Banijay Gaming Appoints Jouteau as CEO After Tipico Deal

Banijay Group has appointed Antoine Jouteau as chief executive of Banijay Gaming, placing an experienced technology executive in charge of the enlarged division following the acquisition of Tipico.

Jouteau will begin the role on September 1, 2026. The division now includes Betclic, Tipico and Austrian retail betting brand Admiral, serving almost 6.5 million unique active players across six regulated markets.

Nicolas Béraud, Betclic’s founder and former chief executive, will remain non-executive chairman of the Banijay Gaming board. Joachim Baca will continue as non-executive vice-chairman.

Banijay described Jouteau’s appointment as a “pivotal” development following the Tipico transaction and the proposed purchase of French casino operator JOA.

Technology Experience Supports Expanded Gaming Division

Jouteau previously held leadership roles at French online classifieds company Leboncoin and its Norwegian parent, Adevinta. He joined Leboncoin as business development director before becoming chief executive and later led Adevinta between 2022 and 2024. He subsequently returned to Leboncoin.

“Antoine brings more than 20 years of experience leading the growth and transformation of technology companies, from start-ups to publicly listed businesses,” Banijay said, as reported by SBC News. “His track record reflects a strong business and execution mindset, a proven ability to drive growth and innovation, and deep expertise in technology, particularly in data and artificial intelligence.

“Combined with the gaming expertise already embedded within Betclic, Tipico and Admiral, his experience will be instrumental in building a leading global player in the industry.”

Jouteau will oversee the integration of Tipico, which Banijay completed on April 23. The transaction created the Banijay Gaming division by combining Tipico with Betclic and brought Admiral’s Austrian retail network into the group.

The company has also agreed to acquire JOA, France’s second-largest land-based casino operator. The proposed €465 million transaction covers 33 venues and remains subject to completion. JOA chief executive Laurent Lassiaz is expected to remain chairman of the casino business.

Lassiaz said the agreement would create “new means to pursue our ambitions in France and internationally”.

Gaming Revenue Drives First-Half Increase

The leadership announcement accompanied Banijay Group’s results for the six months ended June 30 (pdf).

Group revenue increased 16.9% on a reported basis to €2.58 billion, compared with €2.21 billion in the same period of 2025. Revenue grew 4.5% at constant currency and on a pro forma basis.

Adjusted EBITDA rose 18.5% to €502.9 million. On a constant-currency and pro forma basis, adjusted EBITDA remained broadly stable, increasing 0.1%. Excluding higher betting taxes in France and Austria, it rose 5%.

Banijay Gaming generated €1.21 billion in revenue. That represented reported growth of 54.3%, reflecting Tipico’s inclusion from late April, and a 10.5% increase on a constant-currency and pro forma basis.

Sportsbook revenue reached €943.7 million, rising 54.8% as reported and 8.6% pro forma. Activity around the UEFA Champions League final supported the result, while unique active players across the gaming division increased 22%.

Games, poker and turf revenue grew by a combined 18.3% on a pro forma and constant-currency basis.

François Riahi, chief executive of Banijay Group, said the company “delivered a solid first-half performance, with solid revenue growth across the group and record player engagement in sports betting and gaming”.

“The FIFA World Cup generated unprecedented player acquisition and engagement, supported double-digit pro forma revenue growth and strengthened our ability to grow across all products,” he continued.

The World Cup made only a partial contribution to the first-half accounts because the reporting period ended during the tournament. Most revenue from the knockout rounds and final will fall within the second half.