France's Licensed Gambling Sector Struggles With Channeling Problem
According to a new report from Blask, most online gambling searches in France are directed at offshore operators. The licensed sector has not benefited from this rise and has remained stagnant.
Blask, an AI-powered market analytics platform, has published a new report on France's gambling sector. According to the report, most online gambling searches still go to offshore operators. This picture suggests that new reforms may be needed alongside the stagnation of the country's regulated sector. Meanwhile, authorities continue their fight against unlicensed operators.
According to Blask data, searches for offshore online betting brands accounted for 83.9% of online gambling searches in France between September 29 and October 12. This share was 67.5% between September 7 and September 20. By contrast, licensed operators did not see a similar rise in popularity.
Online casino games are not permitted in France. As a result, all of this traffic goes to offshore operators. Apart from physical casinos, the country permits online sports betting, horse race betting and online poker. The regulator ANJ regularly takes action against offshore operators and, together with internet service providers, blocks access to platforms that break the rules.
The data show that nine of the ten most popular operators in France run from abroad. The two most popular brands were gtBet and Leon. The only licensed operator on Blask's list was Betclic, in eighth place.
The autumn increase did not benefit the regulated sector, and the sector's slowing growth was once again evident. Operator revenues rose only 0.5% year on year in the first half of the year. Online sports betting performed well thanks to the World Cup, but the sector is facing growing pressure from offshore competitors.
French authorities are doing what they can to combat illegal gambling. Last year, law enforcement dismantled one of the largest online gambling rings in the country's history. The criminal organization, which was estimated to have earned around 1.2 billion dollars, operated exclusively in online gambling. The network even had a YouTube channel with 900,000 subscribers.
France has also targeted prediction markets. ANJ instructed internet service providers to block access to the Polymarket platform. The regulator also stated that advertising the platform's services is an offense that carries fines of up to 114,000 dollars. Other European countries, including Germany, Italy and Spain, have introduced similar restrictions. Despite this, recent data show that French users are increasingly turning to offshore platforms.
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