French gambling market outperforms European trend in 2009

In 2009 the global gambling market was worth us$ 370 billion. It was a difficult year for European gambling markets overall, with European GGY falling by 5.6%. French state gambling monopolies both managed to increase their sales in 2009, bucking the overall trend of decline in Europe.

La Française des Jeux’s (FDJ) sales rose by 8.6% in 2009 to reach almost 10 billion euros. Pari Mutuel Urbain’s (PMU) growth was a more modest 0.4% but this still outperformed the overall market in Europe. For both firms it was their Interactive channels that saw the largest growth.

PMU’s online turnover grew by an impressive 22% in 2009, with sales of 661 million euros. The betting turnover by mobile phone was 6.6 million euros, an increase of 12%. With the new French Internet gambling licensing regime starting before the World Cup, the Internet and mobile phones will be integral to 2010’s sales growth too.

FDJ’s online sales’ performance was even better. Its sports betting turnover was up 61% (43 million euros) and lottery sales were up 41% (273 million euros). Both companies are aware they will face greater competition from private companies from the summer and have been planning accordingly.

PMU will expand from its focus on horse racing into the wider sports betting market and has secured the services of Irish bookmaker Paddy Power to run the risk management for its new venture. PMU will also take its first steps into online poker in a B2B deal with PartyGaming to provide it access to Party’s French poker network.

FDJ, meanwhile, has been just as active. It acquired betting software firm LVS, which is developing FDJ’s sports betting platform. FDJ has also teamed up with Barrière Interactive Gaming (BIG), to establish an online poker room. A deal with Orange (part of France Telecom) will see FDJ’s products promoted through Orange’s media portals.

GBGC’s CEO Warwick Bartlett explained “We forecast that French Internet gambling will be worth more than 1 billion euros in GGY by 2013, based on the current legislation.”