Online strong in PMU third quarter
Operator strengthens second-place market share standing for sports, while poker growth defies tough environment.
French operator Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU) has seen strong third-quarter growth in amounts staked online, reaffirming its second-place standing for online sports betting with strong Tour de France and Olympic Games performances.
The former monopoly has seen online amounts staked rise by 25.3% year on year for the nine months to 30 September, meaning the sector now contributes 15.6% of the group total.
Sports betting amounts staked rose by 63.1% during the quarter to 39.4m, leaving the operator on course for annual growth of more than two thirds year-on-year and continuing to trail only Betclic Everest on market share in the vertical.
Meanwhile poker defied dot.fr trends to see amounts staked rise 39.8% for the quarter to 125.7m. in ARJEL’s second-quarter report, poker amounts staked nationwide were down 6% year-on-year to 1.74bn, meaning PMU would have a market share of more than 7% for the vertical if numbers remain comparable in Q3.
The general decline has led to a number of smaller operators withdrawing from the French poker market, with Poker Leaders and Winga the most recent to do so.
Earlier this week ARJEL president Jean-François Vilotte confirmed that the regulator’s bilateral agreement with Spanish counterpart DGOJ would not bring about pooled liquidity.
PMU’s total amounts staked were relatively flat, due to its core horse racing segment witnessing a 1.1% decline to 2.32bn. Meanwhile gross gaming revenue for the year so far – across online and offline activities – sits at 1.87bn, an increase of 1.6% compared to the corresponding period in 2011.
The operator has also continued its international expansion during the quarter, following its earlier Belgian-facing deal with Ladbrokes with the signature of horse betting distribution agreements in the neighbouring country with PMU Belge, WFA and Eurotiercé.