France lottery says 100 retailers affected by social unrest

• FDJ United has addressed the ongoing unrest in France and how it affected lottery retailers briefly
• The company provided an updated of its Q3 and year-through results, noting a slowdown across verticals
• The group’s online segment remained fairly buoyant, excluding certain markets such as the Netherlands and UK where course correction is under way

FDJ United, the French lottery operator, has confirmed that about 100 points of sales across the country have been affected by the current wave of social unrest, with CFO Dan Lévy speaking during the Q3 earnings call.

FDJ United assess damage from social unrest in France, focuses on group results

Despite the unrest, Lévy estimated that there was no material impact on the company’s business in the country. He acknowledged, however, that the affected points of sale had it harder.

"Historically, the group’s business has been demonstrated to be very resilient to economic cycles and particularly because it is based on a very broad player base, and relatively average stakes, which is consistent with the recreational model," Lévy said talking about the company’s overall business and performance.

The group has seen some declines across its core business in the first nine months of the 2026 financial year. Gross gaming revenue stood at €6,264m, a 2.8% decline while revenue stood at €2,576m, a 5.6% decline.

According to FDJ United, there have been several reasons behind these slower results - including the lower number and amounts of high jackpots compared to 2025. Another reason was that players in the sports betting segment continued to reap strong winnings, a trend that has lasted throughout Q3.

There are also challenging economic conditions, the company said, that have continued to weigh down on the business’ operations throughout Q2 and Q3. Online betting and gaming remained fairly stable at €1,013m, down 0.8% and revenue declining to €619m, or about 8.2%.

There were some gains for the group, however, when excluding the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. In the remaining markets, GGR rose by 5.7% and revenue grew by 0.8%, driven by strong online performance in Scandinavia and France.

Addressing the weak links in the group’s strategy

As to the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, measures have been taken which the company believes will restore its operational and financial capacity at least so far as the online segment is concerned.

FDJ United also has plans to strengthen its lottery segment moving into Q4, with numerous commercial and marketing initiatives already planned, with more events for draw games in the quarter.

In terms of overall 2026 targets, the group is aiming at a low-single-digit decline in GGR and a mid-single-digit decline in revenue. FDJ United’s "cost control discipline" will allow the company to maintain a recurring EBITDA margin of 23%, the group said.

Image credit: Unsplash.com