Banijay Group has confirmed the sale of its majority stake in the German iGaming brand bet-at-home.com AG, meeting a transaction term for its Betclic brand to merge with Tipico.
The group’s investors were informed on 2 January that the divestment of its 53.9% stake in the brand had taken place.
As a result, Banijay CEO François Riahi and Betclic CFO Véronique Giraudon have resigned from their positions as members of bet-at-home’s supervisory board with immediate effect.
The divestment moves Banijay one step closer towards completing Betclic’s merger with Tipico, under which the group acquired a majority 65% stake in the operator from private equity owners CVC Capital and founders.
Although Banijay is selling its stake in bet-at-home, the group will still have a stake in the German market through its acquisition of Tipico, as part of a Banijay Gaming combination – Betclic, Tipico and Admiral – that it believes will create “a European champion in sports betting and online gaming”.
Back in October last year, Riahi described the Betclic-Tipico merger as a “transformative step” that solidifies the group’s position as the “natural consolidator across the entertainment and gaming industries”.
Riahi said: “Tipico fits perfectly with our DNA — a strong leader in two regulated markets, highly profitable and product-focused. This deal provides Banijay with the reach, scale and diversification that already define our content business.”
Since the beginning of the year, Betclic CEO Nicolas Béraud has become Chair of Banijay Gaming, while Lov Group Invest will continue as President. Betclic COO Julien Brun replaced Béraud as Betclic CEO.
Following satisfaction of customary conditions precedent, in particular merger control and gambling regulatory approvals, Banijay expects the transaction to be completed in mid-2026.
After which, Banijay says it will have leading positions across six markets – Germany, France, Austria, Poland, and Côte d’Ivoire, as well as being the “fourth largest European sports betting and gaming player and the leader of sports betting in Continental Europe”.
Once the transaction has been completed, former Tipico CEO Joachim Baca will become Vice-Chair of Banijay Gaming, while Axel Hefer will remain CEO of Tipico.
