SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
International Game Technology (IGT) and Française des Jeux (FDJ) have signed a cross-licencing agreement covering distribution of each companies’ einstant games.
The agreement, penned between IGT’s IGT Global Services Limited and FDJ’s B2B arm, FDJ Gaming Solutions France (FGS), grants each firm access to the other’s einstant suite.
For London-based multinational group IGT, the deal enables the firm to deliver FGS titles to Lotterie Nazionali Srl, the Italian instant tickets and draw-based games provider it operates.
“Italy and France are home to two of the most sophisticated and successful lotteries in the world, operated by IGT and FDJ Group respectively,” said Srini Nedunuri, IGT Senior Vice President, Global iLottery.
“Our agreement with FGS reflects a commitment to delivering premier eInstant games and responsible iLottery experiences to millions of lottery players in these two countries and offers a gateway for deploying additional world-class content.”
The other aspect of the deal will see IGT distribute its own einstnat products to state-backed FDJ, which operates the French National Lottery, alongside a sports betting and igaming offering.
The group moves to bolster its lottery offering as it eyes up full year revenue of €2.5bn, after recording a 5% increase in revenue during Q1 2023 to €662m (€628.9m).
Pascal Blyau, FDJ Vice President, B2B, added: “This cross-licensing content agreement with IGT is an exciting step for FGS as we look to further expand our footprint across Europe and provide the most compelling eInstant games to the players of La Française des Jeux in France.
“As the leader in global lottery, IGT has a wide variety of top-performing, award-winning content that will enhance our current offering so players can continue enjoying the ultimate lottery playing experiences.”
Meanwhile, for NYSE-listed multinational firm IGT the agreement marks a further expansion of its European operations, following renewals of its contracts with Sweden’s Svenska Spel, Germany’s West-Lotto and, most recently, the Loterie Nationale Belgium (LNB).
The company is also currently evaluating a divestment of its Global Gaming and PlayDigital divisions, a process which could result in a merger or sell off of the segments, or alternatively continued retention and investment.
