A newly privatised Française des Jeux (FDJ) has moved to strengthen its retail services, sanctioning a buyout of French payment solutions provider Bimedia.

The newly listed Paris Exchange gambling enterprise confirms that it has ‘entered an agreement’ with European private equity fund Idinvest Partners to acquire its Bimedia asset for ‘less than €50 million’.

Updating investors, FDJ governance states that its Bimedia transaction will significantly expand the firm’s retail network services, taking control of Bimedia’s 6,400 ‘points of sale’ terminals, which service 90% of France’s tobacconists and newsagents.

FDJ governance has marked the Bimedia transaction as critical to the firm’s 2025 strategic vision, which seeks to modernise FDJ retail network and further diversify the firm’s customer services.

Concluding its corporate update, FDJ governance confirms that the completion of its Bimedia transaction will be subject to regulatory approvals and conditions, which will include a review of the acquisition bid by France’s Competition and Markets Authority.

This November, FDJ completed a successful float on the Paris Euronext Exchange, in which its first stage IPO secured an over-subscription of + €1 billion from public investors.

An oversubscribed FDJ is currently trading at €21.80 per-share, well above its listings target range €16.50-19.90 – valuing Europe’s second largest lottery operator at +€4 billion.

Source:Sbcnews

By DOMENICO DRAGONE

iGaming expert - with over 10 years of experience in the retail market in Italy and knowledge of global online gaming. In the past he has worked with the largest national gambling companies and he managed some land-based shops on their behalf. Entrepreneur, investor and enthusiast of difficult challenges, in 2015 he founded The Betting Coach Group, an international news and social marketing agency geared towards sports, esports and gambling companies. He is currently the C.E.O of The Betting Coach and is a consultant for Loginbet.it Mr. Dragone collaborates with providers (game developers) and event organizers with the aim of helping them develop networks and business across continents. Passionate about journalism, he is the creator and promoter of iGaming Cafè, the first talk show in Italy, dedicated to companies and delegates from the gaming world.