Online Poker in France Is Thriving

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, almost all types of online gambling are gaining popularity and digital poker isn’t an exception. French players are also interested in this card game and often play it. According to the recent data, the online poker market in the country has grown by forty-four percent.

COVID-19 isn’t the only reason

Of course, the main reason for this is the coronavirus pandemic and long-term lockdown that has urged people to find entertainment on the Internet. However, as the reports show, other factors have also influenced the growth of the digital poker sector. The increase started in 2017 and continued to be present in the French market. It means that the lockdown has only contributed to the overall situation but hasn’t become its starting point.

In general, the first quarter of 2020 has been extremely profitable for operators who provide remote poker services. Although they have some losses in the betting sector, the poker vertical has compensated it fully. The recent regulator’s reports provide really interesting figures: operators’ income has grown from almost seventy million euros to ninety-eight million euros. Experts say that poker matches have become the main driver of this increase. They have reached seventy million euros in revenue.

So, how many French gamblers play poker online on licensed websites? If to believe the latest data, approximately fifty-three percent of gamblers prefer legal gambling platforms, while others often visit unregulated websites. Usually, licensed websites don’t have enough traffic to ensure a high level of competitiveness among players. Poker professionals want to participate in tournaments with huge prize pools and search for services that can provide them with these opportunities. That is why the grey gambling market is still a big problem for France, despite all regulator’s efforts to make gambling legal.

What is more interesting, the majority of French players are educated people who are older than thirty. In France, poker is more popular among male gamblers, women like to play other types of casino games.

It is difficult to predict what will be the further development of the poker industry in France. As there is a possibility that some European countries will need to have the second lockdown, many chances are that online poker will have even more records in revenue.