# C_2010107EN.01001601.xml

| 27.4.2010 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 107/16 |
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27.4.2010

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 107/16

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Prior notification of a concentration

(Case COMP/M.5786 — Française des Jeux/Groupe Lucien Barrière/JV)

Candidate case for simplified procedure

(Text with EEA relevance)

2010/C 107/09

| 1. | On 19 April 2010 the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1) by which the undertaking Française des Jeux FDJ (‘FDJ’, France) and the Groupe Lucien Barrière (‘GLB’, France) acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation joint control of the undertaking Newco (‘Newco’, France) by way of purchase of shares in a newly created company constituting a joint venture. |
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1.

On 19 April 2010 the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1) by which the undertaking Française des Jeux FDJ (‘FDJ’, France) and the Groupe Lucien Barrière (‘GLB’, France) acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation joint control of the undertaking Newco (‘Newco’, France) by way of purchase of shares in a newly created company constituting a joint venture.

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| 2. | The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:






  — | FDJ: a long-standing company providing gaming and sports betting services in France, |
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2.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

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FDJ: a long-standing company providing gaming and sports betting services in France,

| — | GLB: jointly owned by Accor and the Barrière-Desseigne family, GLB is involved in the management of casinos, hotels and spa treatment centres, catering, and the management of golf courses and event solutions, mainly in France. GLB also organises an online poker game in Malta and the United Kingdom, |
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GLB: jointly owned by Accor and the Barrière-Desseigne family, GLB is involved in the management of casinos, hotels and spa treatment centres, catering, and the management of golf courses and event solutions, mainly in France. GLB also organises an online poker game in Malta and the United Kingdom,

| — | Newco: a joint venture responsible for designing and operating an online poker internet site in France following the liberalisation of the French market in internet games of chance and gambling. Newco will also sell online poker games and multimedia software aimed at creating platforms to make the games accessible to surfers. |
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Newco: a joint venture responsible for designing and operating an online poker internet site in France following the liberalisation of the French market in internet games of chance and gambling. Newco will also sell online poker games and multimedia software aimed at creating platforms to make the games accessible to surfers.

| 3. | On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the EC Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved. Pursuant to the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under the EC Merger Regulation (2) it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in the Notice. |
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3.

On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the EC Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved. Pursuant to the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under the EC Merger Regulation (2) it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in the Notice.

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| 4. | The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission.
  Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. Observations can be sent to the Commission by fax (+32 22964301), by email to COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu or by post, under reference number COMP/M.5786 — Française des Jeux/Groupe Lucien Barrière/JV, to the following address:





  European Commission |
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| Directorate-General for Competition |
| Merger Registry |
| J-70 |
| 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel |
| BELGIQUE/BELGIË |

4.

The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission.

Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. Observations can be sent to the Commission by fax (+32 22964301), by email to COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu or by post, under reference number COMP/M.5786 — Française des Jeux/Groupe Lucien Barrière/JV, to the following address:

European Commission

Directorate-General for Competition

Merger Registry

J-70

1049 Bruxelles/Brussel

BELGIQUE/BELGIË

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(1)  OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘EC Merger Regulation’).

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(2)  OJ C 56, 5.3.2005, p. 32 (‘Notice on a simplified procedure’).

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