France’s FDJ Completes Acquisition of Premier Lotteries Ireland
The French national lottery operator, Française des Jeux (FDJ), recently finalized its acquisition of Premier Lotteries Ireland (PLI) for a whopping €350.0m (£303.5m/$375.5m). The acquisition was approved by the Irish National Lottery regulator last month.
This acquisition marks FDJ’s first foray into operating a lottery outside of France and reflects its strategic ambition to become an international B2C operator in lottery, sports betting, and online gaming. The purchase involved buying PLI from the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, An Post, and An Post Pension Fund.
PLI currently holds exclusive rights to operate the Irish National Lottery until 2034, operating online and retail across a network of over 5,300 points of sale. In 2022, PLI recorded gross gaming revenue of €399.0m, with draw games accounting for two-thirds of its sales and instant-win games making up one-third.
FDJ intends to strategically grow PLI by enhancing its profitability and accelerating its growth. This plan will involve sharing best practices between the two operators and leveraging FDJ’s experience. The company aims to expand PLI’s instant-win games portfolio, grow the draw games’ player base, and improve the digital experience for players.
CEO Stéphane Pallez expressed FDJ’s excitement over expanding its international presence through this acquisition, while PLI CEO Andrew Algeo highlighted the benefits this partnership will bring to the Irish National Lottery.
In addition to the PLI acquisition, FDJ also recently finalized its purchase of the ZEturf Group and reported a 3.9% increase in revenue during the first nine months of the year, driven by growth in sports betting and iGaming.
Overall, the acquisition of PLI and the purchase of ZEturf Group, along with FDJ’s impressive revenue growth, demonstrate the company’s commitment to long-term growth and establishing its presence on the international stage as a leading lottery and online gaming operator.