Latest News
ANJ: Summary of the Online gambling market in 2020: historic performance despite the health crisis
Ten years after the market was opened in 2010, the year 2020 is a turning point for online gambling, which is becoming a permanent fixture in French people’s lives. Because of the acceleration of the digitisation of gambling practices favoured by the health crisis and the arrival of new players, online sports betting, horse racing and poker have recorded historic performances. The sector’s turnover rose by 22% in 2020 to reach €1.7 billion, its highest level since the opening to competition. This performance contrasts sharply with those of casinos and gambling or betting points of sale, which have been hit hard by the health crisis.
Online sports betting: increased recruitment of new players and rising average spend
With an increase in turnover of “only” 7%, the online sports betting market remains by far the dominant activity in the online gambling sector. In 2020, stakes on sports competitions reached €5.3 billion, the highest amount of stakes generated in a year since the opening up to competition in 2010. At the same time, the population of sports bettors continues to grow, with more than one million additional players over the year compared to 2019, representing 4.4 million sports betting players.
After a second quarter in which activity was down (-56% of turnover), the situation of the sports betting market was reversed in the second half of the year with the resumption of sports competitions.
On the other hand, the sports betting segment recorded a pronounced drop in activity at points of sale. The FDJ reports a 10% drop in sports betting stakes across all channels (online and in points of sale).
Bettors’ enthusiasm was focused on major sporting events such as the Champions League in football, which recorded a 65% increase in stakes compared to 2019, or the French Open, which generated €107 million in stakes, the highest amount ever for a Grand Slam tournament.
Online horse racing betting: continued growth and record of stakes levels
Online horse racing betting grew strongly, recording a 33% increase over 2019, and totalizing €1.5 billion in stakes, which corresponds to the largest volume of bets placed online over a year. The associated gross gambling revenue grew at a rate close to the stakes (+31%) and set a new historical benchmark (€354m).
This growth is being driven by the recruitment of new players (+5% of players in 2020), which undoubtedly reflects the transfer of a certain number of players who used to bet at points of sale to online horse racing betting.
PMU, whose point-of-sale games generally account for almost 90% of its domestic results, has reported a 15% loss of turnover in this channel.
Online poker: a windfall effect of lockdowns that seems to last
Online poker turnover for this year leapt by to €446 million (+64% on 2019), which is a new record-breaking activity erasing the previous benchmark of 2011, the first full year of the market opening.
The lockdowns measures (and more particularly those relating to the first lockdown) have indeed led to a renewed interest in poker. Online poker benefits from the significant recruitment of new players in 2020, which it intends to capitalise on, through loyalty actions, in order to maintain a high level of activity for the coming year. However, this attractiveness does not seem to have been accompanied by an uncontrolled increase in excessive gambling insofar as the average expenditure per player increased by “only” 7% in 2020.
Synthesis of 2020 activity data
|
Q4 2019
|
Q4 2020
|
Variation
|
2019
|
2020
|
Variation
|
Sports betting
|
||||||
Actives player accounts
|
1 917 000
|
2 402 000
|
+ 25%
|
3 443 000
|
4 478 000
|
+ 30%
|
Bets
|
1 500 m€
|
2 004 m€
|
+ 34%
|
5 056 m€
|
5 352 m€
|
+ 6%
|
Gross Gambling Revenue
|
230 m€
|
356 m€
|
+ 55%
|
880 m€
|
940 m€
|
+ 7%
|
Horse racing betting
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Actives player accounts
|
333 000
|
388 000
|
+ 16%
|
599 000
|
628 000
|
+ 5%
|
Bets
|
294 m€
|
448 m€
|
+ 53%
|
1 106 m€
|
1 473 m€
|
+ 33%
|
Gross Gambling Revenue
|
72 m€
|
105 m€
|
+ 47%
|
271 m€
|
354 m€
|
+ 31%
|
Poker
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Actives player accounts
|
709 000
|
991 000
|
+ 40%
|
1 199 000
|
1 840 000
|
+ 53%
|
Gross Gambling Revenue
|
76 m€
|
117 m€
|
+ 54%
|
272 m€
|
446 m€
|
+ 64%
|
TOTAL
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Actives player accounts
|
2 436 000
|
3 037 000
|
+ 25%
|
4 174 000
|
4 891 000
|
+ 17%
|
Gross Gambling Revenue
|
377 m€
|
578 m€
|
+ 53%
|
1 423 m€
|
1 740 m€
|
+ 22%
|
10 years after the opening up to competition, what has been achieved?
Ten years after the opening up of the online gambling market to competition, the sector of activity, driven by a dynamic and continuous growth, now represents around 17% of the total market turnover, compared to 7% in 2011. In total, the number of players has more than doubled between 2011 and 2020 while the Gross Gambling Revenue has almost tripled over the period, propelled by sports betting (+717%), the growth of poker (+42%) and horse betting (+46%).
The year 2020 seems to represent a turning point for the online gambling sector, which is no longer marginal and is driven by a rapid dynamic.
For Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, Chairwoman of the ANJ: “The good health of the online gambling sector, due in particular to the massive arrival of new players in sports betting and poker, means that operators must step up their initiatives to prevent problem gambling and protect minors. In line with the new obligations that came into force in 2020, they must better identify and assist at-risk players, provide tools for moderating play time or betting and ensure responsible promotional strategies. More than ever, and with major sporting events approaching before the summer, promoting recreational gambling must be a priority shared by all. “
Methodological reminder
This quarterly report was compiled on the basis of data transmitted by licensed online gambling and betting operators on a weekly or quarterly basis. The ANJ’s communications take into account statistical confidentiality. It may not publish information relating to the activity of the monopoly markets (FDJ and PMU) other than that already disclosed by the operators under exclusive rights.
Latest News
56 suspicious betting alerts reported by IBIA in Q1 2024
Football (soccer) and tennis accounted for 68% of cases
The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) reported 56 alerts of suspicious betting to the relevant authorities in the first quarter (Q1) of 2024.
The Q1 2024 total is an increase of 65% when compared to 34 alerts in Q4 2023 and an increase of 12% when compared to the revised Q1 2023 total of 50 alerts. All of IBIA’s alerts are identified using customer account data from IBIA members, which number over 50 companies and 125 sports betting brands, making IBIA the largest integrity monitor of its type in the world.
The 56 incidents of suspicious betting in Q1 concerned six sports, across 21 countries and five continents. Other key data for Q1 2024 includes:
- Football (soccer) had the highest number of alerts by sport with 24, representing a 50% increase on the 16 reported in Q4 2023 and a 60% increase on the 15 reported in Q1 2022.
- Turkey had the highest number of country alerts with 8 (five in football, two in tennis and one in basketball).
41% of all alerts in Q1 were identified on sporting events taking place in Asia, with North and South America joint second with 18% each. - There were only 4 alerts identified on sporting events in Europe, which represents a decrease of 76% compared to 17 alerts in Q4 2023.
Khalid Ali, IBIA CEO, said: “The first quarter saw an increase in reported alerts highlighting the ongoing challenge our members, sports and regulatory authorities face from corrupt activity, with football and Asia dominating our Q1 report. IBIA’s alerts are supported by detailed global customer account data only available to IBIA and its membership, which continues to grow, widening our world leading market coverage. That account data provides evidentiary information that is vital for advancing investigations and imposing sanctions. IBIA is committed to continuing to work closely with stakeholders and to providing this important evidence base.”
The Q1 report includes a focus on the availability of sports betting in Canada and a comparison between the licensing approach in Ontario and the monopoly approach in the rest of the country. IBIA recently released a report on the Availability of Sports Betting Products which highlighted Ontario as a leading regulated gambling jurisdiction, with an expected onshore channelisation for sports betting of 92% in 2024 forecast to rise to 97% in 2028. Whereas the rest of Canada combined is forecast to have an onshore rate of around 11% in 2024 becoming 13% by 2028.
IBIA currently represents over 60% of the private sports betting operators licensed in Ontario, with Glitnor recently announced as the latest operator to join the association in that province. IBIA is a not-for-profit body that has no competing conflicts with the delivery of commercial services to other sectors and is run by operators for operators to protect regulated sports betting markets from match-fixing. IBIA’s global monitoring network is a highly effective anti-corruption tool, detecting and reporting suspicious activity in regulated betting markets.
Through the IBIA global monitoring network it is possible to track transactional activities linked to individual customer accounts. IBIA members have over $300bn per annum in betting turnover (handle), accounting for approximately 50% of the global commercial regulated land-based and online sports betting sector, and in excess of 50% for online alone.
The post 56 suspicious betting alerts reported by IBIA in Q1 2024 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Compliance Updates
Brazil’s Ministry of Finance Appoints Régis Dudena as Secretary of Prizes and Betting
Regis Dudena, a seasoned lawyer with expertise in Public and Regulatory Law, has been appointed as the new Secretary of Prizes and Betting at the Ministry of Finance in Brazil. Dudena’s appointment ordinance is signed by Rui Costa, Minister of the Civil House.
The new secretary had already been visiting the Ministry of Finance and getting closer to the entire group at the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting, until then led by Simone Vicentini, deputy secretary.
The appointment of the lawyer is attributed to the Executive Secretary of Finance, Dario Durigan. Dario and Dudena worked together at Palácio do Planalto during Dilma Rousseff’s government.
Both worked in the Legal Affairs secretariat of the Civil House. Dudena’s name is linked to other names on the left. He has good relations with Edinho Silva (PT), mayor of Araraquara (SP).
The SPA started operating two months ago. Since then, it had been without a permanent boss. Lawyer José Francisco Manssur, special advisor to the Ministry of Finance who coordinated the regulation of sports betting from the beginning, was the most likely to take on the position. But he was exonerated under pressure from Centrão politicians.
Bets representatives welcomed the name Régis Dudena.
From the beginning, the SPA was under the responsibility of Simone Vicentini, appointed as deputy secretary. Since then, it has edited the ordinances that defined requirements for laboratory accreditation and the sector’s regulatory policy.
Under her supervision, three laboratories have already been approved, GLI, eCogra, and BMM. Last week, the ordinance establishing the rules for payment transactions to be complied with by sports betting and online gaming operators was also published.
Debra Martin Chase
Gaming and Leisure Properties Appoints Debra Martin Chase to Board of Directors
Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. announced that Debra Martin Chase has been appointed to the Board of Directors as a new independent director, effective immediately, to fill the vacancy created by the previously disclosed passing of JoAnne A. Epps.
The appointment of Ms. Chase to the Board of Directors brings the total number of directors to eight, seven of whom are considered independent according to the listing standards of the Nasdaq Stock Exchange. Ms. Chase has also been appointed as a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board of Directors, effective immediately. Ms. Chase will hold her directorship until the Company’s next annual meeting of shareholders or until her successor is duly elected and qualified or until her earlier death, disqualification, resignation, or removal.
Ms. Chase is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of an entertainment production company doing business as Martin Chase Productions. She is a two-time Tony Award winning, a Peabody Award winning, and three-time Emmy nominated television, motion picture, and Broadway producer. Ms. Chase is an entertainment industry trailblazer, being the first female African American producer to have a deal with a major motion picture studio. Her films have grossed over $500 million at the box office. She brings to the Company over 30 years of experience in motion picture and television production as well as a corporate legal background.
Peter Carlino, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GLPI, said: “I am delighted to welcome Debra to our Board as we believe her extensive entertainment industry experience, impressive legal background and broad board experience across public companies and the arts will serve GLPI well as we continue to drive growth in shareholder value. She brings a wealth of knowledge to GLPI, which we believe is a perfect complement to the existing strengths of the Board. I am confident that she will help expand the diverse set of viewpoints that ultimately shape our mission.”
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