FINANCIAL REPORT - Française des Jeux

10 — 2010 FINANCIAL REPORT
monitor the implementation of actions. Lastly, the management
of actions and indicators is now fully integrated in the company’s
internal control and quality assurance system.
2.3. 2010, A SUCCESSFUL YEAR FOR THE ENTIRE
COMPANY
The efforts on all game ranges have paid off, as the 2010 results
show: with €10,551.4m in player stake, la Française des Jeux ranks
second amongst all European lotteries.
Expansion of the lottery, the company’s core business
The core business of la Française des Jeux, the lottery, saw true
momentum, with numerous game launches/relaunches in both
draw-based and scratch games.
Cash 500 000 € has been a great success. Launched in 2009, this
game won immediate popularity, which has not abated since. A
second edition, preserving the mechanics of the fi rst, was launched
in February 2010 with green scratch cards – the colour of luck and
destiny – and a new prize table. This new formula has more than
satisfi ed players: indeed, player stake rose by more than 79% yearon-year,
topping the €1 billion mark – a fi rst for a scratch game.
After thirteen successful years, Astro was also given a facelift.
On the market since 3 June, the new scratch card is glossier and
better highlights the astrological sign and the two prize boxes.
Players now have a chance to win with both their sign and its
characteristics. These changes, coupled with an increase in
winning frequency, led to a nearly 18% rise in player stake over
2009, reinforcing the game’s no. 2 position in the scratch range
in terms of player stake.
Eighteen years after its creation, Black Jack was given a new look
in October, with a modernised design that still projects a
prestigious image. Slightly larger in size, the new scratch card is
also more modern and eye-catching. The prize table has also been
optimised. These changes have proved popular with players as
their spend increased by more than 23% in 2010, making this the
number three scratch game.
To begin with, the draw range had a major event with the launch
in selected regions of Amigo, created to replace Rapido. In a
diffi cult economic environment, Rapido has suffered for several
years from a natural erosion of its sales, which has intensified
since
the ban on smoking in public places. Activity on this game,
however, accounted for nearly 15% of stakes in 2010, making its
replacement an important issue, both to boost the offer of
convivial games at the point of sale and to ensure responsible
practice. Since autumn 2010, Amigo has been offered in 2,000
points of sale during a test phase that will provide feedback for
the roll-out of Rapido’s successor in late 2012-early 2013, once
Responsible Gaming studies have been completed and the game’s
viability has been confi rmed. More than a new game, this is a
new world of entertainment designed to enliven and revitalise
the bars, disseminated through Amigo Live, an entertainment
channel broadcast on digital screens. Draws are intermixed with
an interactive programme at the point of sale which presents a
variety of content with a focus on local news relating to community
life as well as helpful information on the point of sale. Amigo’s
design is the result of collaboration between the creative teams
of la Française des Jeux, representatives of its sales force, players
and non-players, and experts in Responsible Gaming.
In addition, JOKER+ ® was relaunched on 12 September. Still
combined with Keno, Euro Millions and Loto ® playslips, JOKER+ ®
With an appealing scratch card design and unique game
mechanics, Crescendo also received a makeover to immerse
players in a world of challenges and wealth. Since 8 November,
and for a limited time, Crescendo has been capitalising on the key
success factors identifi ed on Cash 500 000 € whilst offering a
new experience for regular players.
These combined initiatives allowed the lottery business to grow
by nearly €200m in 2010, with player stake totalling €9,409.4m.
These actions undertaken to modernise and rejuvenate the lottery
games segment complied, as always, with Responsible Gaming
principles. Responsible Gaming is a strong, long-term undertaking
by la Française des Jeux which illustrates the very defi nition of
gaming as a means of entertainment, and not a source of troubles
linked to excessive consumption. For this reason, la Française des
Jeux works with experts to design its games and communication
campaigns. The embodiment of these principles is also refl ected
in the network and the way it markets the games: all retailers are
trained in Responsible Gaming. In April 2010, la Française des Jeux
signed a fi ve-year, €1.25m renewal of its partnership with France’s
is also now a stand-alone game with its own playslip and a new excessive gaming research centre, the Centre de Référence sur le
logo in response to strong demand from players who want to Jeu Excessif, or “CRJE”, which it helped to establish at the
choose their own numbers. The game capitalises on the strengths University Hospital of Nantes in 2007. The CRJE, for which two-
that have made it a success, and adds the ability to change one thirds of the total annual budget is funded by la Française des
number after the draw by selecting the option “+ or -1”. With this Jeux, has trained almost 300 health professionals in two years,
option, the player has a one in two chance of winning – a rst fi for developed a national network including most of the teams already
a draw-based game.
working on the prevention and treatment of pathological gaming,
and established a fi ve-year study of players. A score of other
The scratch range also enjoyed robust momentum, mainly down partnerships is also coordinated each year to contribute to a better
to the increasingly successful Cash 500 000 € and the redesign understanding of pathological gambling and continuously improve
of several games, including Black Jack and Astro.
support for excessive gamblers.