French World Cup wagering smashes previous records, ANJ data shows
2026-07-24
Source: Focus Gaming News
France's ANJ reports that the 2026 World Cup set multiple online betting records, with €1.3bn in stakes and €157m in GGR, driven by an expanded format and strong national team performance. Betting patterns were more diversified than the regular season, and operator marketing spend rose 25% amid public support for advertising limits.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup generated historic betting volumes in France, according to fresh data from L’Autorite Nationale des Jeux (ANJ). Total stakes exceeded €1.3bn, producing gross gaming revenue of €157m — more than double the figures from the 2022 tournament, when stakes reached €597m and GGR stood at €70m.
The regulator attributes the surge to several factors: the expanded 48-team, 104-match format; the broader growth of online sports betting; and the strong run of the French national team, which advanced to the semi-finals before falling to Spain.
A record 3.8m active accounts placed nearly 113m bets during the competition, a jump of over 40% compared to 2022 (2.6m accounts, 54m bets). About 1m of those accounts were opened specifically during the tournament. The France–Spain semi-final on July 14 drew €63m in wagers, making it the most heavily bet World Cup fixture since 2010 — ahead of the €51m staked on the 2022 France–Argentina final.
Other high-volume matches included the France–Morocco quarter-final (€46m), the Spain–Argentina final (€38m), Paraguay–France (€35m), and France–Sweden (€33m), all now among the ten most wagered-on World Cup games in French history.
Betting patterns shifted markedly from the regular season. The ANJ notes that wagers on match winners accounted for only 28% of stakes, versus over 45% during the typical football season, as players favoured markets such as goalscorers, exact scores, and combination bets. Live betting made up 25% of activity, down from the usual 40%, partly due to late kick-off times.
Operators ramped up marketing around the World Cup, which the ANJ views as a key recruitment period. Advertising and promotional spend rose by 25% for 2026, with nearly €150m concentrated in June and July, predominantly on television. The regulator says it urged operators to stick to their declared budgets and avoid moves that could cause ad saturation, and that this request was broadly respected. Broadcasters M6 and BeIN Sports chose not to sell cooling-break slots to gambling firms.
Public reception of that restraint appears positive: 42% of surveyed individuals considered it necessary and 35% deemed it effective, with even higher approval among those planning to bet. The ANJ is now studying whether to update the commitment charter signed in 2022 with publishers and advertising networks to further address marketing practices.