Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP (‘Freshfields’) has advised CVC Capital Partners (‘CVC’), one of the world’s leading private equity and investment advisory firms, on the sale of Sky Betting & Gaming (‘SBG’) to The Stars Group Inc. (‘The Stars Group’). The transaction is in cash and stock, and is valued at $4.7bn. This combination will result in the world’s largest publicly listed online gaming company.
 
SBG is currently home to the United Kingdom's largest active online player base and, with over 80% of revenues generated from mobile devices, is a leading mobile betting and gaming operator. In partnership with Sky, Europe's leading sports broadcaster and media company, SBG has developed some of online gaming’s most well-known brands, most notably Sky Bet, Sky Vegas and Sky Casino.
 
The Stars Group is the ultimate owner of multiple industry leading gaming brands including Pokerstars, forming one of the largest online gaming businesses in the world.
 
The Freshfields team was led by partners Tim Wilmot, Valerie Jacob, Christopher Mort and Alastair Chapman, with support from senior associate Vincent Bergin.