FDJ to Negotiate an M&A Deal with ZEturf

Française des Jeux (FDJ), the operator of France’s national lottery, is eyeing a new acquisition. The company plans to acquire the horse racing specialist ZEturf Group and expand its presence in the French gambling market.

FDJ Wants to Acquire ZEturf

Française des Jeux has entered exclusive negotiations for the acquisition of ZEturf Group, which is in line with the former company’s plans of reinforcing its French gambling footprint. FDJ has cemented itself as France’s top operator when it comes to lotteries and now seeks to expand into other verticals as well. The French operator sees poker and horse racing as its top priorities and is seeking to add acclaimed businesses to its family.

As a leading horse racing operator in the country, ZEturf will be able to provide FDJ with a well-known racing wagering business, allowing it to immediately boost its presence within the betting sector.

ZEturf does business as ZEbet, which is a leading horse racing brand. Around a hundred workers are making sure that the company’s offerings are available in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain. With such a diverse market, it is hardly surprising that ZEbet is a juggernaut when it comes to handle. Last year, the company handled over $800 million in bets, with an eighth of this number coming from ZEturf’s business-to-business operations. ZEbet also has a significant online presence, with its digital vertical responsible for over half of the bets.

The acquisition of ZEturf’s business will surely propel FDJ forward. However, the talks are still in their early stages so little is known about the two companies’ intentions. Even if the two come to an agreement, the deal will be subject to approval by the regulators.

A Busy Year for FDJ

FDJ continues its strife to be France’s undisputed top operator. In late July, the company posted its H1 results, which demonstrated that the company’s lottery operations are still going strong despite the headwinds. While FDJ remains concerned about the rising operating costs, it hopes that it will be able to maintain its strong financial results in the future.

A month earlier, FDJ inked an agreement with Sportradar, a top B2B sports betting company. The latter agreed to power FDJ’s sports betting arm, ParionsSports Online with automated soccer highlights.

Yesterday, FDJ and Foundations du Patrimoine teamed up to donate over a million dollars for the restoration of YMCA Paris, a facility of great cultural importance that houses the oldest basketball court in the world, no less.