ANJ: French gambling GGR flat at EUR 5.66bn in H1 2026 as online growth offsets FDJ and PMU declines

France's gambling authority, the Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), has published its financial report on the first half of 2026. Gross gaming revenue, excluding casinos and gaming clubs, was almost unchanged at EUR 5.66 billion, a rise of 0.5% year-on-year, which the regulator described as a slowdown in growth.

Online gaming was the only segment that kept expanding. The market recorded 5.85 million active online gaming accounts, up 24% on the first half of 2025. The ANJ noted that the figure is not the same as the number of players, since some people hold more than one account. Online GGR reached EUR 1.45 billion, an increase of 11%, with sports betting named as the main driver ahead of poker and horse racing.

The FIFA World Cup played a significant role in sports betting. Bets in June alone rose by 47%, and the number of players grew by 69% between June 2025 and June 2026. Online poker GGR climbed 13.4% to EUR 290 million, supported by Sit&Go formats. Online horse betting GGR rose 16% to EUR 920 million, which the report presents as the sector's strongest growth since 2021.

The operators holding exclusive rights fared less well. FDJ's GGR fell 2% to EUR 3.43 billion. The decline was mainly attributed to weaker lottery results, linked to lower Euromillions jackpots and reduced attendance at points of sale. Excluding the effect of Euromillions cycles, the operator said lottery GGR grew by 1%.

PMU's exclusive activities declined for a third consecutive year. Stakes dropped 3.8%, and GGR fell 5.8% to EUR 782 million. The operator is going through a transition period involving leadership changes and the development of a plan called Pact PMU 2030.

Looking at the full year, the ANJ said overall results for 2026 will depend largely on the performance of FDJ United, which accounts for 61% of GGR excluding casinos and gaming clubs.