ANJ cites “political context” among reasons for below-par Euro 2024 performance
French operators took €650m worth of bets during the tournament, representing a decrease from Euro 2020 edition
France’s National Gaming Authority (ANJ) has claimed that too many distractions for French bettors led to below-expectation performances for operators during Euro 2024.
Operators took €650m in bets during the tournament, representing a decrease on the €700m staked during Euro 2020, and the estimated €900m wagered during the 2022 World Cup.
Prior to the tournament, ANJ had predicted that €1bn worth of bets would be placed.
The French regulator cited the “political context following the legislative elections” as a reason why bettors had lower enthusiasm for the tournament.
France’s legislative elections were held between 30 June and 7 July, right in the middle of Euro 2024.
Another contributing factor referenced was the lack of goals scored by the French national team during the group stage of the tournament.
Les Bleus only managed two goals during this time, compared to four goals at the same stage of Euro 2020.
ANJ claimed these factors, in addition to publicity for the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, led to lower media coverage for the Euros and thus lower audiences for football matches.
Earlier this month, French trade body L’Association Française du Jeu en Ligne (AFJEL) attributed a rise in black-market betting to the lower stakes received by operators.
However, ANJ alleged that such black-market sources aren’t wholly popular with French bettors.
An ANJ statement said: “In terms of combating illegal supply, the ANJ noted that while a growing number of illegal online casino sites offer an ancillary sports betting offer, this is poorly frequented by the public, a weakness that a study published in December 2023 by the company PricewaterhouseCoopers had already highlighted.”
Despite the disappointing performance of Euro 2020, ANJ is expecting a surge of activity for the 2024 Olympics.
A study commissioned by ANJ and conducted by research firms Toluna-Harris Interactive back in May showed that 25% of French people interested in the Olympic Games were considering betting during the Paris Olympics.
The Olympics taking place on home soil was a determining factor for 74% of those potential bettors, despite the fact that 64% had not bet during the Tokyo Games four years ago.
ANJ estimates that French operators could double the amount staked (€120m) during the Tokyo Olympics at this year’s event in Paris.