Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.9882 — SAZKA Group/ÖBAG/Casinos Austria) Candidate case for simplified procedure (Text with EEA relevance) 2020/C 365/08
Date: 2020-10-29
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: automatic game, economic concentration, electronic game, game of chance, gaming establishment, holding company, investment company, merger control, parent company








C_2020365EN.01000801.xml










29.10.2020   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 365/8






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.9882 — SAZKA Group/ÖBAG/Casinos Austria)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2020/C 365/08)

1.   
On 20 October 2020, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1).
This notification concerns the following undertakings:






—


SAZKA Group a.s (‘SAZKA Group’, Czechia), belonging to the KKCG Group;










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Österreichische Beteiligungs Aktiengesellschaft (‘ÖBAG’, Austria), owned by the Austrian state;










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Casinos Austria Aktiengesellschaft (‘CASAG’, Austria), solely controlled by SAZKA Group.




SAZKA Group and ÖBAG acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of CASAG.
The concentration is accomplished by way of contract or any other means.


2.   
The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:






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for SAZKA Group: the parent company of a European lottery group. It is principally a holding company, but also provides gaming consulting services. Its subsidiaries provide lottery, gaming and betting services (as well as other services) in Czechia, Greece, Cyprus and Italy.










—


for ÖBAG: an autonomous state-owned holding company, which administers 11 state investments and is mainly active in (i) active participation management, (ii) acquisition of share rights in existing investments and in third companies, (iii) measures to promote the development of Austria as an economic location, (iv) external participation management and (v) privatisation management.










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for CASAG: active in the gaming area in Austria through the operation of (i) casinos; (ii) lotteries; (iii) Video Lottery Terminals; (iv) sports betting and (v) online gaming. In addition, Casinos Austria Aktiengesellschaft operates through subsidiaries casinos in Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Egypt, Liechtenstein, Germany, Hungary, Palestinia and Switzerland, as well as a video lottery terminal operation in North Macedonia. CASAG is solely controlled by SAZKA Group pre-Transaction.






3.   
On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the 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 Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (2) it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in the Notice.


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. The following reference should always be specified:
Case M.9882 — SAZKA Group/ÖBAG/Casinos Austria
Observations can be sent to the Commission by email, by fax, or by post. Please use the contact details below:
Email: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu
Fax +3222964301
Postal address:





European Commission




Directorate-General for Competition




Merger Registry




1049 Bruxelles/Brussel




BELGIQUE/BELGIË







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

(2)  OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.