Boulogne-Billancourt, 5 May 2020 (5:30 p.m.)– La Française des Jeux (FDJ) today presents its “raison d’être” (purpose). Approved by the Board of Directors, its inclusion in the introduction to the company’s Articles of Association will be submitted for shareholders’ approval at the Shareholder’s Meeting to be held in closed session on 18 June.
A purpose reflecting our specific identity
FDJ started this process in 2018 when the PACTE Law was introduced, giving companies the opportunity to define their purpose. FDJ’s decision to articulate its raison d’être was a natural consequence of the social and community commitments it has made since it was founded in 1933. It is based on five themes – gaming offering, responsible business model, social commitment, regional presence and sustainability – and reflects the company’s specific identity, forged over the course of more than 85 years.
The FDJ Group’s purpose has already been illustrated through a wide range of economic and community initiatives. Today, in light of the current public health emergency, the Group has naturally been expressing its support through its strong commitment to retailers, in particular with the supply of masks; through a €1 million donation to the “Tous unis contre le virus” Alliance and a €200,000 donation to the non-profit Secours Populaire Français; as well as by strengthening its responsible gaming initiatives in light of lockdown measures. In addition, the Group’s employees have rallied together by donating the equivalent of more than 1,400 days of paid leave to the “Tous unis contre le virus” Alliance and other non-profits supported by the FDJ Foundation.
Stéphane Pallez, Chairwoman and CEO of the Group said: “FDJ is proud to present its raison d’être, the result of a collaborative effort involving our employees and our various stakeholders. Our recent initial public offering has given us the opportunity to recall our origins, and reaffirm our identity and what makes us different. Our purpose – which promotes a sustainable model combining performance, responsibility and service to the community – will continue more than ever to guide FDJ’s development. This has been demonstrated by the Group’s efforts, in keeping with its social and community commitments, to respond to the public health emergency we are currently facing.”
FDJ Group’s raison d’être (purpose)
FDJ Group offers people who wish to experience the thrill of gaming and moments of emotion a wide range of responsibly designed games. Gaming is our business, giving back to society is what drives us, and responsibility is our constant focus.
We promote recreational gaming by accompanying our customers, creating games with built-in integrity, and reducing risks and consequences arising from our activity; we actively help prevent addictive behaviour and underage gambling.
Faithful to the legacy of the French national lottery – created to help wounded World War One soldiers – we continue to support social and community initiatives, and fund good causes.
As key partners of local businesses, we ensure that our games and services are widely available through a dense network of neighbourhood retailers.
Thanks to our committed employees and capacity for innovation we are pursuing our goal of sustainable growth, underpinned by a responsible and socially useful business model, and close collaboration with our stakeholders.
A collaborative effort, promoting commitments
The Group launched a highly inclusive project to articulate its purpose, based on extensive collaborative workshops with its employees, key external stakeholders, as well as corporate social responsibility and governance experts.
At FDJ, members of the Management Committee worked alongside over two hundred employees from the company’s main sites (Boulogne-Billancourt, Villepinte and Vitrolles), using the same methodology, to develop our raison d’être.
The Board of Directors’ approval of our raison d’être will now pave the way for new commitments, which will be communicated by the Group in the coming months. These commitments, which are also developed collaboratively, will cover key topics such as the gaming offering, responsible gaming policy, social and community actions, and support for local businesses. This approach reflects the Group’s priority to ensure that the results of this exercise are practical and can be rolled out operationally.
FDJ is also in the process of setting up a Stakeholder Committee to facilitate dialogue between the company and its ecosystem regarding the major challenges facing its business, and to check that commitments made by the Group are implemented in accordance with its raison d’être.
