Online Poker Numbers Down Again in France

The second quarter numbers for the France’s online gaming industry are in, and they have yet again yielded bad news for poker in the country. Average weekly player numbers on poker networks throughout the European nation fell by five per cent year-on-year.

This contributed to a total decline of 11 per cent in weekly online poker cash game numbers and a three per cent decline in online tournament numbers. What that means for the French online poker’s bottom line is a two per cent decrease to €56.3 million (around US$61.6 million).

The gradually declining online poker numbers have particularly impacted just about every poker network in the country, with player numbers having fallen significantly over the last year or so.

Pokerstars.fr, for instance, currently has a seven day player average of 750, according to PokerScout. This is significantly down from its average earlier this year, when it boasted a player average as high as 1050 back in February.

PartyPoker and iPoker’s French networks have also had less than ideal player numbers, with respective seven day player averages of 425 and 260.

Even France’s largest online poker network, Winamax, appears to have been affected by the declining online poker numbers registered for the second quarter. Its seven day player average currently stands at 1100, which is good enough to make it the second most popular poker network in the world.

However, those numbers are lower when compared to the opening months of 2015, with its player averages having reached as high as 1250.

The lower numbers may be a factor in the announcement of a sponsorship deal between Winamax and French football club Olympique de Marseille that was signed earlier this month.

Other forms of online gaming in France increased during the second quarter of 2015.

Sports betting in the country increased 18 per cent year-on-year, although gross and net profits actually decreased.