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Van Lancker said the merger would combine the strengths of both businesses to create a larger and more diversified company with “greater scale and enhanced capabilities” to accelerate growth and create value.

The enlarged group could deliver up to €4 billion in capital returns over the three years following the completion of the deal.

Cirsa has followed an aggressive acquisition strategy in recent years, most recently entering the land-based casino market in Portugal by acquiring a majority stake in Sociedade Figueira Praia, S.A., the owner and operator of Casino Figueira.

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The transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals.

SFC has projected its financial results for the 2025/26 fiscal year, with expected gross gaming revenue of approximately €22.5 million and net gaming revenue of €13.3 million

The acquisition follows another recent French omnichannel agreement that saw Tipico and Betclic owner Banijay Entertainment’s gaming arm acquire JOA’s network of 33 regional casinos across France. 

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“That combination of proven profitability, established market share and continuity of management materially reduces the execution risk you would normally associate with re-entering a consumer-facing business.”

But, as Robinson warns, the opportunity to enter Africa doesn’t come without challenges.

“It’s profitable, it’s growing and it was for sale from a distressed vendor,” he says. “That combination rarely appears in regulated Europe, where scaling a B2C brand means paying up for customers against Flutter and Entain on thin margins.