France is reshaping its gambling market following two key decisions by the Autorité nationale des jeux (ANJ) on April 16, 2026: it approved a modified version of the scratchcard “Jackpot” by La Française des Jeux (FDJ United) with a lower player return and expanded the official list of competitions eligible for betting. The move recalibrates margins, product supply and monetization in one of Europe’s largest regulated markets.
Decision No. 2026-109 allows FDJ to launch from October 5, 2026, a revised version of “Jackpot”, across retail and online channels, reducing the payout from 71% to 70% while keeping the €5 ticket price unchanged. In parallel, Decision No. 2026-112 adds new events to the regulated betting catalogue: the United Cup (tennis), Japanese men’s and women’s volleyball leagues, and the Table Tennis World Cup, following formal requests submitted by Betclic Enterprises Limited, Winamax, and FDJ United between November 2025 and March 2026.
The legal framework remains anchored in Law No. 2010-476 of May 12, 2010 (in force), which opened the online gambling market to competition, the French Internal Security Code (Article L.322-13), and Decrees No. 2019-1060 and 2019-1061 governing state control and the offering of FDJ and PMU, alongside Decree No. 2020-1349, which defines ANJ’s regulatory powers. The authority, chaired by Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, retains full licensing, supervisory and enforcement authority.
Market data supports the regulatory shift: France generated approximately US$15.2 billion in gross gaming revenue in 2025 (€14.1 billion), with online reaching US$2.8 billion (+8.6%) and online sports betting exceeding US$1.9 billion (+10.4%). FDJ alone accounts for roughly US$7.5 billion under exclusive rights, nearly half of the national market.
The payout adjustment in lottery products increases margin per ticket in a high-volume segment, while the expansion of authorized competitions enlarges the legal betting inventory in a market where not all events are eligible by default. At the same time, taxation is tightening since July 2025, France applies up to 15% GGR tax on online sports betting alongside additional levies on promotional spending, putting pressure on operator profitability.
The result is a more controlled but more profitable market for licensed operators: expanded legal supply, improved product monetization, and a regulatory environment that strengthens incumbents such as FDJ, Betclic and Winamax against illegal operators, as 2026 unfolds with rising competition and digital expansion.
