France allows FDJ United to reset scratchcard terms
L’ Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), the gambling authority of France, has allowed FDJ United to reconfigure technical terms of its scratch card offering for domestic consumers.
Under Decision No. 2026-109, the French regulator authorised a revised €5 scratchcard game to launch on 5 October 2026 across both retail and digital channels.
While the ticket price will remain unchanged, the player return rate will fall from 71% to 70%, allowing FDJ to marginally improve margins on one of France’s best-performing lottery products.
The adjustment represents a subtle but important shift in the commercial structure of France’s lottery market. Scratchcards remain one of Europe’s most resilient gambling products, supported by mass-market participation, instant-play mechanics and extensive retail distribution networks.
By reducing the payout ratio by one percentage point, FDJ strengthens the long-term monetisation profile of the “Jackpot” brand without materially altering the customer-facing proposition.
The decision comes as FDJ continues to expand the scale of its instant lottery portfolio. During FY2025, the operator increased its combined retail and online scratchcard catalogue to 60 games as part of a broader strategy to deepen engagement across both digital and land-based channels.
FY2025 trading saw FDJ report net income of €2.10bn (+2%), while its exclusive operation of French national lottery products generated a direct €4.6bn contribution to public levies and cultural projects across France.
FDJ finding its way in a new France
However, the operator is also facing a more demanding fiscal environment.
Recent French gambling reforms introduced higher taxes, expected to cost FDJ approximately €50m. The new framework increased charges linked to gambling income to 50% with additional taxes placed on marketing campaigns – in effect as of July 2025.
Against this backdrop, improving operating margin efficiency on lottery products has become strategically important for France’s largest gambling operator. The revised “Jackpot” structure demonstrates how incremental adjustments to payout ratios can improve profitability without fundamentally changing the consumer proposition.
France’s gambling framework remains governed by Law No. 2010-476 of 12 May 2010, alongside the Internal Security Code and state control decrees overseeing FDJ and PMU operations.
The regulator, chaired by Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, maintains full supervisory and enforcement authority over the sector.
France generated approximately US$15.2bn (€14.1bn) in gross gaming revenue during 2025, reinforcing its status as one of Europe’s largest regulated gambling markets. FDJ alone accounts for nearly half of national gambling revenues under its exclusive rights framework.
Alongside the scratchcard approval, the ANJ also expanded the list of sporting events authorised for betting, adding competitions such as the United Cup in tennis, Japanese volleyball leagues and the Table Tennis World Cup, following formal requests submitted by FDJ, Betclic and Winamax.
https://lotterydaily.com/2026/05/06/region/europe/fdj-scratch-card-jackpot/