In 2025, online sports betting in France saw impressive growth, marked by a significant rise in both stakes and gross gaming revenue (GGR), despite a sporting calendar that lacked major events, as noted by the French gambling regulator, l'Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ).
A broader football schedule and increasing interest in niche games contributed to this positive trend, according to the report released on Monday. The licensed betting market expanded during the year, with active accounts climbing by 7.9% to 5.27 million, while the number of unique players rose by 8.6% to 3.65 million. The average annual stake per bettor reached €3,159 ($3,533), reflecting a 25% increase since 2020. In total, operators disbursed €180 million in financial incentives, largely in the form of retention bonuses for bettors.
ANJ's examination of betting behavior highlighted concerns regarding player protection, particularly focusing on those classified as at risk. Using an algorithm that categorizes players into four risk levels—recreational, moderate risk, excessive, and manifestly excessive—ANJ discovered that excessive bettors tended to concentrate their wagers on niche competitions and live markets.
Data from the first half of 2026 indicated that more than 80% of stakes among excessive or manifestly excessive players were placed on leagues in Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and Australia, which generally attract limited interest from casual bettors. Additionally, a substantial 80% to 89% of bets on specific match outcomes, like half-time results or tennis set wins, were made by those classified as excessive. While these patterns do not automatically signify a higher risk of addiction, they may indicate a lack of casual bettors in those areas.
In light of these findings, ANJ proposed that enhancing player safety measures could be beneficial, especially regarding the types of competitions and bets that should be authorized. In a report from 2024, the French Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction estimated around 1.17 million individuals in France displayed problematic gambling habits, categorizing approximately 360,000 as excessive players.
ANJ also revealed that stakes with licensed operators surged by 12% in 2025, reaching €11.52 billion, while gross gaming revenue grew by 10.4% year-on-year to €1.766 billion. These statistics demonstrate a continuation of the recovery that began in 2024, despite the absence of prominent events such as the European Championship.
Football dominated the betting landscape, taking up 54.9% (€6.32 billion) of total stakes and driving nearly half of the overall increase in betting volumes. The contribution of football bets accounted for approximately two-thirds of total GGR. Although football stakes increased by 10.2%, ANJ indicated that this may underestimate the sport's growth because the previous year included the European Championship, which alone had generated €438 million in bets. Adjusting for that, football stakes growth in 2025 is projected to be between 10% and 19%, contingent on how bets associated with the Euros would have been distributed.
Tennis also played a significant role in driving growth, contributing to 23% of overall stakes (€2.65 billion) and reporting a 16% year-on-year increase in betting activity, even without a standout event in 2025.
The increased availability of football matches fueled the sport's expansion. The UEFA Champions League modified its format, increasing its schedule from 137 to 189 matches, translating to a 38% rise in the number of games and a 48.6% increase in stakes for the competition. ANJ pointed out that roughly 75% of this growth was due to the higher match frequency rather than an escalation in average bet size per game.
The new Club World Cup format also attracted considerable betting interest, with an average of about €3.9 million wagered per match, almost matching the UEFA Champions League's average of €4.4 million. Furthermore, there was a surge in betting activity regarding the upcoming FIFA World Cup. A survey conducted by Toluna-Harris Interactive among 1,071 French adults from May 19 to 21, 2026, indicated rising enthusiasm, with 41% of participants planning to place real-money bets on match outcomes, a significant increase from previous figures.
Live betting has become more prevalent for less prominent competitions, constituting about 26% of stakes for the UEFA Champions League and 30%-35% for major domestic leagues. This figure jumped to around 48% for secondary competitions and ranged from 50% to 58% for lesser European leagues and unlisted contests. ANJ attributed this trend to the global scheduling of football, with South American leagues filling evening slots and fixtures from Asia and Oceania catering to French morning audiences, effectively providing a nearly 24-hour live betting opportunity.
Under current French regulations, the return to player (RTP) for online sports betting is capped at an annual average of 85% per operator. In 2025, the market reported an RTP of 84.67%. ANJ highlighted that favorable sporting outcomes in September temporarily pushed the monthly payout rate to 94.5%, surpassing the annual cap. However, adjustments made in October and November, which saw RTPs of 82.3% and 74.2% respectively, brought the overall RTP back within regulatory limits, illustrating how operators modified odds to maintain compliance.
