue dipped 1% to €68m, virtually the only negative number in the Q1 report.

The ranks of weekly active female gamblers are growing faster than les hommes. Women still represent only one-eighth of all French online gamblers, but their numbers grew by 24% in Q1 while the men were up 19%.