French Sports Betting Revenue Doubles as 2026 Tournament Sets New Records
Gross gaming revenue (GGR) for licensed sportsbooks saw a corresponding surge, climbing from €70m in 2022 to €157m for the 2026 edition.
French sports betting operators enjoyed a record-breaking summer as total wagers and revenues generated during the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America more than doubled compared to the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
Official data released by the French gambling regulator, L’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), reveals that punters in France staked over €1.3bn (£1.1bn) on the tournament hosted across the US, Canada, and Mexico—up sharply from €597m four years prior.
Gross gaming revenue (GGR) for licensed sportsbooks saw a corresponding surge, climbing from €70m in 2022 to €157m for the 2026 edition.
The spectacle triggered a massive player acquisition drive across the country, with over one million new betting accounts created throughout the competition. In total, 3.1 million individual bettors generated 3.8 million active accounts, placing nearly 113 million bets during the tournament.
Record Stakes Driven by Les Bleus
The campaign generated unprecedented betting volumes, led by high-stakes knockout fixtures involving the national team.
According to the ANJ, France’s semi-final clash against eventual champions Spain became the most heavily bet-on match in French history since records began in 2010, generating €63m in online stakes alone. This eclipsed the previous record of €51m set during France’s dramatic 2022 final defeat to Argentina.
All five of the most bet-on matches during the 2026 tournament surpassed €30m in stakes, establishing a new benchmark for domestic engagement:
France vs Spain (Semi-Final): €63m
France vs Morocco (Quarter-Final): €46m
Spain vs Argentina (Final): €38m
France vs Paraguay (Round of 16): €35m
France vs Sweden (Last 32): €33m
Shift in Betting Habits
Time zone differences across the Atlantic shifted traditional wagering patterns among French sports bettors.
The ANJ noted that in-play betting accounted for just 25 per cent of total volume—down from its typical 40 per cent seasonal average—driven largely by late-night kick-off times in Western Europe. Outright winner markets also saw reduced interest, accounting for 28 per cent of total wagers compared to the usual 45 per cent seen during domestic league seasons.
Instead, bettors pivoted toward higher-margin options, with player prop bets and exact scoreline markets recording a substantial rise in popularity.
Regulator Flags Harm Minimisation Concerns
Despite the commercial success for operators, the ANJ expressed caution over the social impact of the tournament, committing to closely monitor problem gambling metrics over the coming months.
While 44 per cent of active participants placed fewer than 10 wagers across the entire competition, a small cohort of roughly 15,000 players placed over 500 bets each.
The financial breakdown underlined the difficulty punters faced despite France's deep run in the tournament:
- Overall, 471,000 players lost more than €100, while only 217,000 won at least that amount.
- Only about a quarter of players finished the competition without losses, despite the French team's performance.
Related News:
