Groupe FDJ has reported a strong first half of the year, benefitting from the full recovery of its French lottery network, but also issued a warning on economic headwinds impacting the French economy.

Publishing its H1 trading results, FDJ reported group revenues of €1.2bn, up 12% on corresponding 2021 results of €1.08bn.

H1 trading saw FDJ generate total stakes (lottery + sports betting) of €10bn, of which €8.9bn corresponded to Française des Jeux lottery sales.

Normalised lottery trading was supported by FDJ launching new marketing campaigns and point-of-sale activities/initiatives that helped its lottery unit achieve an H1 GGR of €2.7bn, up 16% on 2021 results of €2.3bn.

Improved lottery results saw FDJ increase its H1 public levies to €2.04bn (+13%) as lottery net revenues amounted to €943m (H12021: 805m).

Lottery growth offset FDJ sports betting declines, as the Parions Sport unit registered a 5% drop in betting GGR to €485m (H12021: €508m). The decline in sports betting results was related to a lower wagering volume against the peak comparatives of 2021 that featured the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament.

Returning its lottery network at full capacity, FDJ accounted for a higher sales cost of €652m, of which €470m represented POS commissions and increased outgoings combined with higher period marketing expenses that grew to €220m (+13%).

Bottom-line results saw FDJ register a period EBITDA of €308m (H12021: €261m), helping the Paris Euronext firm declare H1 profits of €160m up 10% on H1 profits of €145m.

Moving into H2, FDJ stated that it would accelerate the integration of newly acquired French retail payments system providers Aleda and l’Addition – strategic acquisitions that aim to lower the operational costs of operating FDJ’s retail lottery network.

Stéphane Pallez, Chairwoman and CEO of the FDJ Group, said: “The second quarter confirmed the positive trend at the start of the year, notably for the Lottery. Our business grew over the half year, both at points of sale and in digital. Given the deterioration in the global economic environment, the group remains cautious but confident in its outlook, based on its extensive and responsible gaming model.

“We continue to invest to back the development of our activities, including those of Payment and Services, with two acquisitions, Aleda and L’Addition. The group is pursuing its sustainable and profitable growth strategy for the benefit of all its stakeholders.”