News

PMU could offer sports betting in 2010, chief says 22/05/2009

Jake Pollard

French horse racing monopoly Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU) may offer bets on major sports such as football when the French market opens next year, chief operating officer Xavier Hurstel has confirmed.

Speaking to eGaming Review’s French media partner, igamingfrance this week, Hurstel said: “The market is opening, a new offer is being developed and we are studying how PMU will be able to offer a broader product range to its customers. We are currently evaluating all those opportunities.”

Sports wagers could include football bets on next year’s World Cup, he said.

Hurstel added that PMU had already taken a stake in race data supplier Genycourses as the intelligence aspect of online betting gains in prominence. However, he added that PMU had "no set strategy regarding further partnerships, the market is at the point of opening and everyone is currently talking”.

Directives for marketing and promotional activities in French racing venues have not been published, but Hurstel said PMU would respect the guidelines the government set out, predicting that “there will be general rules for advertising in racing venues which I believe will put us on an equal footing with the other operators”.

Hurstel said the forthcoming competition from private operators would force PMU into being more competitive and widening its product offering.

A number of major signings have taken place recently ahead of the French liberalisation. As first reported exclusively by EGRmagazine.com earlier this month, Nyx Interactive has tied with French monopoly Francaise des Jeux (FDJ) to provide FDJ's online bingo product (more), the day after CyberArts signed a deal with FDJ to provide FDJ’s online poker product (more).

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Posted: 22/05/2009

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