TABCORP-TATTS MERGER GETS THE GREEN LIGHT…AGAIN

The Australian Competition Tribunal has approved the $11 billion merger of Tabcorp and Tatts Group.

The deal is subject to only one condition that requires Tabcorp to sell its Odyssey Gaming Business in Queensland.

This is the second time the tribunal has given the greenlight for the merger.

The Australian Competition Tribunal had originally approved the deal back in June, only for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and CrownBet to appeal to the Federal Court to re-examine its original approval.

The Federal Court then referred the matter back to the Tribunal for further examination.

In its statement, the competition tribunal said it was “satisfied that the proposed merger is likely to result in substantial public benefits and that the detriments identified by the ACCC and the interveners are unlikely to either arise or are not otherwise material”.

A Tatts shareholder vote on the scheme of arrangement for the proposed merger is scheduled for November 30.

The merger would give Tabcorp around 90 percent of Australia’s totaliser turnover.

Sources: AGBrief/Herald Sun/ABC/AFR