In 2025, the online sports betting market in France saw significant growth, marked by an increase in both stakes and gross gaming revenue (GGR), according to a report from l'Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ). This surge occurred despite a sporting calendar that lacked major events.
The growth was driven by a more extensive schedule in football and rising interest in niche betting opportunities. The number of active betting accounts rose by 7.9% to 5.27 million, while the base of unique players grew by 8.6% to reach 3.65 million. On average, each bettor wagered approximately €3,159 ($3,533), which is a 25% increase since 2020. During this period, operators distributed €180 million in financial incentives, mainly in the form of retention bonuses to players.
ANJ expressed concern regarding player protection, highlighting patterns of behavior among at-risk bettors. Its analysis employed a classification algorithm that categorizes players into four risk groups: recreational, moderate, excessive, and manifestly excessive. It found that excessive bettors were notably focused on niche competitions and live betting markets.
Data from early 2026 indicated that over 80% of stakes made by excessive or manifestly excessive players were directed towards leagues in Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and Australia — areas typically lacking in recreational interest. Additionally, a significant portion of bets on sub-match outcomes—like half-time results in football or game bets in tennis—were also placed by excessive players.
While the ANJ clarified that these betting patterns do not necessarily indicate a heightened risk of addiction, they suggest a limited presence of casual bettors. The organization proposed that the findings might warrant improved player-safety measures concerning the types of competitions and bets permitted.
In a related study, the French Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction reported that around 1.17 million people in France had problematic gambling behaviors, with approximately 360,000 classified as excessive gamblers.
Stakes with licensed operators in 2025 rose by 12% to €11.52 billion, while GGR climbed 10.4% year-over-year to €1.766 billion. This growth continued the recovery that began in 2024, despite the absence of high-profile events such as European Championship matches.
Football remained the dominant sport in this market, accounting for 54.9% of all stakes at €6.32 billion, and was responsible for nearly half of the total increase in betting volumes. Although betting on football grew by 10.2%, ANJ noted that this figure may underestimate the sport's momentum since it included figures from the previous European Championship, which alone generated about €438 million in bets. When adjusting for these conditions, the growth in football-related stakes for 2025 is estimated to be between 10% and 19%.
Tennis also contributed significantly, comprising 23% of total stakes at €2.65 billion, and saw a 16% rise in betting activity despite a lack of standout events in 2025.
Increased betting opportunities in football substantially fueled its growth. Changes to the UEFA Champions League format expanded the number of matches from 137 to 189, marking a 38% increase and a resulting 48.6% rise in betting stakes for this competition alone. ANJ noted that approximately 75% of this increase was attributed to the higher volume of matches rather than larger average bets per game.
The new structure of the Club World Cup also attracted a considerable amount of betting interest, with an average of roughly €3.9 million wagered per match, closely approaching the Champions League's average of €4.4 million.
Interest in betting on the upcoming FIFA World Cup increased significantly this year. A survey by Toluna-Harris Interactive, conducted among 1,071 French adults between May 19-21, 2026, revealed that 41% expressed intentions to place real-money bets on match outcomes, a figure that outstripped previous findings.
Live betting during matches has become particularly popular, especially for less prominent competitions. For major leagues, around 30%-35% of stakes were placed live, but this figure jumped to about 50%-58% for secondary competitions. ANJ linked this trend to the global scheduling of matches, with options available nearly 24 hours a day.
According to French regulations, the return to player (RTP) percentage for online sports betting is limited to 85% on an annual average per operator. The market recorded an average RTP of 84.67% in 2025. ANJ highlighted a specific instance when favorable results in September caused the monthly RTP to temporarily exceed the annual cap at 94.5%. This was followed by necessary adjustments in October and November, where the RTP dropped to 82.3% and 74.2%, respectively, bringing it back below the compliance threshold.
