French online gaming association AFJEL says Euro 2024 handle for its members fell far below pre-tournament estimates amid a rise in illegal gambling in the country.
The illegal gambling problem has reached a tipping point, l’Association Française des Jeux En Ligne (AFJEL) warned, with illegal players totalling four million in 2023, ahead of the regulated sector’s 3.6 million.
While French gambling regulator l’Autorite Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) predicted €1bn would be wagered on the tournament, AFJEL said around half of that figure was staked.
Instead, the association betting volumes were stagnant compared to the last European Championship in 2021. After that tournament, when France was eliminated in the second round, online punters wagered €343m. This would be increased to around €500m when La Francaise des Jeux’s retail network was included.
The amounts staked were also down 25% from the 2022 World Cup, AFJEL added, when €900m was bet as France reached the final.
AFJEL: Frenc..