2025 was a landmark year for French gambling. As a new-look FDJ United entered a new era with its acquisition of Kindred Group, it signalled that the formerly state owned French operator had a new lease of life as it seeks to become a European powerhouse.
Similarly, bet365 will enter the French online sports betting market in 2026, while Betclic announced a merger with German giant Tipico.
But it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows as the political turmoil of the French government – which has seen five prime ministerial stints since the beginning of 2024 – derailed online casino legislation.
To break down what has been a busy year for French gambling, SBC News chats to Baptiste Chevalier, Website Manager for Lebonparisportif.com, who breaks down 2025’s biggest moments, and looks ahead to what will be a blockbuster ’26.
SBC News: The French market was shaken up in 2025 following FDJ’s acquisition of Kindred. Did this have an impact on the size of the market or how customers interact with affiliates?
Baptiste Chevalier: We didn’t notice any real impact on the player side. I’m not sure this type of information even reaches most bettors or influences the way they place their bets. From an affiliate perspective, it doesn’t change much either. In practice, this has little direct impact on users, as they can still hold accounts with all bookmakers, even if some of them belong to the same group. A regulated market with multiple bookmakers is important because it encourages competition. Different operators bring different offers, promotions, and advantages, which pushes them to differentiate themselves. Market consolidation can limit this diversity and, ultimately, reduce choice for players.
At the same time, this acquisition sends a very positive signal to the market, showing that France is dynamic and growing. FDJ has a clear ambition to become the “European champion in gambling.” We see a similar objective when Betclic and Tipico join forces to position themselves as a “European champion in sports betting and online gambling.” Overall, France is getting stronger and clearly anticipating further growth in its regulated market.
SBC: Similarly, the entry of bet365 could be a huge moment for France. How do you anticipate this influencing bettors and how will Leadstar Media react?
BC: When one of the biggest and most well-known bookmakers enters a market, it inevitably shakes things up. France is a regulated market with only 17 licensed operators (16 live), so bettors will be very curious and eager to try such a strong and recognisable brand.
From experience, we know that the arrival of a new bookmaker always generates a lot of attention. French bettors are particularly interested in welcome bonuses and are constantly looking for new opportunities. Bet365 is also entering the market at an excellent moment, with a Football World Cup approaching. This creates the perfect conditions to launch in France and quickly establish a strong presence.
That said, the key question is how bet365 will adapt to the French regulatory framework. The ANJ (the French regulator) is very strict regarding the sports that can be offered and the types of bets allowed. Bet365 is renowned for its extensive betting catalogue, so it will be interesting to see how they balance their usual product range with local regulatory constraints.
From Leadstar Media’s perspective, our role will be to monitor their launch closely, understand their positioning, and ensure that we provide clear, compliant, and up-to-date information to French bettors through our brands.
SBC: What are the big drivers of the online sports betting market in France? Presumably football is a big focus, but are there any other standouts?
Like in many European markets, football is by far the most popular sport for betting in France. Alongside football, the other main sports on the podium are tennis and basketball.
The dominance of football is apparent in our own data. In January, when the Champions League introduced its new format with 18 matches played on the same night, we saw a significant spike in traffic on our website. PSG’s performances were also a strong driver, with noticeable traffic increases every time they played.
We can also highlight several sports that have been gaining popularity for specific reasons. MMA and rugby have benefited from the strong performances and international visibility of French athletes, while cycling and Formula 1 have attracted new audiences thanks to Netflix documentaries that have brought these sports to a much wider public. We can clearly see that players are more inclined to bet when a French fighter like Benoit Saint-Denis is fighting on an MMA night.
SBC: How big is 2026 set to be for France’s sports betting market, given it’s a World Cup year and France will again be one of the favourites?
BC: As mentioned earlier, football is the biggest sport in terms of betting activity in France. We also know that when French teams or French athletes are involved, interest in betting increases significantly. We observed this clearly when PSG were playing in the Champions League.
The World Cup will therefore be a major event for the French betting market, especially as “Les Bleus” will once again be among the favourites. The summer of 2026 is expected to be a critical period for us at Lebonparisportif.
We are definitely looking forward to 2026 with the most important sport event (for betting), a strong football French team and the arrival of the biggest bookmaker Bet365.
SBC: What is key to having a successful period of trading during a big tournament like a World Cup from an affiliates’ perspective?
BC: This will be a particularly interesting period because the World Cup attracts numerous new players who have never bet before. It is a competition that brings everyone together, and many people who are not regular bettors may place a bet simply for fun when their national team is playing.
For us as an affiliate, this means being especially focused on providing clear, accurate, and up-to-date information. The distinction between legal and illegal operators becomes a key factor. These “new” players, who may not be familiar with the market, need to be guided towards legal sports betting operators so they can play in a safe and regulated environment.
The key to success is to be data-driven, always keep an eye on the SERP, and be able to react quickly during the competition.
SBC: 2026 could be even bigger if France decides to legalise online casino gambling – where are we in that process, and how likely do you think that is given the instability at government level?
BC: We are not very confident when it comes to the regulation of online casinos in France. As mentioned, the country is currently going through a period of political uncertainty. The next presidential election will take place in 2027, and it remains unclear whether President Macron and his government will want to take such a significant decision before then.
Land-based casino operators have made their position clear. They strongly oppose the legalisation of online casinos, arguing that it could put thousands of jobs at risk. They also claim that online casinos would make it more difficult to identify and protect gamblers with an addictive behaviour.
On the other hand, AFJEL (Association Française du Jeu en Ligne), which represents several licensed online betting operators, is actively pushing for regulation. Their main argument is that legalising online casinos would help combat illegal operators and offer players a safer and more controlled environment.
We are clearly at an important turning point, but at this stage, we do not believe legalisation will happen in the short term. That said, we don’t know what the government will do, and the situation could still evolve quickly.
SBC: How big of an opportunity would it be for France to legalise online casinos, and how would Leadstar Media look to take advantage of that opportunity?
BC: This raises numerous questions that are difficult to answer currently, especially without a clear timeline or confirmation that France will move forward with legalisation. For Leadstar Media, however, it would represent a significant growth opportunity and could make France a much larger market within the group.
For Lebonparisportif, legalisation would attract many new players. Everything would depend on how the regulation is implemented and how licences are granted by the regulator.
It would also raise important questions about how existing sports betting operators would adapt. Large operators such as FDJ, Betclic, PMU, or Winamax would likely be able to launch an online casino offering rapidly. But the situation would be more challenging for smaller operators like Netbet or Feelingbet. Would they be able to compete with a strong casino product, or would they remain focused solely on sports betting?
We can already see historical brands, such as Circus Bet and Golden Palace, are slowly making moves in the French market but appear to be waiting for online casino legalisation. These are brands that are historically well known for their casino products rather than sports betting. Circus, for example, has been licensed in France since 2024 but still does not offer a welcome bonus or major features such as livestreaming or bet builder, suggesting a wait-and-see approach ahead of potential casino regulation.
It is also worth noting that France is now one of the last countries in Europe where online casinos remain illegal. Despite this, many players continue to use illegal platforms. The ANJ closes numerous URLs every year to protect players. A recent example is the arrest of the CEO of Cresus Casino, a Malta-based online casino targeting French players, for non-payment of player winnings.
There are still many unknowns, but it would undoubtedly be a major opportunity for growth and could help France become a much more significant market within the company.
2025 was a landmark year for French gambling. As a new-look FDJ United entered a new era with its acquisition of Kindred Group, it signalled that the formerly state owned French operator had a new lease of life as it seeks to become a European powerhouse. Similarly, bet365 will enter the French online sports betting …