PMU

French racing pools are now available exclusively to British and Irish racing fans through a new agreement between the UK Tote Group and France's PMU. Beginning on Thursday, Sept. 28, this agreement is the only way British and Irish pool betting customers can access French pools. The Tote is commingling into French pools for all French races, including the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on Sunday. Tote customers will be able to bet into over 7,000 pools and view live racing from 88 French racecourses each year, including...

Prizemoney in France is set to rise to €278-million next year, returning to the equivalent levels of 2017. The proposed increase means that prizemoney will be up €20-million (7.75%) from 2019, and €30-million (+12%) from 2021. The increase can be attributed to a growth in PMU net contribution to €820-million--the first time since 2015 that its contribution has risen above €800-million, and up €60-million on 2019--thanks to a growth in betting turnover, sustained international expansion and a drop in PMU expenditures, as well as France Galop's rebounding commercial revenue. France...

Due to a better-than-expected profit margin generated by the PMU in November and December, France Galop will redistribute €15-million in prizemoney and premiums for races between May 11 and Dec. 31, 2020 that experienced purse cuts. Prizemoney in France dipped by 20% in 2020. The redistribution will take place this week, and France Galop has added a special condition to races taking place from Jan. 28 through Feb. 9 that ensures the additional earnings don't preclude horses from races that they're currently being declared for. With PMU outlets in cafes...

All races in France since May 11, 2020 which carried a reduced purse due to the COVID-19 pandemic will receive part of their original prizemoney back in the second half of January, France Galop announced on Monday. At the end of 2020, France Galop's funding budget was €185 million instead of €248 million, a 25% decrease due to the two-month period racing ceased in France during the first French lockdown. In August, the France Galop Board of Directors determined that a positive funding result-if there was one--at the end of...

With PMU betting shops once again closed in French cafes during the national lockdown, France Galop projected during a board meeting on Monday that it could suffer a loss in betting revenue of around €30-million should those closures last through December. France Galop projects its loss per month of lockdown to be €15-million. Four thousand of the country's 13,000 PMU betting shops are currently closed. Betting in France had seen a 15% increase in July and August and a 10% rise in September after the country emerged from its first...

PMU Chairman of the Board Bertrand Meheut has resigned, France Galop and LeTROT announced on Tuesday. France Galop President Edouard de Rothschild and LeTROT President Jean-Pierre Barjon, after consulting with the public authorities, have decided to support the candidacy of 70-year-old Deauville mayor Philippe Augier at the upcoming PMU board meeting on June 9. Augier is "appreciated," said the Jour de Galop, "for his passion, his energy and his ability to get things done."

French racing authorities will on Tuesday meet with government officials to discuss the next steps in getting racing back under starters orders. Nicolas Clement, president of the French Trainers Association, said chief among the topics of discussion will be finalizing a plan for when racing can resume behind closed doors and potential funding aid for the PMU. After holding all meetings behind closed doors from Mar. 13-and some as early as late February-all racing in France was suspended from Mar. 17 through initially Apr. 15 in response to the coronavirus...

France Galop and Le Trot, the governing bodies of flat racing and trotters in France, are in discussion with government regarding a possible return of racing behind closed doors. French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday night extended the country's lockdown to May 11, and so if racing is able to resume before that it would do so with limited PMU betting points operational; those betting shops located in cafes and restaurants would remain closed. The implications of this are currently being examined, with the presidents of France Galop, Le Trot...