France’s Autorité de la concurrence has cleared Banijay Gaming’s acquisition of the JOA group without conditions. JOA operates 33 casinos in France, while Banijay Gaming is active in online betting, casino games, poker and horse betting through Betclic.
The authority said its review was the first in France to assess a transaction involving businesses operating across online and land-based gambling. It examined possible conglomerate effects, including whether the combined group could use offers across both channels to disadvantage rivals.
Poker was the main overlap
The regulator identified online and land-based poker as related markets because players move between the two formats. It nevertheless found the deal unlikely to harm competition, citing the parties’ market positions, the presence of significant competitors and poker’s limited contribution to JOA’s casino business.
Online casino games remain prohibited in France, and the authority did not assess a hypothetical future legalisation because it considered that prospect too uncertain. The clearance gives Banijay a larger land-based footprint in a core market and strengthens its ability to pursue an omnichannel strategy, but it does not change France’s online casino rules.
The authority’s decision summary was published on 4 November.