Zeturf gets online sports betting licence

The French pari-mutuel horse racing operator Zeturf has been awarded its sports betting licence by French regulator ARJEL and is to offer betting services from the end of May – just in time for the expected boom associated with the 2014 World Cup football in Brazil.

The company’s fixed odds product will operate from a dedicated website titled ZEbet.fr, powered by Sportnco, a subsidiary of the France Pari group.

Zeturf chief executive Emmanuel de Rohan Chabot said that operations would commence at the end of May, and revealed that the decision to enter the sports betting market was in response to player demand and the pursuit of a long-term strategy in a rewarding market segment.

Earlier this week Winamax was awarded a sports betting licence, too (see previous report). It is not clear whether the company plans a dedicated sports betting website or will incorporate the service into its online poker site.

Sports betting has been one of the bright spots in the otherwise rather slow regulated French online gambling market.