Fast Money

About Fast Money

Japan’s gambling landscape has remained an enigma. It began as a seismic opportunity sought after by international casino giants following the enactment of its Integrated Resort Implementation Law in 2018, but as progress slowed potential bidders withdrew, and MGM Osaka emerged as the only new kid on the IR block, with a launch date of 2030.

Now, with Japan promising to open two more IR licences in 2027, ambitious bidders are craning their necks for a leg up over the competition. But Japan has telegraphed mixed messaging on the casino industry.

Depsite it having liberalised gambling in pursuit of the economic benefits that casinos can bring, its regulatory architecture and deeply ingrained social attitudes are not particuarly pro gambling.

How to play Fast Money

Meanwhile Blackstone, Cirsa’s largest shareholder, is expected to become the largest shareholder of the combined company, maintaining around 24% of the share capital.

The deal is expected to provide around €115 million of pre-tax cash synergies per year from opex and interest cost savings. These synergies are expected to be realised by the third full year following completion.

Angelozzi is set to serve as the combined company’s chairman and CEO, while Lottomatica’s deputy CEO and CFO Laurence Van Lancker will assume the same role.

About Fast Money

Rossi argues that there is no single ingredient behind the operator’s success in Peru. Betsson has made Peru a key growth market in LatAm, which for the first time in Q2 took over as its largest region by revenue, accounting for 36% of its Q2 revenue at €310.2 million.

“I always like to say that it’s a mix of different factors,” Rossi suggests. “As a matter of fact, Peru has always been one of our driving markets in LatAm, and you always have the attention from the business to be kept on a quite substantial level of investment.

“But that is not just marketing. It also goes into product and into the way that you develop your offering and how you localise what you present or you offer to your customers. And without leaving out local talent, because of course the success also comes from the level of understanding of the market and the cultural embracement and to understand what the customers are really looking into when they have to choose between operators.