Exclusive: FDJ in line for Sporting Solutions acquisition
Sale expected to be closed by the end of the month, although exact valuation is unclear
French monopoly operator FDJ has provisionally agreed to acquire Sporting Solutions, with a deal expected to be confirmed by the end of the month, EGR understands.
The French operator was previously reported as a bidder for the business alongside Scientific Games, but has added motivation to close the sale thanks to its looming relationship with Ontario lottery monopoly OLG.
OLG recently selected Bede Gaming as its platform provider and is understood to have selected FDJ and Sporting Solutions to provide the sportsbook.
Because FDJ has made the bid for Solutions, the regulatory authorities have said they need it to go through before they can sign off on FDJ becoming a supplier in Ontario.
The value of the acquisition is still unclear with one analyst suggesting it could be similar to the BetBright figure of £15m or slightly higher.
As reported previously, a sale of Solutions is complicated by the nature of the Sporting Group business which is made up of the B2B arm, Sporting Solutions, and the B2C arm Sporting Index.
A source told EGR: “The two are intrinsically linked with the Sporting Index traders providing the odds for Sporting Solutions. You can’t have one without the other.”
Solutions provides sportsbook services to several major operators including Dankse Spil and Svenska Spel.
Sporting Solutions is owned by Pinnacle owner Magnus Hedman, who bought the business for approximately €40m three years ago.
Sporting Solutions and FDJ did not respond to an EGR request for comment.