PARIS (Reuters) -French gaming company La Francaise des Jeux launched on Monday a takeover offer to buy European online peer Kindred Group, in a deal it said would create the second-biggest operator in Europe’s gaming sector.
FDJ said it was offering 130 Swedish crowns ($12.43) a share for Kindred, which would correspond to an enterprise value of 2.6 billion euros ($2.83 billion) and represent a premium of 24% to Kindred Group’s Jan. 19 closing price.
Kindred’s board unanimously recommended that shareholders accept the offer, the company said in a separate statement.
“The Board believes that the terms of the offer recognise Kindred’s long-term growth prospects, taking into account the risks and uncertainties associated with the realisation of those prospects,” it said.
FDJ’s offer also values Kindred Group’s equity market capitalisation at around 29.5 billion Swedish crowns ($2.82 billion).
“I am pleased to announce today the proposed acquisition of Kindred,” said FDJ Chairwoman and CEO Stephane Pallez.
“The combination will result in a stronger strategic positioning and significant value creation for the benefit of our shareholders and broader stakeholder,” she added.
FDJ, which runs lottery scratchcards in France and in which the French state holds an equity stake of 20%, said the takeover of Kindred Group would boost its earnings and result in an accretion of more than 10% in its dividend per share.
($1=10.4567 Swedish crowns)
($1 = 0.9173 euros)
(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta in Paris, additional reporting by Stine Jacobsen in Copenhagen; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Tom Hogue)
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