Brittany, Burgundy - Franche-Comté, Grand Est, Ile-de-France, Corsica, New Aquitaine, New Caledonia, Normandy, Hauts-de-France, Auvergne - Rhône - Alpes, Occitanie, Pey de la Loire, Provence - Alpes - Côte d'Azur, Saint-Martin, French Polynesia, Center - Loire Valley.
Overseas region (5): Guadeloupe, Guiana, Guiana, Mayotte, Martinique, Reunion.
The modern territory of the country was partially or fully occupied by the states of: Carthage, Massilia, Etruscan Union, Roman Republic, Roman Empire, Frankish State (Frankia), Gallic Empire, Western Roman Empire, Kingdom of Burgundy, Kingdom of Visigoths, Kingdom of Vandals and Alans, Kingdom of Soissons (Siagria), Kingdom of Ostgoths, Kingdom of Aquitaine, Kingdom of Langobard, Umayyad Caliphate, East Frankish Kingdom, Lower Burgundy (Kingdom of Provence), Upper Burgundy, Normandy, Arelat (Kingdom of Burgundy), Holy Roman Empire, Republic of Genoa, Republic of Pisa, Duchy of Savoy, Spanish Empire, French Empire, Austro-Hungarian Empire, German Empire.
France is washed by seas: the Mediterranean Sea, the North Sea, the Bay of Biscay, the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Celtic Sea, and the Ligurian Sea.
France has access to the following lakes: Lake Geneva.
The following rivers flow through the territory: Rhine, Loire, Maas, Rhone, Seine, Garonne, Moselle, Dordogne, Sona, Du, Esco (Scheldt), Scheldt, Charente, Adour, Durans, Oise, Isère, Somma, Segre, Vilaine and others.
In the water area of the country there are straits: Channel (English), Corsican, Pas de Calais (Dover), Bonifacio.
France owns the islands: New Caledonia, Corsica, Kerguelen, Reunion, Lifou, Martinique, Tahiti, Bas-Ter, Marais, Grand-Ter, Nuku-Hiva, Mayotte (Maoré), Hiva-Oa, Miquelon, Ile-Foch, Oléron, Raiatea, Marie-Galant, Ile-de-Pin, Possession and others.
Mountains in the territory: Mont Blanc, Grande Jorasses, Aiguille-Vert, Barre des Ecrins, Monte Perdido, Vignemale, Piton de Neige, Cinto, Rotondo, Capou-Bianco, Punta Minuta, Paglia-Orba, Oroena, Aorai, Puy de Sancy, Neige, Pannier, Grand-Ballon, Montagne Pelée, Storkenkopf and others.
There are volcanoes on the territory: Montagne-Pelais.
Famous caves in the territory are: Reso de la Cumo d'Huernedo, Pierre-Saint-Martin, Aresteliaco-Gloa, Sistem do Granier, Reso de la Den de Croll, Tru-qui-Souffle, Grotte de la Luir, Berger, Cro de la Litorn, Gouffre de Padirac, Reseau de Couffin-Chevalin, Reseau de la Dioux, Gouffre d'Arfidia, Gouffre de Portage, Jean-Bernard, Grote de Neveau, Grote de Gournier, Aven de la Combe-Rajot, Combe de Biol, Mirolda and others.
Top 20 iGaming brands (January 2025):
Only online sports betting, horse racing, poker, lotteries and offline casinos are allowed in France.
At the end of October last year, the country's authorities began discussions on legalizing iGaming to combat the black market. An amendment proposing to allow online casinos was presented as part of the 2025 budget plan.
Offline casinos strongly opposed the move, as legalization could reduce the revenues of physical casinos by 20-30%, which would lead to the closure of almost a third of establishments and the loss of more than 15 thousand jobs.
In addition, the authorities expressed their distrust of Prime Minister Michel Barnier, who was in favor of legalizing iGaming and proposed to raise taxes from 55% to 60% on a number of areas, including the gambling industry, which would certainly be in the hands of offshore companies.
Currently, the issue of online casino legalization is on hold. Meanwhile, the shadow market generates about $1.5 billion annually. In addition, more than 4 million residents (population is 68 million people) of the country play on illegal gambling platforms.
According to the ANJ report (https://anj.fr/bilan-2024-du-marche-des-jeux-dargent-une-croissance-soutenue-pour-le-4eme-marche-europeen), the gross revenue of the gambling market in France reached €14 billion in 2024, up 4.7% compared to 2023. However, as early as 2025, the momentum could be disrupted by the pressure of new taxes and restrictions.
Key figures:
🔵 The online sector's total GGR reached €2.6bn (+11.9%YoY) - 18.6% of the total French gambling market.
🔵 Online sportsbetting: +19.1%YoY and €1.76bn gross revenue.
🔵 Online poker: -2.1% to €493 million
🔵 Online racetrack betting: +1.4% to €339m
🔵 The number of active accounts grew to 5.7 million (+11%) and unique players to 3.9 million (+8%).
Player profile changes:
🔴 The share of players aged 18-24 in sportsbetting reached 30%
🔴 Female audience in sports betting grew by 14.5%, reaching 500 thousand players
The growth is explained by: increased reach of female competitions, catch-up engagement effect and adaptation of UX and promos to female-friendly approach.
Sports calendar as a trigger for growth
The year 2024 brought a unique combination of events - Euro soccer and the Paris Olympics. This triggered a surge in betting activity.
Soccer (€5.63 billion), tennis (€2.27 billion), basketball (€914 million) and rugby (€186 million) accounted for 87.5% of all bets.
Disciplines such as volleyball, hockey, badminton, etc. showed a 31% growth compared to 2023.
Tax Reform 2025
New fiscal measures will come into effect from July 1:
🔵 15% tax on operators' advertising expenses.
🔵 Increase in social contributions in all verticals.
🔵 Reduced investment: operators can cut marketing and retention budgets.
🔵 Falling competitiveness against less regulated markets.
Conclusion
2024 was a year of recovery for French online gambling at the expense of major sporting events. However, new taxes and regulatory innovations could dramatically change the dynamics.