The French gamble big: 55.6 million euros every day
You can’t accuse the French of not trying to be rich. In 2006 they spent over 20 billion euros on lotto and scratch cards, horse betting and in casinos.
The daily average is 55.6 million euros, the price of an Airbus A-319 or the construction of two high schools.
The three gambling operators in France are all under strict government control. And with a reason – the State is the largest beneficiary of France’s gambling addiction.
In 2006, six billion euros ended up in the government’s coffers, in the form of licenses and taxes.
These are the official figures. In reality, unknown amounts are spent on illegal gambling and on Internet sites which offer poker games, attracting tens of thousands of French every day.
