Woerth has already been collaborating with the French government on the PMU 2030 Pact for the legacy betting operator.
France.- The historic French betting operator Pari-Mutuel Urbain (PMU) has announced the nomination of Eric Woerth as chairman of its board. His candidacy was presented at the PMU Economic Interest Group’s General Assembly on Friday and requires approval from France’s High Authority for Transparency in Public Life (HATVP).
PMU emphasized his experience as a former minister and long-time Member of Parliament for Oise, noting that his political and administrative skills would be “invaluable” in leading the organization. Woerth has resigned from the National Assembly to assume this new leadership position.
He will replace Joël Séché and will collaborate closely with new chief executive Cyrille Giraudat to implement reforms and launch new initiatives designed to rejuvenate the French horse racing industry. Giraudat assumed his position in December 2025 following Emmanuelle Malecaze-Doublet’s departure, which came after the trotting association SETF opposed her strategy for addressing declining betting revenues and structural issues in the racing sector.
Since September 2025, Woerth has been collaborating with French president Emmanuel Macron and cabinet ministers on the “PMU 2030 Pact,” a framework intended to modernize French horseracing and bolster the positions of LeTrot and France Galop.
Historically, PMU has allocated most of its profits to parent organizations. Woerth’s proposal reportedly aims to retain more capital for reinvestment, while also providing PMU with access to debt markets and control over its cash reserves. He contends this approach would enable modernization without depleting the budgets of racing societies. A new sportsbook created in partnership with Kambi is anticipated to launch this year to expand PMU’s product range.
The PMU 2030 Pact has dismissed earlier suggestions to modify PMU’s ownership structure or bring in private investment, reinforcing the government’s position that PMU serves as a public tool for supporting horse racing and rural economies.