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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
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Q1 2021
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Variation
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TOTAL
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|
|
|
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Actives player accounts
|
2 598 000
|
3 078 000
|
+ 19%
|
|
Gross Gambling Revenue
|
435 m€
|
587 m€
|
+ 35%
|
|
Sports betting
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|||
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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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Dominic Sawyer VP Growth at Tequity
Tequity and iBankroll forge strategic partnership
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.
Fortune of Olympus
PRAGMATIC PLAY STRIKES GOLD WITH FORTUNE OF OLYMPUS
Pragmatic Play, a leading content supplier to the iGaming industry, unleashes a thunderous new entry in its iconic Greek Gods series with Fortune of Olympus – an electrifying 7×7 cluster-pays slot charged with random multipliers, dynamic special bets, and a 10,000x max win.
Fortune of Olympus is the latest feature-packed addition to the industry-leading Gates of Olympus universe. The blockbuster slot delivers explosive action as clusters of 5-15+ matching symbols reward players with wins of up to 150x in the base game.
On any spin, mighty multiplier symbols worth 2x-500x can strike the grid. When multiple multipliers hit, their values combine and detonate into a single, supercharged payout at the end of the tumbling sequence.
Landing 4-7 scatter symbols triggers the bonus game, awarding 15-30 free spins. During this striking feature, every multiplier that appears is added to a growing total multiplier, which is applied to all subsequent wins in the round, building tension and potential with every spin.
Players in certain markets can also amplify the action with special bets. Ante bets boost the chance of triggering Free Spins or Super Free Spins. The two Super Spins options guarantee at least one multiplier on every spin, with the second raising the minimum multiplier value to 50x.
Those eager for instant power can jump straight into Free Spins or Super Free Spins via 100x or 500x bonus buys, with the latter ensuring all multipliers start from 5x and above.
Fortune of Olympus marks the triumphant return of Pragmatic Play’s legendary Zeus character, following the success of Gates of Olympus Super Scatter and Gates of Olympus 1000, and pushes the fan-favourite series into thrilling new territory.
Irina Cornides, Chief Operating Officer at Pragmatic Play, said: “Fortune of Olympus is a stunning addition to Pragmatic Play’s popular Greek Gods series and a distinctly different kind of outing for Zeus. Taking the iconic Gates of Olympus series in a thrilling new direction, this feature-rich slot delivers a standout experience with epic win potential.”
The post PRAGMATIC PLAY STRIKES GOLD WITH FORTUNE OF OLYMPUS appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
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