Betting/Euro 2024: total bets wagered similar to Euro 2020, illegal market on the rise (AFJEL)

The total amount staked in France by punters during Euro 2024 is stable compared with the sums wagered during Euro 2020 (€700m according to the ANJ), and down 25% compared with those wagered during the 2022 World Cup (€900m), according to the French Online Gaming Association (AFJEL) in a report published on 15/07/2024.

"The market figures are 50% lower than the estimates announced by the National Gambling Authority (ANJ), which predicted a record of bets of up to €1bn," added the AFJEL. A study carried out by the ANJ in the run-up to the competition estimated that of the 55% of French people intending to watch Euro 2024, 35% were also planning to bet money on the matches.

"These initial results come against a backdrop in which the sector had already experienced a year of no growth in 2022 and had recorded, for the second consecutive year in 2023, a steady decline in the number of players (-5.3% for unique players)," according to the AFJEL. This trend can be explained by "the mass diversion of players from the legal offer to the illegal market, which has overtaken the legal market for…