In Q2 2021, the revenue in the finance sector showed a remarkable increase of 91.0% compared to the previous year, reaching €614.0m. This growth can be attributed to the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. Online sports betting accounted for €420.0m of the total revenue, marking a significant rise of 346.8% from Q2 2020. The Euros event contributed to the surge in sports betting revenue. Horse betting also saw a rise of 7.9% year-on-year, contributing €95.0m to the total. However, online poker experienced a decline of 27.4%, generating €103m.
The second quarter also witnessed an increase in active player accounts, growing from 2.0m in Q2 2020 to 3.3m in Q2 2021, representing a rise of 65.2%. Among the active players, 2.7m were engaged in sports betting, while 921,000 participated in horse betting and 363,000 played poker. The total amount of deposits in Q2 2021 reached €1.11bn, surpassing the €1bn mark for the third consecutive quarter. Credit card deposits accounted for 79.0% of the total, amounting to €878.9m. Withdrawals amounted to €523.0m, showing an increase of 84.0% compared to the previous year.
The marketing budget for the finance sector in Q2 2021 was €78.0m, a substantial rise of 387.5% year-on-year. The largest allocation of the budget, 30.0%, was dedicated to retention bonuses, followed by 15% for acquisition bonuses. Television and cinema marketing received 14% of the budget, while the remaining funds were utilized for various marketing strategies such as sponsorship and radio advertising.
Additionally, the French National Gaming Authority (ANJ) recently launched a public consultation on gambling advertising following concerns about advertising tactics during the Euros. In terms of customer betting behaviors, 1% of bettors placed stakes greater than €10,000, remaining consistent with Q2 2020. However, there was a 2.0% increase in the percentage of bettors who contributed between €3,000 and €10,000, and a 3.0% increase in those who provided between €1,000 and €3,000. Notably, 26% of bettors contributed between €0 and €30 towards stakes, marking a significant decline of 15% from Q2 2020. The top 10% of bettors accounted for 76.0% of stakes, experiencing a decrease of 2.0% year-on-year. The top 1% of bettors contributed 35.0%, down 3.0% compared to the previous year.
