Merkur makes move to buy seven casinos in France

The deal is likely to trigger a full takeover of French operator Société Française de Casinos.

Merkur Casinos has struck a deal to buy 95 per cent of French operator Casigrangi, owner of the Stelsia casino brand, from GPG Groupe Philippe Ginestet and DOFA for around €€31.5m.

The deal is likely to trigger a full takeover of French operator Société Française de Casinos.

The remaining five per cent of Casigrangi’s share capital would be held by DOFA. The group owns seven small to medium-sized casinos. Three are operated directly, namely Megève, Granville and Mimizan. The other four are operated through Société Française de Casinos. They are Gruissan, Port-la-Nouvelle, Collioure and Châtel-Guyon.

A release stated: “The price to be paid by Merkur to the sellers for the proposed transaction would result in a price on a look-through basis of €6.19 per SFC share.”

If the takeover of Casigrangi is successful, its acquisition will trigger a tender offer for the remaining shares of SFC.

“Merkur will be obligated to file a simplified public tender offer for the remaining SFC shares not held by Merkur, directly or indirectly, in accordance with applicable regulations.” The offer would be filed with the French Financial Markets Authority (AMF) at the same price of €6.19 per share, in cash.

Merkur also plans, in the long term, to delist Société Française de Casinos. “If the legal and regulatory conditions are met following the Offer, Merkur intends, at this stage, to request the implementation of a mandatory delisting procedure for SFC and to delist SFC.”

A statement read: “The signing of the final transfer agreement for the transaction can only take place after the completion of certain mandatory information and/or consultation procedures with Casigrangi employees and the Social and Economic Committee of the Gruissan Casino.” Its implementation will also require the usual regulatory approvals, including that of the Ministry of the Interior, and will remain contingent upon certain internal restructuring measures.

The timeline anticipates completion of the deal early next year. “It is expected that, if signed and completed, the transaction would be finalised during the first quarter of 2027. In this scenario, the offer could be filed with the AMF during the first half of 2027.” It would then be opened after obtaining the compliance decision from the Financial Markets Authority.

With this acquisition, Merkur intends to strengthen its casino business in France. “Merkur firmly believes that Casigrangi’s proven track record, resilience, and market expertise, combined with Merkur’s pan-European presence and technological capabilities, make it the ideal partnership to strengthen and develop its presence in France. By aligning the strengths of both partners, the parties aim to continue their growth in the French gaming market,” the release stated.

The German group already has a significant presence in the European land-based casino market. It operates 18 casinos in Germany and holds shares in seven others. Its presence there was further strengthened in 2025 by the acquisition of ten casinos in Lower Saxony. Merkur also has a presence in the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom, where its portfolio includes establishments in Aberdeen, Milton Keynes, and Leeds. The group is also developing a business operating casinos on cruise ships.

Société Française de Casinos anticipates revenues of around €22.5m for the whole year.