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ANJ: Summary of the Online gambling market for the first quarter of 2021: business continues to grow in all gambling segments
After a singular year in 2020, which ended with a 22% increase in the sector’s turnover, the first quarter of 2021 confirms the very dynamic growth of the online gambling market, with a 35% increase in turnover compared to the same period in 2020. Sports and horse racing betting once again recorded record stakes, while poker, still on the rise, began to return to normal.
In the first quarter of 2021, the turnover of the online gambling sector is up 35% and amounts to 587 million euros. The business was driven by 3.1 million players on accounts, a player base that is up 19% compared to 2020. Each segment of online gambling opened to competition have seen further strong growth in activity this quarter. These performances illustrate the acceleration of the digitalisation of gambling practices, which is a consequence of the health crisis and whose structuring character will have to be confirmed over the long term. As such, the levels of growth recorded in the first quarter of 2021, which are measured in relation to the first quarter of 2020, should be viewed with a certain amount of caution since, on the one hand, they are influenced upwards, for the two online betting segments, by the loss of business linked to the suspension of French sports betting and horse racing betting and, on the other hand, they are oriented downwards for the online poker market, due to the peak of business recorded at the same period last year.
Online sports betting: record stakes and new players
The online sports betting segment, which was the most affected by the first period of lockdown, is the one that has seen the most spectacular growth in stakes this quarter. 2.2 billion euros (+79%[1] compared to Q1 2020) were approximatively bet by the players on the competitions of the quarter, which corresponds to the highest amount of stakes recorded in a quarter. The number of sports bettors in the quarter increased by 29% to almost 2.5 million active player accounts (APA). It is very likely that the growth in activity will continue at a high rate this year due to the two major competitions, the European football championship and the Summer Olympic Games.
The FDJ reports a volume of sports betting stakes recorded on the two distribution channels equal to 1.1 billion euros in the first quarter of 2021, which corresponds to an increase of 46% compared to its results for the first quarter of 2020.
Online horse racing betting: growth continues and expands
The growth dynamic of the online horse racing betting market observed in 2020 is also continuing at a very steady pace. The horse racing stakes, which amount to 481 million euros, increased by 60% compared to the first quarter of 2020, again the highest volume of stakes recorded in a quarter. At the same time, the turnover of the six licensed horse racing betting operators reached 110 million euros, an increase of 48% compared to the first quarter of 2020. Online horse racing betting also recorded a 13% increase in players, with a total of 402,000 active player accounts (APA) over the quarter.
The horse racing betting offer at points of sale remains affected by the health restrictions which, as revealed by PMU, led to the closure of almost 40% of the points of sale for several consecutive months. As a result, the operator posted a 23% drop in stakes placed in its network of sales outlets for a total of 1.3 billion euros.
Online poker: lower growth marks the beginning of a return to normality
Online poker, which recorded the highest turnover increase in 2020, continues to grow at a sustained rate but at a lower rate than in previous quarters. Thus, the sector’s turnover grew by 23% to 120 million euros. The number of online poker players grew by 9% (991,000 active player accounts, (APA)). The results of online poker for the next quarter should however interrupt this dynamic, since they will be calculated with regard to the 2nd quarter of 2020, which had shown an exceptional level of activity due to the first lockdown.
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|
Q1 2020
|
Q1 2021
|
Variation
|
|
TOTAL
|
|
|
|
|
Actives player accounts
|
2 598 000
|
3 078 000
|
+ 19%
|
|
Gross Gambling Revenue
|
435 m€
|
587 m€
|
+ 35%
|
|
Sports betting
|
|||
|
Actives player accounts
|
1 915 000
|
2 466 000
|
+ 29%
|
|
stakes
|
1 220 m€
|
2 181 m€
|
+ 79%
|
|
Gross Gambling Revenue
|
263 m€
|
357 m€
|
+ 36%
|
|
Horse racing betting
|
|
|
|
|
Actives player accounts
|
357 000
|
402 000
|
+ 13%
|
|
stakes
|
300 m€
|
481 m€
|
+ 60%
|
|
Gross Gambling Revenue
|
74 m€
|
110 m€
|
+ 48%
|
|
Poker
|
|
|
|
|
Actives player accounts
|
906 000
|
991 000
|
+ 9%
|
|
Gross Gambling Revenue
|
98 m€
|
120 m€
|
+ 23%
|
For Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, ANJ’s Chairwoman: “The online gambling dynamics goes on and is accelerating this quarter. It calls for a certain vigilance and must be accompanied in order to guarantee the protection of players, especially in the run-up to major sport events such as the EURO football tournament or the Tokyo Olympic Games. As such, the ANJ reminded operators of the need for their commercial communications to emphasise the importance of maintaining a moderate and controlled gambling practice and for bonuses or welcome offers to be sufficiently clear, enabling players to understand the commitments they underlie. Additionally, the ANJ will pay particular attention to tipsters’ Websites which have recently strongly developed. Some of these Websites are in fact involved in misleading practices and present a real danger for players.”
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- Sunny feel-good vibes for everyone: Cozy Coast now available for iOS and Android
- New trailer highlights entertaining storytelling, merge-2 puzzles, and diverse gameplay elements
- Upcoming updates with new events and challenges for long-lasting fun
A beach adventure with heart: InnoGames, one of Germany’s leading developers and publishers of mobile and browser games, today launches Cozy Coast worldwide, bringing sunny feel-good moments to smartphones and tablets. The game is now available for free on the App Store and Google Play Store. Players in selected regions have already explored the Mediterranean island of Calista and experienced the captivating story of the two protagonists Mia and Elara. The unique mix of merge-2 puzzles, exploration, and heartfelt moments is clearly resonating with players, earning 4.8 on the App Store and 4.6 on Google Play out of 5 stars.
With today’s launch, InnoGames expands the game’s language support. Alongside the existing languages German, English, and French, Cozy Coast is now also available in Italian, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish.
New Features, More Events: Regular Updates for Lasting Fun
In Cozy Coast, players accompany best friends Mia and Elara on a journey across the picturesque Mediterranean island of Calista. For Mia, the island is filled with childhood memories, but its former charm has faded. Together, they set out to restore the island. The gameplay centers on merge-2 mechanics: By skillfully combining items, players fulfill the wishes of island residents, collect resources, and restore buildings to unlock new areas of Calista. Along their journey, Mia and Elara encounter interesting characters, discover secrets, and explore the environment.
Check out the trailer on youtube: youtube.com/watch?v=hpacBlPfio4
Since the initial launch of Cozy Coast in selected regions, the development team has steadily expanded the merge-2 adventure. Customizable portraits, 3D decoration events, special quests with unique rewards, and advanced challenges for experienced players ensure there’s always something new to discover. The holiday season has also arrived: players can earn daily rewards, including the festive avatar “Winter Elara”.
Key Features of Cozy Coast
- Merge items: Strategically combine items to create new and higher-value objects
- Restore the seaside promenade: Renovate abandoned buildings to unlock new areas
- Adventure in paradise: Follow best friends Mia and Elara as they discover hidden places and uncover the secrets of a corporation with questionable intentions
- Characters with personality: Meet fascinating characters. Every encounter comes with a story – sometimes touching, sometimes mysterious, but always full of emotion
- Fresh challenges every day: Participate in competitive, daily, weekly, and seasonal events like exploration quests, puzzle collections, decoration and special story-driven missions to receive exciting rewards and enjoy lasting gameplay
- A personal touch: Use portrait customization to bring individuality and personality to every adventure.
- Unwind in a Mediterranean setting: Experience stress-free gameplay paired with a captivating story of friendship, courage, and hope
- Free to play without restrictions: Available worldwide on iOS and Android (except in Russia and China)
Cozy Coast is available on the App Store for iOS and on Google Play for Android.
For the latest news about the game, visit the official website or follow Cozy Coast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
The post Cozy Coast Launches Worldwide: Beach Adventure from InnoGames Now Available appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
Tequity, the technology partner behind some of the industry’s most scalable and customisable gaming solutions, has announced a strategic partnership with iBankroll that brings together two complementary engines of operator growth: high-performance Originals content and a liquidity support solution designed to remove exposure and empower operators to scale responsibly.
The partnership reflects a shared ambition to help operators overcome both creative and capital constraints. Through iBankroll’s Bankroll-as-a-Service solution, partners gain access to Tequity’s modular Remote Game Server (RGS) and its expanding portfolio of fully customisable Originals – a suite of provably fair, streamer-friendly, brandable titles engineered for next-generation engagement.
By aligning liquidity support with cutting-edge content delivery, the partnership aims to remove longstanding barriers in the iGaming sector – whether related to volatility, differentiation, or the technical bandwidth required to launch new experiences at speed.
Operators will now be able to offer bigger limits, streamline withdrawals, and deploy fully brandable Originals, supported by a capital-efficient foundation that enhances consistency and theoretical value.
With operators increasingly seeking adaptable content frameworks and operational models that support higher limits and smoother user experiences, the collaboration introduces an integrated pathway to growth.
The joint rollout marks the beginning of a broader collaboration, with both companies focused on accelerating innovation across fintech and gaming technology.
Dominic Sawyer, VP Growth at Tequity, said: “iBankroll removes the capital constraint for ambitious operators. Tequity does the same on the content side with high-performance, fully brandable house games. Together, we give partners the confidence to offer bigger limits and smooth withdrawals on games that players genuinely love.”
Hayden Bowman, Co-Founder of iBankroll, added: “Tequity’s engineering expertise, scalable infrastructure, and standout Originals portfolio make them an ideal partner. Bringing their technology together with our Bankroll-as-a-Service gives operators a compelling foundation to grow, innovate, and future-proof their business.”
The post Tequity and iBankroll forge strategic partnership appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
Christos Zoulianitis Chief Commercial Officer at ENJOY
ENJOY expands distribution through SoftGamings partnership
Collaboration marks a key step in ENJOY’s ongoing growth strategy
ENJOY, the dynamic iGaming content developer, has broadened its market access through a new partnership with SoftGamings, bringing its slot and live casino portfolio to one of the industry’s leading aggregation platforms.
The deal sees ENJOY’s content, including standout releases Hotfire Diamonds, Bison Strike and Grand Lightning, made available to SoftGamings’ extensive network, reinforcing the studio’s strategy to deliver its titles across multiple markets.
The integration is the latest in a string of alliances with key industry stakeholders, and reaffirms the studio’s commitment to innovative design, technical reliability and long-term commercial impact.
Christos Zoulianitis, Chief Commercial Officer at ENJOY, said: “This new partnership firmly places ENJOY’s games in front of a wider audience seeking proven, high-quality entertainment.
“SoftGamings has established itself as a trusted distribution partner, and this collaboration supports our focus on sustainable, global growth.”
Inna Lukina, Head of Partnerships at SoftGamings, added: “ENJOY delivers strong, player-focused content that stands out for both its technical execution and playability.
“Adding its titles to our platform offers our clients access to a brand with clear creative direction and momentum.”
The post ENJOY expands distribution through SoftGamings partnership appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
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