Increase in betting helps FDJ revenue reach €2.26bn in 2021

The revenue figure also represents a 10.1% increase on the revenue total from 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic.

€1.73bn of the revenue total was derived from lottery operations, up from €1.50bn in 2020. Meanwhile €464.0m came from sports betting, up 24.7% from the previous year.

Customers staked €18.98bn across the year, an increase of 10.8% from 2020. €14.73bn was staked on lottery games – €8.98bn for instant lottery and €5.74bn for draw games – while €4.22bn was wagered on sports betting.

Marketing and communication costs came to €414.7m for the year. General and administrative costs were €199.4m, while other expenses totaled €16.3m.

Operating income for the year amounted to €391.8m, up from €292.7m in 2020. Financial debt and other costs totaled €7.1m, while other financial instruments and shares in net profits from joint ventures added a further €32.0m in income.

As a result of this, pre-tax profits came to €416.6m. After accounting for €122.5m of income tax, net profits for 2021 were €294.2m – a 37.7% increase from 2020.

Earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) amounted to €522.0m, up from €427.0m the year prior.

Stéphane Pallez, chairman and CEO of the FDJ group, said: “The year 2021 marks the return of FDJ to its pre-crisis growth trajectory for all of its activities. The group’s 2021 results are significantly higher than those recorded in 2019, thanks to the acceleration of digital and the growth in the network of points of sale. 

“These performances testify to the relevance of our strategy and lead us to revise upwards the 2025 objectives communicated at the time of the group’s IPO, both in terms of growth and EBITDA margin. 

“At the same time, we are pursuing our societal commitments, which have already been strongly reinforced since the start of the health crisis. FDJ will continue to combine financial performance and extra-financial commitments for the benefit of all of its stakeholders.”

2021 saw FDJ sign an agreement with retail and e-commerce investment business Plug and Play Retail, as well as agreeing to sponsor the women’s Tour de France.

The company was also subject to an investigation from the European Commission after it was determined that its privatisation violated EU laws.