French betting soars during Euro 2016
French betting soars during Euro 2016

French gambling operators are taking an average of almost €5m ($5.6m) during each match at Uefa Euro 2016.
Regulator ARJEL released figures following the first seven games of the tournament, reporting that €34m in total was gambled.
The biggest betting event was France’s game against Romania, on which €9.2m was bet, while England vs Russia (€6.6m) and Germany vs Ukraine (€7.3m) were also popular.
Of the total wagered, online betting via the 12 licensees accounted for €17.6m, with €16.4m via France’s retail outlets.
ARJEL, which last week signed an integrity agreement with ESSA, noted that the first few days of games at Euro 2016 highlight the growth in French online betting.
A spokesman said: “For comparison the first game of the France team during the World Cup 2014 against Honduras, collected €2.5m of online bets. The entire 2014 World Cup brought together €109m of wagers, while €31m was wagered online on Euro 2012.”
TotallyGaming.com says: “Online betting has grown massively in France in recent years, and the fact this major tournament is being played in the country will only contribute towards further expansion.”