Stars Group concludes $4.7B Sky Betting purchase

GAMBLING giant The Stars Group has completed the acquisition of Sky Betting & Gaming.

The Stars Group, which has also recently acquired Crownbet and William Hill in Australia, made the announcement on Tuesday that it had finalised the US$4.7 billion purchase of Sky Bet, which includes CVC Capital Partners and media giant Sky PLC.

“This acquisition represents a pivotal moment in The Stars Group’s evolution,” The Stars Group’s Chief Executive Officer Rafi Ashkenazi said.

“SBG’s mobile-focused sportsbook pairs well with our industry-leading poker offering to create two premier customer acquisition channels. We believe this combination along with our combined online casino offerings positions The Stars Group for continued growth in the evolving online gaming industry.”

This acquisition also provides The Stars Group with multiple expected operational and financial benefits, including:

• Dramatically improves The Stars Group’s revenue diversity, creating a balanced spread across poker, casino and sportsbook with a broad geographic reach.
• Increases The Stars Group’s presence in locally regulated or taxed markets to approximately 75% of combined revenues.
• Develops sports betting as a second customer acquisition channel, complementing The Stars Group’s core offerings and creating an opportunity to cross-sell players across multiple verticals.
• Enhances The Stars Group’s products and technology through the addition of SBG’s innovative sportsbook and casino offerings and portfolio of popular mobile apps.

“This transaction creates the world’s largest publicly listed online gaming company and unites two iconic brand portfolios with strong technology platforms and teams. This significant scale also positions The Stars Group to both secure and expand upon its global footprint,” Ashkenazi said.

Consideration for the purchase of SBG was comprised of a combination of cash and approximately 37.9 million newly-issued common shares of The Stars Group. The cash consideration of the acquisition was financed through cash on the balance sheet, proceeds from The Stars Group’s recent equity offering and newly issued debt consisting of:

• $100 million from its revolving credit facility, which was increased to $700 million, priced at LIBOR plus 3.25% and maturing in five years;

• $4,567 million equivalent in new first lien term loans, comprising a U.S. dollar denominated tranche of $3,575 million priced at LIBOR plus 3.50% and a Euro denominated tranche of €850 million priced at Euribor plus 3.75%, and each with a 0% floor and maturing in seven years; and

• $1,000 million in 7.0% unsecured senior notes due July 2026.