The French Online Gaming Association (AFJEL) said unlicensed betting had led to its members receiving around half of estimated Euro 2024 bets.
France‘s gambling regulatory body ANJ predicted that French punters would bet €1 billion on the tournament in Germany. However, the end result was about half that amount.
Bets have halved since the 2022 World Cup
AFJEL warned that illegal gambling has reached the point that there are now more people using unlicensed operators than licensed ones, with four million using the black market in 2023, compared to 3.6 million people placing bets on the regulated market.
According to the company, betting volumes on the regulated market fell by 25% compared to the 2022 World Cup and remained stable compared to the last Euro 2020. In that tournament, online bets totaled €343 million, with the network retail sales of La Francaise des Jeux recording a total of €500 million.
AFJEL claims the numbers illustrate a continuing trend. It claims there was zero growth in the licensed market in 2022 and 2023 and a 5.3% drop in the number of unique players. These numbers contrast with ANJ data.
“This development, contrary to European trends and the digitalization of the sector, confirms the massive diversion of players from legal supply to the illegal market, the impact and danger of which cannot be accurately assessed at this stage,” the association reported.
AFJEL President Nicolas Béraud said: “Euro 2024 was a success among members from a player protection point of view. Thus, all members followed ANJ guidelines and respected commitments to limit marketing. But unlicensed operators had ‘complete impunity’ and blocking illegal websites did not work.”
Illegal websites continued to operate during Euro 2024
But illegal online casino sites operated without any major problems. What we saw was a sports betting offer on Euro 2024 with very attractive odds and without any player protection measures.
ANJ had launched an awareness and prevention campaign about the harm caused by gambling ahead of Euro 2024. The action included stories of addiction and directed people to the Evalujeu website.
It provides tools for assessing gaming habits and access to counseling and support services. There were ads for different media platforms and social networks.