The French Online Gaming Association (AFJEL) has revealed that legal bets on Euro 2024 in France were 50 per cent lower than pre-tournament estimates of up to €1bn announced by the gambling regulator, warning of a rise in illegal offers.
The AFJEL said the first post-tournament analysis of betting activity from its operator members showed a “stagnation” in legal bets since Euro 2020, held in 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
As well as no growth in stakes in the past three years, the AFJEL said its members observed a drop of around 25 per cent in stakes compared to the 2022 World Cup.
The “abnormally low” figures for France’s regulated betting market are “the opposite” of what is being observed across Europe and “confirms the massive diversion of players from the legal offer to the illegal market,” the association said.
AFJEL president Nicolas Béraud said the illegal market is continuing its “very strong expansion” and that actions by the gambling regulator, L’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), to block access to illegal sites is “still not working.”
The illegal market in France is “cannibalising the online sports betting sector by diverting players from the legal offer,” Béraud said.
“Illegal online casino sites have offered, with complete impunity, a sports betting offer on Euro 2024 with very attractive odds and without any player protection measures.”
The European Gaming and Betting Association labelled the AFJEL’s findings “worrying.”
Online casino remains unregulated in France but there is growing clamour from industry representatives such as the AFJEL for the government to regulate the activity.
Last week, the ANJ put its current regulatory strategy on show by claiming it will pursue legal action against the owners of the Cresus Casino brand after it allegedly circumvented an order for internet service providers to block visits to the site.
Nevertheless, Béraud did insist that Euro 2024 went “very well” for licensed operators.
“There are several reasons for this: the first is that the operators played the game in accordance with the ANJ guidelines and the rules on player protection, the systems of which continue to be improved,” he said.
“The second is that they fully respected their additional commitments, which they had initiated, and which they had made within the framework of several Charters.”
The ANJ reminded operators of their duty of care obligations before Euro 2024 kicked off on June 14 and rolled out a multi-platform responsible gaming campaign.
Spain defeated England 2-1 in Sunday’s final in Berlin.
Read more: French igaming regulation debate grows after ANJ report
