Sazka to acquire additional stake in Casinos Austria
Czech lottery company Sazka Group received all necessary regulatory approvals from gaming authorities in Australia, Austria, Switzerland and Canada.
Austria.- Sazka is to buy an additional 23.04 per cent stake in Vienna-based operator operator Casinos Austria AG.
A year ago, Sazka acquired an 11 per cent stake in Casinos Austria via its Came Holding GmbH subsidiary. The latest approval are the result of “intensive work with gaming, anti-trust and other competent authorities,” the firm said.
Sazka Group revealed that it now plans to use a January 15 shareholders meeting in order to request permission to officially buy the additional Casinos Austria AG stake from current shareholders Uniqa Beteiligungs-Holding GmbH and Leipnik-Lundenburg Invest Beteiligungs AG and take its total shareholding in the firm up to 34.04 per cent.
“In our role as the largest strategic shareholder in the future, we want to continue the path of successful cooperation with all other shareholders and secure the long-term economic success of the company,” Robert Chvatal, Chief Executive Officer for Sazka Group, said in a statement.
If the acquisition is approved, Sazka will become the largest shareholder in Casinos Austria AG. Casinos Austria AG currently operates 27 land-based casinos in eleven jurisdictions around the world including The Reef Hotel Casino in Cairns, Australia, and Canada’s Great Blue Heron Charity Casino. The firm also offers gaming on five luxury cruise ships operated by Monaco-based Silversea Cruises.
