Merkur signs definitive deal for controlling stake in Société Française de Casinos

Merkur signs definitive deal for controlling stake in Société Française de Casinos

On 18 September 2026, Société Française de Casinos (Euronext Paris: SFCA) announced that a definitive shares transfer agreement dated 17 September 2026 had been signed. Buyer: Merkur Spielbanken Beteiligungs GmbH (“Merkur”), a subsidiary of MERKUR.COM AG, itself fully owned by the Gauselmann Family Foundation.

The deal targets 95% of Casigrangi from sellers GPG Groupe Philippe Ginestet and DOFA. Casigrangi holds 4,135,434 SFC shares — about 81.21% of capital and voting rights. The transparency price is EUR 6.19 per SFC share. Completion is not automatic: customary regulatory approvals, including the French Ministry of Interior under Article L. 323-3 of the Code de la sécurité intérieure, still sit ahead of close.

What Casigrangi brings — and what stays with DOFA

If the transaction completes, Merkur would take an indirect controlling interest in SFC through Casigrangi. SFC operates four land-based casinos: Châtel-Guyon, Collioure, Gruissan and Port-la-Nouvelle. Casigrangi itself operates three more: Granville, Megève and Mimizan.

The remaining 5% of Casigrangi stays with DOFA under reciprocal put/call arrangements. Earlier pathmarks cited in the wire include a positive opinion from the Casino de Gruissan SEC on 2 September 2026 and completion of the Casigrangi employee information procedure on 7 September 2026. An AMF pre-offer period notice (Notice 226C1409) was published on 28 August 2026.

Mandatory tender offer, squeeze-out and timeline

If the acquisition completes, Merkur would be required to file a mandatory simplified tender offer for the remaining SFC shares at €6.19. The company says it intends a squeeze-out and delisting if the legal conditions are met at Offer close.

The expected transaction close is Q1 2027, with Tender Offer filing eyed for H1 2027 after AMF clearance, plus internal reorganisation steps on the Merkur side. Until Interior Ministry approval and those other conditions clear, the controlling stake has not transferred.

What this is — and is not

This is a signed definitive SPA for an indirect controlling stake in a listed French land-casino group. It is not a completed closing, not a live tender offer filing, and it does not invent an online-casino licence for France. Desk coverage of earlier put-option talk floated rough deal-scale figures; this piece sticks to the Actusnews primary: €6.19 transparency price, 95% of Casigrangi, 81.21% of SFC, and the Interior Ministry gate.

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