The FDJ recorded record bets in 2018, but the number of players has decreased, because of the lower success of the draw games , according to a statement released Thursday, January 17. 

The FDJ earned 15.8 billion euros in sales in 2018, up 4.4% year on year. And 10.7 billion euros were donated to players, 198 of whom became millionaires during the year.

While games of draw and scratch remain the main activity of the public operator, sports bets have for the first time passed the threshold of three billion euros, up 21% over one year. The World Cup effect has played, with more than 300 million euros in bets, just like the investments to develop digital. Digitized sports betting has thus exploded by 60% over the whole of 2018.

For its part, the success of the “instant lottery” – the scratch games – is not fading, with 3.2% growth and 7.69 billion euros in bets. The other lottery activity – draw games such as Lotto, Euromillions and Keno – fell by 1.9% to 5.07 billion euros. As for the Loto Heritage , it has garnered 187 million euros in bets. And a total of 21 million was donated to the Heritage Foundation, to restore monuments in danger.

For the 2018 financial year, the State should pocket more than € 3.3 billion of levies on the FDJ’s stakes. The French games , which prepares for its privatization , is the second European lottery and fourth world.