Banijay Gaming Gets Green Light for Joa Casino Acquisition in France

French competition authorities have cleared Banijay Gaming's acquisition of casino operator Joa. This means the group can expand its land-based gambling operations across France.

The Autorité de la Concurrence announced its decision on 4 November. It concluded that the takeover would not significantly restrict competition in the French gambling market.

The deal was first announced in July. It will see Banijay acquire Joa's 33 casinos from investment funds managed by Blackstone and Kings Park Capital.

This is another step in Banijay's expansion beyond online betting and follows its acquisition of a majority stake in Tipico last year.

Regulator Examines Online and Land-Based Competition

The investigation marked the first time France's competition authority had assessed a merger involving operators active in both online and land-based gambling.

Particular attention was given to poker, where customers can move between digital platforms and physical casino venues.

Following consultations with industry competitors and French gambling regulator ANJ, the authority acknowledged growing similarities between the two customer bases, particularly among younger players.

However, it concluded that the combined group's market position would not give it sufficient influence to disadvantage competitors.

Poker is actually a relatively small proportion of Joa's overall casino business.

The regulator considered whether Banijay could use promotions or combined offers across its online and land-based operations to attract customers away from rival operators. Ultimately, it found insufficient grounds to impose restrictions.

France's continued prohibition of online casino games also limited the scope of the investigation. The authority declined to assess hypothetical future regulatory changes.

Banijay Builds European Gambling Portfolio

The acquisition adds another established casino business to Banijay's growing European portfolio.

Its existing operations include Betclic. This is one of France's leading online betting brands. Tipico is another and it has a substantial presence in Germany and Austria.

Banijay Group CEO François Riahi described the Tipico acquisition as having transformed the business into a diversified European gambling operator.

"The acquisition of Joa is fully relevant with this evolution. As in Germany and Austria, we will become a leader in land-based gaming in another of our core countries: France." – François Riahi, Banijay Group

Joa chairman Laurent Lassiaz has also mentioned the potential for Banijay's digital expertise to support the casino operator's development while retaining its local identity.

Wider Implications for European Gambling

The decision comes as major European gambling groups increasingly look to combine digital betting operations with established land-based businesses.

For UK operators, where online casinos and betting shops already operate within the same regulated market, the French decision is an interesting comparison.

France maintains a more restrictive approach to online gambling. Online casino games are still prohibited despite ongoing debate over potential regulation.

Banijay's approval therefore provides an opportunity to develop its presence across both channels without requiring changes to existing French gambling legislation.

The acquisition also underlines the group's ambition to establish a broader European gambling business, rather than relying solely on its established online betting operations.