Antoine Jouteau Appointed CEO of Banijay Gaming as Operator Group Expands

Banijay Gaming, the French gambling group behind Betclic, Tipico, and Admiral, has named Antoine Jouteau as its next Chief Executive Officer. He will assume the role on 1 September 2026.

Nicolas Béraud, founder of Betclic and its CEO from 2016 to 2025, will remain Chairman of the Banijay Gaming board, while Joachim Baca continues as Vice-Chairman.

New CEO for Banijay Gaming

Jouteau’s appointment comes at a pivotal moment for Banijay Gaming, which has undergone rapid international expansion. The acquisition of German market leader Tipico was completed earlier this year, and the group has also agreed to take over land-based casino operator JOA in France. In its home market, Betclic remains a major online betting force.

Jouteau brings a strong technology and digital background to the role. He served as CEO of French classifieds platform Leboncoin from 2015, later becoming CEO of its parent company Adevinta (2022–2024), before returning to Leboncoin as CEO in 2024–2025. Banijay praised his “strong business and execution mindset” and “deep expertise in technology, particularly in data and artificial intelligence.”

Strong H1 Performance

Banijay Group, the Amsterdam-listed parent company, recently reported its H1 2026 financial results. Sports betting and gaming revenue climbed 10.5% year-on-year to €1.2 billion, with the Tipico merger contributing from April onwards. Unique active players grew 22%, boosted by strong engagement during the Champions League final stages and the FIFA World Cup, although the World Cup only made a “partial contribution” within the reporting period.

Betting revenue rose 8.6% year-on-year, while combined revenue from gaming, poker, and turf increased 18.3%. Banijay Group CEO François Riahi described the half-year as “solid” with “record player engagement in sports betting and gaming.” He added: “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.”

Market Positions and Expansion

Tipico is the dominant operator in Germany, with a Blask Competitive Earnings Baseline (CEB) of $431 billion, while Admiral ranks second in Austria at $121 million. In France, Betclic holds second place behind Parions Sports with a CEB of $612 million. The French market is highly competitive, with bet365 launching in late May and already reaching ninth on the Blask index, and carries a hefty 59.3% tax rate on online betting GGR.

The possibility of online casino legalisation in France has attracted significant interest. Banijay’s planned acquisition of JOA, agreed in June 2026 but not yet completed, is seen as a move to strengthen its position. JOA CEO Laurent Lassiaz, who will remain Chairman under Banijay ownership, called the deal “new means to pursue our ambitions in France and internationally.”

A Transformational Year

Riahi summed up the period: “2026 is definitely a transformational year for Banijay Group. The successful acquisition of Tipico, the completion of the combination of Banijay Entertainment and All3Media, and the proposed acquisition of JOA in France grant to the group more scale, more diversity… and a better strategic positioning to achieve all its strategic goals.” He concluded that in H2 the group will “enhance the integration processes” and start delivering synergies, adding: “The addition of Antoine Jouteau … will be key in this context.”