Masquerade

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Hostench and Cirsa CFO Antonio Grau will also continue to lead the teams at Cirsa.

Following the deal’s completion and approval by Lottomatica’s general shareholder’s meeting, the combined company’s board would consist of the existing 11 Lottomatica directors, as well as two new directors nominated upon designation by Blackstone.

The companies delivered a presentation that detailed their plans to create a “global gaming champion”.

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This tender offer will be at the same price of €6.19 per share.

If successful, Merkur intends to pursue a squeeze-out process, compelling minority shareholders to sell their shares, and subsequently delist SFC from Euronext Paris. 

These steps remain subject to regulatory approvals, including clearance from the French Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) and the French Interior Ministry, which oversees ownership changes in gaming operators under Article L. 323‑3 of the French Code de la sécurité intérieure.

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Retail betting diverged significantly from the wider market, with non-remote betting GGY falling 3.3% to £2.4 billion ($3.2 billion). The number of betting shops dropped for a 12th consecutive reporting period to 5,617 premises—a 3.6% annual decline (down 208 shops from March 2025).

Other retail sectors performed better. Bingo GGY increased 8.2% to £703.8 million ($941.8 million), while arcade GGY rose 10.7% to £800.1 million ($1.07 billion).

While the new figures underline the sheer scale of Britain’s regulated market, leading operator Entain is pressing the government for tougher action against black-market platforms.