France’s FDJ aims to buy payment provider Aleda

The French lottery operator has entered into exclusive negotiations with the payment provider.

France.- The French national lottery operator Française des Jeux (FDJ) has announced that it is in exclusive negotiations with a view to buy the point-of-sale and payment provider Aleda.

It said in a release on its website that the acquisition would form part of FDJ’s strategy to develop its payment and services business and would strengthen its commitment to sellers by better helping them to manage their points of sale.

Founded in 2005, Aleda is a payment provider for local businesses, mainly hospitality businesses, retail outlets and newsagents. It has almost 100 staff and more than 2,500 points of sale across France. It usually partners with companies offering prepaid services and money transfers.

PMU names Richard Viel as new chairman

Meanwhile, the French horse racing betting operator Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU) has announced changes to its board, with Philippe Augier stepping down as chairman.

The board has proposed Richard Viel as his replacement to chair the board. He is the former chief executive of phone and internet business Bouygues Telecom, which he joined in 1998 as director of customer operations.

PMU’s current deputy general manager Emmanuelle Malecaze-Doublet has been proposed as managing director. Malecaze-Doublet has worked at PMU since September 2018. Before joining the company, she was an associate partner at McKinsey & Company for almost six years. She would be the first woman to take the role of managing director.

The French gambling regulator L’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) has reported that gross gambling revenue in France totalled €10.70bn in 2021. That’s a rise of 7 per cent year-on-year. But despite the recovery, the figure remains below pre-pandemic levels. GGR in 2019 was €11.10bn.

The two big French gaming monopolies, the lottery operator La Française des Jeux (FDJ) and horse racing monopoly Pari Mutual Urbain (PMU), along with French land-based casinos, were together responsible for €8.60bn, up 3.6 per cent year-on-year. Land-based casinos accounted for just €1.08bn of that as casinos were closed until October 30.

FDJ reported revenue of €613m for its first quarter. That’s an increase of 14 per cent year-on-year. Stakes rose 10.2 per cent year-on-year to €5.06bn.