Royal High Road

What is Royal High Road?

“In this case, it’s a completely different situation. You have a group, not a single company in a single country, a group which has been a solid group for 10 years and delivering. There’s no turnaround to be made. It’s already very well managed. It’s number one in its markets.”

The combined company will be listed on stock exchanges in both Spain and Italy, which Cirsa and Lottomatica are already market leaders in.Italy accounted for 57% of a combined group pro format adjusted EBITDA in H1. Spain made up 23% of that figure, with Rest of World at 20%.

Once the deal is completed, 80% of its EBITDA is expected to come from those two markets.

What is Royal High Road?

GiG is approaching the completion of its acquisition of an 80% stake in 888Africa, marking a significant new chapter for the group. It is an unexpected return to B2C for GiG, but one that group CFO Phil Richards believes can deliver immediate earnings while providing a stronger foothold in Africa.

Last month, GiG Software plc announced plans to acquire an 80% stake in Evoke’s 888Africa, in a deal valued at up to €16.4 million ($19.1 million).

To fund the acquisition, the company intends to raise €2.5 million through a directed share issue and €6 million through convertible debt. The deal marks its return to B2C after becoming a pure play B2B platform play in 2023.

About Royal High Road

In March, William Hill told staff it plans to permanently close approximately 200 of its retail shops in the UK, around 15% of Evoke’s retail estate.

Last month, meanwhile, Betfred announced plans to shutter 132 of its UK betting shops, reducing its workforce by over 600 employees.

Betfred CEO Jo Whittaker said: “We have tried hard to protect all our sites and the colleagues who work in them, but the combined impact of higher employer National Insurance contributions, wage inflation, increases in gambling taxes and wider economic uncertainty has left us with no choice.”