Banijay Sells 54% Interest in Germany’s bet-at-home

• The company said its Betclic unit divested all of its 53.9% stake in bet-at-home
• The buyer wasn’t disclosed
• A pair of executives are leaving the company

French entertainment conglomerate Banijay Group announced earlier this month that its Betclic unit sold the entirety of its 53.9% interest in Germany’s bet-at-home.com AG for an undisclosed sum to an unidentified buyer.

Last October, Betclic announced it was shopping its stake in the German sportsbook operator. As of December 15, Betclic’s voting interest in bet-at-home.com was just 2.95%.

Banijay Group has completed today the sale of its entire 53.9% stake in bet-at-home.com AG (ISIN: DE000A0DNAY5), in application of its announcement on 28 October. In this context, François Riahi, Chief Executive Officer of Banijay Group, and Véronique Giraudon, Chief Financial Officer of Betclic, have resigned from their positions as members of the Supervisory Board of bet-at-home AG, with immediate effect,” according to a Jan. 2 statement issued by Banijay.

bet-at-home.com AG has an estimated 5.8 million customers across multiple European countries, including Austria, Germany, Gibraltar, and Malta. Germany is the Eurozone’s largest economy.

Banijay Maintaining Significant German Footprint

Given the timing of the announcements, it’s possible Banijay looked to part ways with bet-at-home.com to make way for its purchase of Tipico Group, which was announced last October.

Betclic is well-known to bettors in France and other Mediterranean nations, while Tipico is popular throughout Central Europe, including in Austria, Germany, and Poland, confirming that Betclic’s geographic footprint is expanding in significant fashion by way of the transaction.

Tipico sold its US operations to MGM Resorts International’s (NYSE: MGM) LeoVegas Group unit in June 2024 for an undisclosed sum.

Banijay Shuffling Sports Betting Roster Ahead of World Cup

The timing may be no more than coincidental, but Banijay is shuffling its roster of sportsbook holdings ahead of the World Cup, which starts in June and runs through July.

On a related note, European operators could be in for a busy, possibly lucrative World Cup because England, France, Portugal, and Spain are among bettors’ favorite sides heading into the tournament.