Based on findings provided by licensed online gaming operators, the Authority for the Regulation of Online Gaming (Arjel) has posted its results for the first quarter of 2012. It shows that 1.3 million player accounts were active. 55% of player accounts are players of under 35 years old in comparison with the first quarter of 2011 when it was 61%.
Online Poker
The poker sector results are mixed: tournaments are showing encouraging figures with an increase of 26% in buy ins compared to the first quarter 2011. On the other hand the cash-game shows a decrease of 5%. The level of participation among 18-24 years olds has decreased most since it shows a loss of 20%.Sports BettingSports betting: the amounts wagered indicate an increase of 14%. As for the number of bets, it has reached 29 million. Two major events are behind this increase: in football, it was the African Nations Cup and in handball, the European Championships. However, football and tennis remain the players’ favourite sports. The 18 -24 year old age group has decreased by 44% while that of the 25-34 year olds is increasing ( 26 000 active player accounts). The players come mainly from the Bouches-du-Rhone, Paris and the North. 61% of them wager less than 100€ per month whereas this number was 67% in the first quarter 2011. On the other hand 5% more bet between 100 and 3000 euros.

Horse Racing

Horse Race Betting: the number of bets has increased by 13%. This increase concerns the 35-54 year old age group. This rise is due to the increase in foreign races ( United Arab Emirates, South Africa…). The departments with the most players are the North, Pas-de-Calais and the Bouches-du-Rhone. The average bets are the same as in 2011, of about 144 euros. Whereas the number of player accounts which bet more than 50 000 euros is 239 while it was 201 before.

Since the opening up of the online gaming market, operators have invested massively in marketing but it seems that at present expenditure is stable and isn’t more than 20 million euros per month. The expenditure on the media has decreased by 44%.