France sets online sports betting record, poker posts rare gain

France’s regulated online gambling market set a new sports betting record in the first quarter of 2017, while poker reported a rare revenue increase.

Figures released Wednesday by French gaming regulator ARJEL show online sports betting turnover in the three months ending March 31 rising 23% year-on-year to €633m, handily beating the previous record of €585m in Q2 2016, a period that included both the Euro 2016 football tournament and the Rio Olympic Games.

Sports betting revenue also set a new record at €94m, 16% more than in Q1 2016. ARJEL credited the sports betting gains to a significant rise in the number of registered bettors, whose ranks swelled by one-quarter to 341k. Also, the return to players (after bonuses) rose to 87.1%, which is above the 85% annual limit that ARJEL requires operators to observe, but definitely helped bettors recycle their winnings.

Football, tennis and basketball continue to dominate the sports betting scene, capturing 89% of all wagers. While football (+18%, €348m) and basketball (+19%, €81.6m) posted solid turnover gains, tennis surged 41% to €129.5m, half of which was made via in-play wagers.