The gaming bar market - France (2025)

1.2 Global market

The global market for gaming bars and cafés was valued at $*.** billion in ****. It could grow rapidly, with a CAGR (***) of **.*% in the coming years, doubling in value by **** to reach $*.** billion.

Sales forecasts for the gaming bar market World, ****-****, in billions of dollars Source: ****

This boom correlates with that of the board games market, which is also set to grow significantly over the next few years. Its CAGR, set at *.*% for the period ****-****, is expected to exceed the $** billion mark in ****.

The practice is attracting a growing number of players, and all regions of the world are involved: while North America remains the sector's mainstay, with more than a quarter of the international market linked to this region in ****, Asia-Pacific and Latin America are emerging as promising territories.ria appear as promising territories "due to factors such as rising disposable incomes, urbanization and growing awareness of board games as a recreational activity". [***]

The range is also growing, with *,*** new titles released every year, a figure that "will continue to rise in the years to come".[***]

Sales forecasts for the board games market World, ****-****, in billions of dollars Source: ****

1.3 French market

The number of gaming bars in France has risen sharply in recent years. "The phenomenon gained momentum at the end of the ****s, with a resounding boom in **** when, in France, more than one such venue opened every week," says Xavier Berret, former president of the French Network of Fun Cafés. [***]

While no single body tracks the number of openings and closures, the rise in membership of the Réseau français des cafés ludiques, an association whose aim is to promote the game bar concept and support establishments, is a tangible sign of the craze of recent years. The network's membership has increased six-fold in eight years.

growth in the number of Réseau des cafés ludiques members France, ****-**** Source: ****

According to the Réseau des cafés ludiques itself and Olivier Mahy, President of the Société des auteurs de jeux, around *** game bars existed in France by the end of ****. [***]

given that the average sales figure for a bar is between ***,*** and ***,*** euros a year, according to the professional bank Shine, it is possible to estimate the value of the French gaming bar market at between ** and *** million euros.

The youth of many gaming ...

2.1 Almost all French people are gamers, looking for convivial moments

**% of French people play board games, a quarter of them at least once a week. The Covid-** crisis has reinforced this practice. "Compared to ten or fifteen years ago, people are playing more and differently, because the choices and novelties have multiplied. The emotions involved in the pleasure of playing have become increasingly pronounced, particularly since the confinements linked to the Covid ** health crisis, when young and old alike have never gathered so much around board games," explains Olivier Mahy, President of the Société des auteurs de jeux. [***]

Proportion of French people who play board games, by frequency France, ****, in Source: ****

The majority of French people play with friends, a practice perfectly suited to game bars. Next come family, then colleagues or strangers, who can also be game partners in dedicated bars.

People with whom the French play board games France, ****, as % of total Source: ****

The main motivation for French people to play, namely to spend convivial moments, is also reflected in the atmosphere of the game bar.

French people's main motivation for playing board games France, ****, in Source: ****

In a **** OpinionWay survey on the reasons for going out more often to cafés, bars and restaurants, **% of respondents also ...

2.2 Gaming and going out are high on the French budget, but watch out for inflation

Games, toys and sporting goods represent the leading category in French cultural, sports and leisure spending, at **.* billion euros in ****, or **.*% of total spending on this subject. This is followed by gardening and pets, at **.* billion euros spent (***).

Cultural, sports and leisure spending, by category France, ****, in billions of euros Source: ****

The monthly budget for going out at the bar averaged €** in the summer months of ****. Wide variations can be observed across age groups, with **-** year-olds planning a much larger budget than those aged ** and over.

Average budget to be spent in bars and cafés during the summer, by age group France, ****, in euros Source: ****

The average budget of €** is €* lower than in ****, mainly due to inflation: **% of those surveyed wish to restrict their consumption in cafés, bars and restaurants because of rising prices, including **% of **-** year-olds and **% of **-** year-olds.

So, while gambling and going out to the bar are still an important part of French people's budgets, factors such as inflation can have an impact on them, and put the brakes on frequentation of gambling bars.

2.3 The game bar concept is attracting more and more interest

Analysis of Google Trends data reveals that the term "bar à jeux" is gaining in popularity in French searches over the years, with the index climbing.

A certain cyclicality also seems to be emerging, with searches often more numerous in the first and fourth quarters of each year. This suggests that the French may be frequenting gaming bars more during the winter months, even if the level of searches was also high in autumn ****.

evolution of Google searches on the words "bar à jeux" France, ****-****, highest value = *** Source: ****

The number of results offered by Google News for the search "bar à jeux" almost tripled between **** and ****.

This indicator, too, shows the growing interest in gaming bars, as Google News highlights local media articles about new bar openings, blog posts and tourist sites listing gaming bars in different cities, or simply general articles talking about this trend. The increase in content suggests that more and more media and players, both national and local, are interested in, questioning and reporting on this phenomenon.

evolution of the number of results proposed by Google News for the search "bar à jeux" France, ****-**** Source: ****

3.1 Market value chain

Two main types of player are involved upstream of the gaming bar, enabling it to operate:

suppliers of drinks and foodstuffs (***), as for a traditional bar. The number and variety of these suppliers will depend on the type of food offered by the gaming bar: drinks only, snacks and a few sweet products, more complete catering, etc. publishers, distributors and creators of board games, links in the value chain specific to game bars. They can be seen simply as suppliers of games to the game bar catalog, but also as partners, in the case ofsales events or game presentations in the bar, for example, on the occasion of a new release.

3.2 A strong presence in major cities, but ongoing territorial diversification

France's ** biggest cities, in terms of population, and their conurbations are home to around ** gaming bars. paris alone accounts for a third of these establishments. By contrast, there are fewer in the south-east of France, with just three in Marseille, one in Nice and one in Toulon.

Source: ****

With around *** gaming bars in France, over a third are located in the ** biggest cities and their suburbs. They have often been the first to welcome such establishments, thanks to their logically greater potential clientele.

Breakdown of gaming bars by location France, **** Source: ****

To continue its growth, however, the market is increasingly moving into medium-sized and small towns. In ****, a large number of establishments opened outside major cities (***).

3.3 A large majority of independents

The vast majority of game bars are independent establishments, launched by board game enthusiasts. This status gives them great freedom in many respects (***), but can also be more risky in financial and marketing terms, since there is no external support.

The table below provides a non-exhaustive list of the gaming bars opening in ****, most of which are independent. It also illustrates the geographical diversity of locations, with establishments present in both large and small towns:

The success of gaming bars is paving the way for the emergence of chains and franchises, which are seeking to duplicate their concept across several establishments, and could help accelerate the sector's development. Although still few in number, a few companies are betting on this niche:

Baraka Jeux is present in nine French cities, including Marseille, Toulouse, Strasbourg and Clermont-Ferrand. The group is also active in game sales, both online and in a physical store in Lattes (***). La Luck, which combines a restaurant, bar and games, was set up in Lille before extending its concept to Brussels. In early ****, a third similar location, "La Big Luck", is set to open in Marquette-lez-Lille. [***] Bonne Pioche has opened a second games bar in Orléans in ****, after noting ...

4.1 Paid access to games and ancillary activities: building your offer and finding the right business model

Access to games: pay or play?

The business model of gaming bars is organized around two main levers: food consumption and gaming. Starting from this premise, several options are possible:

access to the games is free, and only the food and beverages are charged for; access to games is free, but customers must consume in order to use them; access to the games is paid for, as are the drinks.

These different models coexist, as explained by Xavier Berret, owner of a games bar in Rennes and former president of the Réseau des cafés ludiques: "Customers sometimes come for hours, and don't always renew their drinks as often as they 'should'. What's more, games and their entertainment have a cost that has to be added to the bar's expenses (***), which other bars don't have. As a result, there are a number of different models, each with its own answer to the problem. Today, free access subject to consumption is the most widespread in the provinces. in Paris, for the most part, access to games is almost always subject to a fee, often a modest one, paid by people in addition to their consumption. This can be explained by the ...

4.2 The depth of the game catalog, an essential element

To attract a wide range of customers (***), game bars need to offer a sufficiently broad range of games. It's quite common for the games catalog to exceed *** items, as illustrated in the chart below:

Number of games offered in gaming bars France, **** Source: ****

It is also important to offer a variety of games, both in terms of the number of players required and style, to satisfy all audiences:

atmospheric games, quick to set up and play, suitable for novice players ; strategy games, for more experienced players; games for children, so as not to exclude families from our clientele; duo games, or even solo games, for people who come in pairs or alone; cooperative games ; traditional games (***); role-playing ; etc.

The wider the offer, the easier it will be to attract a varied clientele. The possibilities offered in terms of events or dedicated evenings are also more numerous.

On the other hand, specializing in just one type of game can be a pitfall, as it may restrict the target audience too much. in Lille, La Taverne, a game bar specifically focused on role-playing games, had to close its doors in ****, less than four years after opening. At the same time, in Toulon, L'Immatérium ...

4.3 The gaming bar expands into other spheres

Escape game chains attracted by board games

The success of game bars is attracting the attention of other players in the entertainment industry. Escape games, for example, see these venues as a new growth lever and a way of keeping customers in their spaces for longer, at a time when the scope for expanding their original business is shrinking. Since ****, the number of escape games in France has tended to stagnate.

number of escape games France, ****-**** Source: ****

Combining escape games and game bars is a promising strategy. Several players are now opting for this duo:

Get Out has deployed game bars in its escape games in Angers, Orléans and Le Mans. "We've observed a recurring attitude among our customers who, after taking part in an escape game, feel the need to relax over a drink. This habit of debriefing the experience together was an initial trigger. We also noticed that our franchisees all shared a passion for the world of fun, particularly board games.this convergence between customers' expectations and franchisees' interests reinforced our conviction thatit made sense to create a synergy between the two activities," explains Vincent Liogier, co-founder of the franchise. The premises have been enlarged and ...

5.1 Regulations

Licenses required to sell alcohol

Gaming bars are establishments likely to sell alcoholic beverages, and therefore fall into the "débits de boissons" category. These establishments must hold a license to obtain permission to sell alcoholic beverages.

Non-alcoholic drinks : free sale, no particular licenseis required; Alcoholic beverages under **° alcohol (***); Alcoholic beverages above **° (***).

To obtain a license III or IV, a number of conditions must be met:be of legal age, not be under guardianship, not have committed a common crime or pimping. Common offenses such as theft, fraud or breach of trust prohibit license operation for * years. Anyone wishing to obtain a license must attend a **-hour training course. Licenses are valid for ** years and are renewable after * hours' training.

Licenses III and IV cannot be issued by local authorities if there is already more than one licensed establishment per *** inhabitants.

[***]

Display

Drinks outlets are subject to regulations governing signs, the display of drinks, and the protection of minors and consumers in general:

The establishment's license must be displayed; Prices of food and beverages must be clearly displayed on menus and inside the establishment; free fresh or tempered drinking water must be clearly marked on the premises. Prices, origin and ...

6.1 Segmentation

Very few gaming bars publish their accounts. However, the table below shows the sales figures for some of them.

• Get Out VLS Entertainment
• Baraka Jeux
• La Luck
• Bonne Pioche
• Les Tricheurs
• Les Mauvais Joueurs
• Loufoque
• Break Out
• Le Shifumi
• Des Jus et des Jeux
• L'Engrenage