Allen & Overy announced today that it has advised Fortuna Entertainment Group on the acquisition of the 100% share in Hattrick Sports Group Ltd., Ireland (“Hattrick”), the owner of the betting operator in Romania, under the Casa Pariurilor brand, the operator in Croatia, under the PSK and Hattrick brands, and B2B operations in Spain, Germany and other European countries. The acquisition of Hattrick Sports Group will further strengthen Fortuna’s position as the largest licensed multi-channel sports betting and gaming operator in C&SEE region.
Allen & Overy advised the client both on the M&A side of the transaction, as well as on the financing of the transaction and on the refinancing of selected subsidiaries. The deal was thus both multi-jurisdictional and multi-practice-group, involving A&O teams in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, the Netherlands, and RTPR in Romania.
The A&O team was led by Corporate partner Martin Magál, with support from partner Hugh Owen and senior associate Juraj Gyarfáš. The financing work stream was led by Prague-based Banking partner Václav Valvoda and counsel Robert David, with support from associate Lukáš Vondřich. Leading the deal advisory from Bratislava, partner Martin Magálcommented: “We are very happy to have advised Fortuna Entertainment Group on this exciting deal, which will allow them to gain a stronger foothold in Romania while creating a strong presence in Croatia and, via B2B relationships, in other European countries. The deal showcases the strength of our M&A practice in the CEE region and our ability to deliver complex advice to a very sophisticated client.”
Fortuna Entertainment Group is the leading regulated sports betting and gaming multi-channel operator in the CEE region, currently present in three core markets – the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland – and, via ‘Fortuna’ brand licensing, also in Romania. Hattrick Sports Group is the owner of the leading betting operator in Romania, Casa Pariurilor and the second largest operator in Croatia, PSK. The business expansion is in line with Fortuna’s long-term strategy to become the number one licensed sports betting and gaming operator in C&SEE and industry leader in innovations, multi-channel offers, customer experience and financial performance.