Land-Based Gambling Returns to France as Online Segment Sees Decline
Consistent with trends seen in other markets, France’s gaming industry is showing signs of recovery followers COVID-19. Also, similar what’s been seen elsewhere, land-based gaming is gaining to a greater extent ground than the online segment.
For the first off half of the year, overall gaming revenue rosiness 6.9% inwards France. This was thanks to the good curtain raising of physical casinos, which faced intermittent COVID-19 shutdowns end-to-end 2019 and 2020.
The betterment isn’t that significant until it’s compared to what the online segment produced. It lost 11.2% inward the number 1 half from where it was a twelvemonth earlier.
French Gaming Swings Upward
Figures from France’s gaming regulator, ANJ, demonstrate tot revenues of €5.26 one million million (US$5.13 billion). This is a substantive win from the €4.92 1000000000 (US$4.79 billion) in the firstly half of 2021. Française Des Jeux (FDJ) maintained its put as the leading operator, generating €3.22 1000000000 (US$3.14 billion). That represents a year-on-year revenue betterment of 12.4%.
Spending with FDJ increased past 9.9% to €10 one thousand million (US$9.75 billion). The operator’s drawing revenue rosebush 16%, reaching €2.73 1000000000 (US$2.66 billion). Sports betting cut down 4.5% to €485 meg (US$472.92 million).
Horse racing betting manipulator Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU) recorded revenue gaming revenue of €969 zillion (US$944.87 million), upward 14.5%. That set it at almost the same raze it was at before the pandemic. Bets increased by 18% to €3.9 one thousand million (US$3.8 billion) thanks to the sum curtain raising of retail establishments.
The online segment painted a completely different picture. Revenue dropped by 11.2%, closure at just now €1.07 1000000000000 (US$1.65 billion). Online sports betting revenue lost 11.8% with its €685 trillion (US$667.94 million) total.
That was against €4 1000000000 (US$3.9 billion) in bets, a deprivation of 8.3%. The driblet was partly due to the presence of Euro 2020 during the world-class half of last-place year.
Online gymnastic horse racing betting revenue cut down 17.6% to €169 1000000 (US$164.8 million) against bets of €727 meg (US$708.9 million). Given the increase inward the retail segment, the 17.5% discharge isn’t surprising.
Online fire hook helped a little, contributing €216 jillion (US$210.62 million). That was just now a 3.1% drop, but it’s stock-still higher than before COVID-19.
FDJ Enters the Payments Space
FDJ Group, which owns FDJ, is fork come out into other commercial activities. It recently proclaimed the set in motion of Nirio, a payments weapons platform it highly-developed with the French people Confederation of Tobacco Retailers.
Nirio allows consumers to make up certain bills at a wider range of mountains of establishments than before, including bars, baccy shops, and kiosks. The consumer scans the government note into the Nirio app and receives a barcode, which it presents to get the payment.
There are already 5,000 locations France’s financial guard dog has approved to extend the solution, with another 5,000 inwards the wings. FDJ sees it as a “practical and fast way” for those resistant to online payments to locate their bills.
As the ANJ continues to develop as France’s bingle regulator, it’s making changes to assemble the times. Last month, it announced that Isabelle Falque Pierrotin would remain president, but that it had replaced terzetto members. Éliane Houlette, Mario Blaise, and Wilfried Sand-Zantman decided to stone's throw down, with They doubting Thomas de Ricolfis, Jean-Pierre Couteron, and Isabelle Bordry taking their places.