FDJ Finalises €380m Acquisition of PLI
La Française des Jeux has finalised its €380m acquisition of Premier Lotteries Ireland after being signed off by the Irish National Lottery regulator.
Te acquisition is the Group’s first venture operating a lottery outside France, and reflects FDJ’s strategic ambition to become an international B2C operator.
IRELAND OPERATOR NEWS
La Française des Jeux has finalised its €380m acquisition of Premier Lotteries Ireland, which holds exclusive rights to operate the Irish National Lottery until 2034.
Te acquisition, which follows the approval granted by the Irish National Lottery regulator at the beginning of October, is the Group’s first venture operating a lottery outside France, and reflects FDJ’s strategic ambition to become an international B2C operator in lottery, sports betting and online gaming.
Stéphane Pallez, Chairwoman and CEO of FDJ Group, commented: “La Française des Jeux has opened a new chapter in its history by fulfilling its ambition to expand its international presence as a lottery and online gaming operator. Te synergies between FDJ and Premier Lotteries Ireland will draw on our respective and acknowledged skills to offer people in Ireland a recreational, responsible range of games.”
In 2022, Premier Lotteries Ireland recorded gross gaming revenue (GGR) of €399m and
Germany
OKTO.CASH receives GGL approval
OKTO.CASH, the innovative cash-to-digital payment method of OKTO has been granted approval by the GGL and has been officially recognised as an approved payment method for iGaming in Germany.
Te milestone allows iGaming merchants in the German market to leverage the unique advantages of
OKTO.CASH, setting them apart from competitors and offering an unparalleled payment experience to their customers.
GGL’s approval of
OKTO.CASH comes after a rigorous evaluation process, during which three different operators submitted applications to utilise the payment method.
OKTO.CASH has emerged as the preferred choice for operators seeking to enhance their payment offerings. Operators now have the option to utilise the
OKTO.CASH branded solution or opt for a
white-label version, providing flexibility in catering to their specific customer base and brand identity.
Mikhail Ovsepyan, Head of Germany at OKTO, expressed his enthusiasm about this achievement: “We are glad to have received GGL’s approval.
OKTO.CASH is a revolutionary payment method for the German market, allowing direct real-time cash top-ups for iGaming accounts at wide network of points of sale (POS). Tis is a game-changer for the industry, as there are currently no comparable solutions available.”
OKTO has built a network of POS locations in Germany, which will encompass over 40,000 points of sale, including supermarket chains, kiosks, gas stations, and potentially German post offices, with proximity ensuring that customers can conveniently access
OKTO.CASH.
reported net gaming revenue of €140m with an EBITDA margin comparable to that of FDJ. PLI has held the Irish National Lottery licence since 2014 and holds exclusive rights to operate this until November 2034.
With more than 200 employees, Premier Lotteries Ireland offers a range of around 40 games, available through a diversified network of more than 5,300 points of sale as well as online, with over 15 per cent digital sales.
Draw games make up two-thirds of its sales, and instant-win games one-third. In 2022, PLI redistributed 65 per cent of its gross gaming revenue (GGR), or nearly €260m, to more than 4,000 charities and good causes.
A strategic plan aimed at accelerating PLI’s growth and boosting profitability is being jointly drawn up. Te plan is based on sharing the two operators’ best practices and on FDJ’s experience to enhance PLI’s instant-win games portfolio, boost the draw games player base and further improve the digital experience.
Finland
OpenBet has unveiled a long- term partnership with Finland’s government-owned betting operator, Veikkaus. As Finland moves towards a more inclusive betting system, allowing private companies to apply for sports betting and iGaming licences, Veikkaus has entrusted OpenBet’s solution to fuel future growth.
As part of the four-year agreement, OpenBet’s technology will power the Veikkaus sportsbook platform, expanding the operator’s online and retail betting operations. Te strategic move will also see OpenBet providing Veikkaus with its Managed Trading Services.
Nikos Konstakis, Chief Product Officer at OpenBet, commented: “Tis reaffirms our position as an undisputed leader in the WLA space and highlights our expertise in the lottery sector and... driving success for operators through localised strategies.”
France - Lamalou-les-Bains reopens The Lamalou-les-Bains casino rose from its ashes and reopened its doors to the public, eight years after its closure in 2015. The reopening took place in complete discretion, but which will bring a breath of fresh air to the small Hérault village of 2,500. Its official inauguration took place on November 10 with the Jaar group, benefiting from a public service delegation for a period of 15 years, appointed to operate it.
“We are very satisfied to reopen the Lamalou-les- Bains casino,” commented José Gimenez, president and CEO of the Jaar group, contacted by the Journal des Casinos, Friday November 10. “There was real anticipation around this reopening, since, over the weekend of November 3, we recorded 690 entries. The week that followed was also excellent. It’s very promising,” he said to Journal des Casinos.
“The casino is located in the heart of the city centre of this town renowned for its thermal cures and its rehabilitation centre. Lamalou also has a hospital and two clinics. This represents more than 1,000 health personnel who go there every day. Added to this are visitors from the sick or seniors from the retirement home.”
Gross annual revenue from the games is expected to be between €800,000 and €1m each year. The town hall has released €400,000 to renovate the facade, the roof and the carpentry of the casino, abandoned since its closure.
WIRE / PULSE / INSIGHT / REPORTS P13
UK - EAG Expo to celebrate Bacta’s 50th An international audience of VIPs and dignitaries from trade associations representing the amusements industry in countries including Austria, Croatia, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Montenegro, Netherlands, Romania, Serbia, Spain, the US as well as sister bodies from the UK will gather at January’s EAG Expo to join celebrations marking the 50th year of UK trade association Bacta.
EAG will ‘go gold’ as the amusements and low stake gaming expo serves as the launch-pad for what will be a year-long programme of 50th anniversary events.
Spain - CT Interactive live with Casino777 CT Interactive’s content is now live in Spain exclusively with Casino777. Through this deal, Casino777’s customer base will have access to CT Interactive’s games.
Through the deal, Casino777 will have exclusive access to CT Interactive’s games, including Big Joker, 40 Treasures, Lucky Clover, Fluf Tails, HOT 7’s X 2, Monkey Sevens, Full of Luck, Fire Dozen, Treasure Hill, Three Nymphs, Dark Woods, 40 Mega Slot, and Chilli Fruits, amongst others.
EMEA
Wire
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