SBC-Gaming&Co exclusive: PMU selects Playtech as platform provider from a three-way shortlist as French racing giant sets out to reignite its digital offering…

France’s Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU) has selected Playtech as its iGaming platform provider as part of a request for proposal it launched in January to replace its longstanding provider Openbet. PMU’s search for a new platform is part of a strategic project to revamp its digital offerings, which include online sports betting, tote horse racing and poker in France.

The group’s CEO Emmanuelle Malecaze-Doublet has spoken of the need to reform and reenergise its online activities and SBC-Gaming&Co understands that the French group ran a final shortlist that included Playtech, Gaming Innovation Group and EveryMatrix. Its decision to select Playtech was finalised very recently, even GIG and EveryMatrix were unsure who had won the tender when contacted by Gaming&Co, and the companies will now negotiate commercial terms.

The two gaming giants know each other well, which should help expedite the contract. Playtech has provided its online poker platform to PMU since France regulated its iGaming market in 2010 and in February entered into a renewed strategic partnership to enhance its poker offering and for PMU to join its iPoker.EU network.

Starter’s orders

For PMU, the agreement marks the starting point of its strategic project to revamp its interactive operations, signing with the Playtech platform is a first step in that process. It will then decide whether to migrate its online sports betting activities onto Playtech’s solution and, should the vertical become regulated in France, launch iCasino operations with the UK-listed group.

The move to Playtech will enable it to scale up those verticals and is a further sign that French gambling groups are preparing the ground for expanded operations, which could potentially include regulated online casino.

As recently mentioned by Betclic CEO Nicolas Béraud, France’s largest casino operator Barrière Groupe has also been recruiting iGaming executives. Its most recent high profile signing was Séverin Rasset as its new MD for iGaming. Before joining Barrière, Rasset was PokerStars’ North America MD.

Internal pressures

PMU’s activities, in common with other mature horse racing sectors in Europe, have suffered recently, while the past 12 months have been marked by open conflict between its senior management and one of its institutional stakeholders that culminated with the news in May that Malecaze-Doublet would leave her role in September.

As Gaming&Co-SBC News reported at the time, her decision was not a major surprise as it followed a prolonged period of hostile briefing by SETF, which looks after French trotting races, and is one of PMU’s institutional stakeholders. However, it means the group is looking for a new CEO to oversee the key project that will be its digital transformation. The situation is not made any easier by the fact that France Galop, PMU’s other institutional stakeholder, was supportive of Malecaze-Doublet, who in a recent interview reiterated that “reform was indispensable” for PMU to evolve and thrive.

SETF refused to sign off the group’s accounts earlier this year and called for an audit of the group’s accounts, which the French Financial Inspectorate (IGF) produced earlier this month. Key measures included cutting the annual payments to stakeholders from €840m to €750m and that PMU change its corporate status to enable it to use its balance sheet as it sees fit and access debt markets to fund strategic projects.

The IGF audit also recommended that the revenues generated by French racing be split 50-50 between SETF and France Galop, which is the case for land-based activities but not online.

Return to major player status

As one of France’s ‘historic’ operators and one of Europe’s largest totes, PMU should also be a leading online sports betting brand in the market. But, after a good start post-2010 regulation, its fixed odds betting activities have tailed off. In addition, while PMU’s online horse racing liquidity dominates the market, it is being challenged by Betclic and by FDJ United’s ZETurf (number 2 in the market) and Unibet.

But one factor that is likely to play a major role in deciding whether the group can diversify and achieve tangible success in OSB will be whether it can get support for the project from SETF, which up to now has shown little interest in new verticals or reforming its mode of operation.

PMU was badly impacted by the COVID pandemic, but, as the latest figures from regulator ANJ showed, in 2024 horse racing player numbers were up 6% to 3.5 million, the first time they have reached such levels since 2019, while French racing brands recorded a 3.6% rise in online stakes to €1.5bn and GGR rose 1,5% to €339m during the period.

ANJ’s data also pointed to operators’ marketing campaigns being successful with younger players and women: the fastest growing age category was 18-25-year olds at +6,2% in 2024. PMU stakes were down 2% YoY to €9.8bn and net results increased by €2m to €837m in 2024, the group recruited 200,00 new players during the period.

PMU and Playtech declined to comment when contacted for comment by SBC-Gaming&Co.