Abstract
Gambling is a growing business in Africa, and international gambling companies are showing increasing interest in African markets. In French-speaking Africa, horse racing is the most popular type of gambling. The French pari mutuel betting company, Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU) has gained a ubiquitous position and strong influence via its African partners.
This study describes the African PMU networks, their origins, contemporary operating logic and relationship to the French PMU using French and African newspaper material from Le Monde and Jeune Afrique.
The results illustrate the peculiar history and contemporary structure of the horse betting industry in French-speaking Africa. The bulk of the article material particularly in Le Monde discussed corruption and mafia particularly from the perspective of the origins of African PMUs. Articles in Jeune Afrique also dedicate space to gambling industry strategies and gambling-related harms. The analysis shows that the rise and success of horse betting in French-speaking Africa is a result of the dominant position of French PMU races in the gambling product ranges of French-speaking African countries, and the domination of African PMU subsidiaries in their national economic and political landscape.
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Berret, S., Marionneau, V. (2022). The Establishment and Strategies of Gambling Providers in French-Speaking Africa: The Case of Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU). In: Nikkinen, J., Marionneau, V., Egerer, M. (eds) The Global Gambling Industry. Glücksspielforschung. Springer Gabler, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-35635-4_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-35635-4_4
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