Betsson Receives Online Poker License in France

France's regulator ANJ has granted Betsson France an online poker license. The company has also received liquidity sharing approval, allowing it to join a shared table pool with Italy, Spain and Portugal. The decisions were published in the Journal officiel on 23 October 2026. The application was made on 22 June 2026.

The license is valid for five years and can be renewed. It is non-transferable, and the poker service will be offered via betsson.fr. ANJ approved the license on 15 October 2026, and it will be valid until 15 October 2031. The company has held a sports betting license in France since 21 September 2023. Betsson plans to broadcast poker through Playtech's iPoker network. Betsson is the ninth online poker operator in France. Its partner, Casino Secret founder Nadir Ounissi, described the license as an important milestone for Betsson. According to the company, the move targets the existing poker market rather than a bet on the legalization of casinos in France.

Gross gaming revenue from France's gaming sector, excluding casinos and gaming clubs, reached 5.66 billion euros in the first half of 2026. This means a 0.5 percent increase compared to a year earlier. Poker generated 202 million euros in the same period, and Sit & Go tournaments provided 70 percent of this. In 2025, poker revenue reached 525 million euros, up 6.5 percent. The entire annual increase came from tournament formats.

While the player base grows, spending is falling. According to European Gaming data, revenue per active account was 126 euros in the first half. A year earlier this figure was 153 euros. In 2025, the number of active poker accounts rose to 2.5 million and unique players to 1.9 million. Before going live, Betsson must report to ANJ that its data archiving system is operational. The shared liquidity agreement was signed on 6 July 2017 by the regulators of France, Spain, Italy and Portugal.