Paris 2024 Olympics: Sports open for betting, money spent… will the Games encourage sports betting?

This phenomenon has become typical of major competitions. And the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris will be no exception to the rule. The Olympic Games, the main event of the sporting year, will also be one of the highlights for players. Here are some questions and answers on a topic that is always relevant in high-level sports.

Will we be able to bet on all sports?

No. This is the National Office of Games (ANJ), the market regulator in France, which sets the sports and disciplines open to betting. Its list, updated on March 1, shows the disciplines on which bets will be available during the Games. This will be the case, for example, for most competitions, including fencing, judo, athletics and most team sports in the Paris 2024 programme.

But others will be closed to players, such as the Games’ additional sports (surfing, breaking, climbing and skateboarding), 3×3 basketball, diving, artistic swimming, gymnastics, dressage and eventing, and shooting. “We have not yet received any requests from operators in these disciplines,” explains ANJ, which will examine potential additional requests on a case-by-case basis based on the Games.

Should we expect a strong influx of players?

It all depends on where you place the cursor. For major market players, the Games will be second to the European Football Tournament, which will attract the majority of bets in 2024. This is certain, as the weight of football in the world of sports betting is unmatched. In France, almost a billion euros were bet on the 2022 World Cup matches alone, including 597 million online. There were about 90 million at the Tokyo Olympics that year, according to ANJ.

But Paris 2024 may exceed this figure. “The fact that this is happening in France could lead to more betting,” estimates online market leader Betclic, which expects French bettors to turn to sports such as football, basketball or handball . “We believe that several disciplines that bring together athletes of the French standard should generate great enthusiasm among players, such as football with Kylian Mbappe, basketball with Victor Vembanyama, and rugby sevens with Antoine Dupont,” says a representative of la Française des jeux ( FDJ). ), event partner.

Another point that will serve in favor of these Games to attract players is the absence of a time difference. Where, at both the Tokyo and Rio 2016 Games, some of the events took place in the dark in France.

Will operators invest in the Olympic Games?

Yes. All operators plan to invest 670 million euros in advertising (i.e. 14% more than in 2024). 30% of this amount must be spent on campaigns planned for May-July 2024, that is, with an eye to the Euro and the Olympics. In a press release published in January, ANJ asked some operators to “significantly soften their advertising strategy to avoid placing undue advertising pressure on all existing media, especially during the Euro 2024 and Paris Championship period.” Olympic Games.

“Holding these two high-profile events risks significantly increasing exposure to gambling among the population, especially minors and vulnerable people,” the ANJ assessed in another published decision in late January. Operators, for their part, emphasize their “responsible gaming” strategy. “Every year, the FDJ group allocates 10% of its total advertising budget to awareness campaigns to prevent excessive gambling and prohibit underage gambling,” explains Frances de games. The company will also launch a Games-related scratch game, Objective gold, in the market in July.