Business Wire

FINALTO-S.P.V.-LTD

2.8.2021 19:43:08 CEST | Business Wire | Press release

Share
The Consortium Welcomes Playtech’s Confirmed Recommendation for Its Binding Agreement to Acquire Finalto and Urges Investors to Vote in Favour at the Playtech Adjourned General Meeting on 18 August 2021

Finalto S.P.V. Ltd, the consortium led by Barinboim Group and backed by Leumi Partners Limited and Menora Mivtachim Group, together with key members of the Finalto Business' management team (together the "Consortium"), welcomes the announcement by Playtech plc (“Playtech”) confirming its recommendation that shareholders vote in favour of the Consortium’s binding agreement for Finalto Group (“Finalto) (the “Binding Agreement”).

Playtech announced today that following its engagement with Gopher Investments (“Gopher”) over the past three weeks, it has not received responses from Gopher to a number of its questions and therefore “Playtech has not yet been able to achieve the necessary clarity on Gopher's ultimate ownership and funding structure, source of funds or ability to obtain the required regulatory clearances ” .

Shareholders should ask why Gopher continues to hide and should also be suspicious of Gopher’s credibility, particularly given that disclosure is crucial when buying a highly regulated business. Furthermore, the firm associated with Gopher, TT Bond Partners, is a small boutique brokerage that raises money from Chinese investors. Gopher’s behaviour has not been well received by the market; since it first announced its interest, Playtech’s share price has fallen by nearly 17%1 .

The Consortium’s Binding Agreement for Finalto offers considerable value and certainty and puts an end to the arduous 18-month sale process

  • Voting in favour of the Consortium’s Binding Agreement, which has been unanimously supported by Playtech’s board of directors, ensures Playtech receipt of the considerable sale proceeds soon allowing it to focus on its core gambling business. The Binding Agreement was agreed after beating other rival bidders in a lengthy, arduous and transparent sale process that was run by UBS and offers far greater certainty that the transaction will complete and pass the stringent regulatory approvals.
  • The level of volatility and risk that the Finalto business is subject to and the performance headwinds that it faces, led to the ultimate price that was agreed and Playtech recommending the Consortium’s Binding Agreement to acquire Finalto. Indeed, in the original circular to shareholders, Playtech itself comments on Finalto’s tumultuous performance in 2021, underlining the businesses underperformance relative to prior years.
  • If shareholders vote against the Binding Agreement the Consortium will fall apart. Should this happen, shareholders need to reflect on the likelihood that Gopher would follow through on its indicative interest at the level they purport to offer for Finalto.
  • Voting in favour of the Consortium removes the considerable risk, delay and additional costs associated with yet another sale process, which would not be concluded until late 2022 at the earliest. Such a delay would be considerably destabilising to the Finalto business, which has already been subject to a lengthy sale process and significant market speculation.
  • From the outset of the transaction, the Consortium’s Binding Agreement was and remains fully financed by the three blue chip multinationals comprising the Consortium and a reputable senior lender. Completion is subject to Playtech’s shareholders’ approval and final regulatory approvals only, which the Consortium is already six months into and has submitted the required arduous change of control paperwork to each of the regulators in multiple jurisdictions.
  • The Consortium welcomes shareholders and proxy advisors ISS and Glass Lewis to engage with it in order to answer any questions regarding its Binding Agreement, which it believe provides the best value to Playtech.

The Consortium urges shareholders to follow Playtech’s Board recommendation and vote in favour of its Binding Agreement to acquire Finalto at the General Meeting due to take place on 18 August 2021.

The Original Circular, the Supplementary Circular and the Notice of Adjourned General Meeting are available on Playtech's website at www.investors.playtech.com/shareholder-information/general-meeting.aspx . Shareholders who have already submitted their proxy electronically at www.investorcentre.co.uk/eproxy and wish to change their voting instruction, may do so by submitting a revised Form of Proxy electronically at www.investorcentre.co.uk/eproxy .

The Consortium’s previous announcements are available here (7 July 2021) and here (9 July 2021).

-ENDS-

About the Consortium

The Consortium is a company incorporated in Israel, established for the purpose of acquiring the Finalto Business. The Consortium is being funded by a group consisting of Barinboim Group, Leumi Partners Limited and Menora Mivtachim Group and by senior secured debt financing from The Phoenix Insurance Company Limited and certain of its affiliates. The Consortium will be supported by key members of the Finalto Business' management team that will transfer with the Finalto Business, including Ron Hoffman (Chief Executive Officer of the Finalto Business) and Liron Greenbaum (Chief Operations Officer of the Finalto Business).

Barinboim Group is a private equity and venture capital firm based in Tel Aviv. Barinboim Group invests in companies operating in the media sectors.

Leumi Partners Limited is the merchant and investment banking arm of Bank Leumi (TASE: LUMI), one of the two largest banking groups in Israel. Leumi Partners Limited is based in Tel Aviv and offers direct equity investment in sectors such as technology media and telecom, consumer & retail, and healthcare. Leumi Partners Limited's line of business includes conducting investments and providing services such as underwriting, financial analysis and research, strategic advice, mergers & acquisitions, and raising equity and debt.

Menora Mivtachim Group is one of Israel's five largest insurance & finance groups. The group specializes in asset management, manages the largest pension fund in Israel - and is the largest General Insurer in Israel and the market leader in Motor Insurance sector. The group operates through its subsidiaries, in all sectors of Life Insurance, Long/Mid/Short -Term Savings, General Insurance and Health Insurance. In addition, the group is active in the capital markets and finance sectors, including, Financial Portfolio Management, Underwriting and worldwide real estate investments.


1 Source: Capital IQ. July 30 close price over July 2 close price

About Business Wire

Business Wire
Business Wire
101 California Street, 20th Floor
CA 94111 San Francisco

http://businesswire.com

Subscribe to releases from Business Wire

Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Latest releases from Business Wire

IntouchCX Recognized for Operations led AI and End to End CX Transformation by HFS Research6.11.2026 15:00:00 CET | Press release

IntouchCX a global leader in AI-powered customer experience (CX) management, trust and safety, digital engagement, and back-office operations, has been positioned in the Horizon 2 end-to-end experience transformation, in the HFS Horizons Customer Experience Services 2026 report for its operations led approach to AI adoption and its model connecting advisory with delivery, from strategy through frontline executions. HFS Research evaluates customer experience service providers based on their capabilities, innovation, and potential to deliver value. The 2026 report examines how providers are helping businesses adopt AI, improve customer experiences and strengthen operations. “AI transformation delivers the greatest value when strategy, technology, and operations work together,” said Brent Stevenson, Chief Experience Officer at IntouchCX. “Our approach and expertise goes beyond technology. We identify business challenges and build the right solutions by connecting the dots between data, wo

The Estée Lauder Companies Unveils Mastering Skin Longevity, a Breakthrough Scientific Innovation Platform Advancing the Next Era of Skin Science6.11.2026 15:00:00 CET | Press release

New Platform Focuses on Master Regulators of Skin Longevity to Drive Discovery Across Ingredients, Technologies, Formulations and Future Product Innovation At the China International Import Expo (CIIE), The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE: EL) today unveiled Mastering Skin Longevity, a breakthrough scientific innovation platform designed to advance the next era of skin science and transformative product innovation. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261106776704/en/ The Estée Lauder Companies' Skin Longevity Clock serves as the visual representation for the Mastering Skin Longevity scientific innovation platform. Moving beyond the study of individual Hallmarks of Aging, the platform focuses further upstream on the Master Regulators of Skin Longevity. These interconnected biological pathways and proteins influence multiple hallmarks at once. By deepening understanding of these systems and how they help support s

Experian Named a Leader in 2026 IDC MarketScape for Worldwide Decision Intelligence Platforms6.11.2026 15:00:00 CET | Press release

IDC MarketScape recognizes Experian for strengths in proprietary data foundation, integrated orchestration and deployment flexibilityKey SummaryExperian named a Leader: IDC MarketScape positions Experian as a Leader in its 2026 vendor assessment of worldwide decision intelligence platform providers. Data and decisioning at scale: Experian Ascend Platform™ brings together proprietary data, analytics, decisioning, fraud detection, identity verification and model management and is used to process millions of transactions daily. Agentic AI orchestration and governance: Experian Agent Operating System™ provides a trusted agentic AI layer within Experian Ascend Platform designed to help organizations scale AI with explainability, auditability and human oversight. Experian today announced it has been named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Decision Intelligence Platforms 2026 Vendor Assessment (Doc #US54118426, September 2026), which evaluates providers helping organizations design,

Midas Atlantic Partners, in Partnership With the Najafi Companies, Has Entered Into a Put Option Agreement With Sylvamo Relating to the Potential Acquisition of Its European Operations6.11.2026 12:04:00 CET | Press release

Sylvamo’s European operations include its uncoated freesheet paper mills in Saillat (France) and Nymölla (Sweden), as well as its forestry and supporting business operations across EuropeRevenues of approximately EUR 630 million for the fiscal year ended December 2025Transaction expected to close in the first quarter of 2027 once the required consultation processes are completed and regulatory approvals are obtained Midas Atlantic Partners (“Midas Atlantic”), in partnership with The Najafi Companies, has signed a put option agreement with Sylvamo Corporation (“Sylvamo”) relating to the potential acquisition of its European operations (the “Business”). The transaction comprises Sylvamo’s uncoated freesheet paper mills in Saillat and Nymölla, as well as its forestry and supporting business operations across Europe. Closing is expected in the first quarter of 2027, once the required consultation processes are completed and regulatory approvals are obtained. The Business is a leading Europ

Suzano Reports 36% Increase in Third Quarter Net Revenue Following Consolidation of Arbex6.11.2026 00:23:00 CET | Press release

Suzano (B3: SUZB3 / NYSE: SUZ) , the world’s largest pulp producer, announces its results for the third quarter of 2026 (3Q26), which for the first time include Arbex, the joint venture between Suzano and Kimberly-Clark established in July this year. Driven primarily by the consolidation of Arbex’s contribution, Suzano reported net revenue of BRL16.5 billion, an increase of 36% on the same period last year and a new quarterly record in the company’s 102-year history. Adjusted EBITDA totaled R$5.7 billion in 3Q26, up 9% on the same basis of comparison. Operating cash generation reached R$3.8 billion, an increase of 12%. Net income totaled R$2.1 billion. As announced following the completion of the transaction with Kimberly-Clark, Suzano holds a 51% equity interest in Arbex and will therefore fully consolidate the joint venture’s financial statements from this quarter onwards.1 “This quarter marks the beginning of a new phase for Suzano. With Arbex, we are now a broader business, both ge

In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.

Visit our pressroom
World GlobeA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.HiddenA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.Eye