SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
La Française des Jeux (FDJ) is apparently seeking an expansion of its standing in the French betting space, targeting an acquisition of ZEturf Group.
The Boulogne-Billancourt-headquartered company announced that it had entered into ‘exclusive negotiations’ for a takeover of ZEturf, a horse racing betting operator as well as the company behind the ZEbet brand.
Via its betting holdings, ZEturf is active in the French market – where it has secured brand visibility through partnerships with the likes of Ligue 1’s FC Nantes – as well as Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands, securing market entry in the latter back in February.
With an employee base of around 100, ZEturf’s B2C betting turnover consists of 50% horse racing wagers in France, making it the second largest operator for the sport, controlling a market share of 20%.
“This acquisition is part of FDJ Group’s strategy to bolster its presence in France’s competitive online gaming market, notably in areas where it does not yet operate, horse-race betting and poker,” FDJ explained.
Should FDJ successfully acquire ZEturf, the group would incorporate a betting brand which recorded ‘nearly €800m in bets in 2021’, including €100m in B2B bets.
According to FDJ’s Q1 financial update published back in April, the group’s lottery operations were its main growth driver during this period, having increased by 14% to €467m (Q1 2021: €401.6m).
This is not to say that the firm’s sports betting operations are faltering – sports betting turnover during the quarter reached €129m, a 13.4% increase (2021: €111m),
A successful acquisition of ZEturf and its ZEbet wagering brand would likely significantly boost FDJ’s sports betting revenue in future financial reports.
