Banijay Gaming JOA Acquisition Signals a Bold Bet on Omnichannel Gaming in France
A French online betting powerhouse just bought its way onto the casino floor. The reasons run deeper than the deal itself.
Banijay Gaming has committed to acquire JOA, France’s second-largest casino operator by number of venues, from funds managed by Blackstone and Kings Park Capital under a put option agreement. The move, announced in Paris, hands Banijay Gaming a nationwide network of 33 casinos and pushes the group firmly into land-based territory. Completion is expected during H2 2026, subject to employee consultation and regulatory approvals. It marks the second major deal for the group this year.
What the Banijay Gaming JOA Acquisition Actually Delivers
The numbers tell the story. JOA runs 33 casinos across France, generated roughly €430 million in gross revenues in 2025, and draws more than 4.6 million customers a year. Those venues are not just gaming floors. The network includes 37 restaurants, 44 bars, five hotels, and 15 sports bars, wrapping gaming inside a wider leisure offer. JOA also employs over 2,050 people, founded in 1948 and rebranded under its current name in 2008.
Banijay Gaming will own 100% of JOA once the deal closes, financing it through a mix of equity and debt. Laurent Lassiaz, Chairman of JOA, stays on to lead the business alongside the existing management team. That continuity matters. It signals Banijay is buying an operating machine, not just a licence portfolio.
Why This Deal Follows the Tipico Playbook
This is not a one-off. Back in April 2026, Banijay Gaming acquired Tipico Group, a move that turned a leading online operator into a business spanning sports betting, online gaming, and retail. JOA is the logical next chapter. Online strength now meets a physical footprint that reaches into every French region.
François Riahi, CEO of Banijay Group, framed it plainly. He said the Tipico deal had already transformed the group into a diversified omnichannel European leader, and that JOA lets it repeat in France what it has built in Germany and Austria: leadership in land-based gaming across a core market. Read past the corporate language and the strategy is clear. Banijay is assembling a gaming group that owns both the screen and the floor.
What Operators Should Take From the Banijay Gaming JOA Acquisition
For anyone running an operator in France, this changes the competitive map. Banijay now has a route to cross-sell between Betclic’s online customers and JOA’s land-based base. That is a data and CRM advantage most pure-play operators simply cannot match. Nicolas Béraud, Chairman of Banijay Gaming, pointed to technology, artificial intelligence, and data as the tools it will bring to JOA. Translation: expect sharper personalisation, loyalty that follows the player between physical and digital, and a customer relationship that no longer breaks when someone leaves the casino.
If you are a rival, the question is uncomfortable. Do you have an omnichannel answer, or are you competing on one channel against a group playing both?
The Open Question Worth Watching
Integration is never clean. Merging an online-first culture with a land-based operator carries real execution risk, and the deal still needs merger control and casino gaming regulatory clearance before H2 2026 completion. Responsible gaming sits at the centre of the messaging from both sides, which reflects the regulatory weight land-based casino operation carries in France.
Future Outlook
Watch three things over the next 6 to 12 months. First, whether Banijay moves to knit Betclic and JOA data together once the deal clears, since that cross-sell engine is the real prize. Second, whether other European groups respond with their own land-based buys, because consolidation tends to trigger consolidation. Third, the international angle Lassiaz and Riahi both flagged, hinting JOA’s model may travel beyond France.
The screen and the floor are converging. Banijay just placed a very large bet on being the group that owns both.
Source: Banijay Group
