The boards of Aristocrat and Playtech have reached an agreement on the terms of a recommended cash acquisition, whereby Arisocrat will purchase Playtech.
Each Playtech shareholder will be due £6.80 per share ($9.35) under the terms of the acquisition.
The deal would thereby value Playtech's shares at approximately £2.1bn/$2.9bn on a fully diluted basis.
Playtech's directors consider the terms of the merger to be "fair and reasonable" and, as such, intend to recommend unanimously that the company's shareholders vote in favor of the deal.
Playtech has traditionally been one of the biggest suppliers in the industry but has taken somewhat of a backseat in recent years.
In June of 2017, the supplier, which specializes in online and live casino products, peaked at a share price of £10.16; it now, by contrast, holds a stock value of £4.29. It has risen, though, since July, when it hit a low of £3.51.
Being acquired by Aristocrat looks a smooth transition back to the top table of the gaming sector for Playtech, combining strong online and brick-and-mortar resources.
When you compare the journey of Aristocrat's share price over the past five years, it has been the complete opposite to Playtech.
In 2016, the casino supplier's shares were valued at AU$15.82 (US$11.74); it is now worth $45.79 per share, while it won three separate Awards at the recent Global Gaming Awards Las Vegas 2021.
Analysts had recently advised investors to buy Playtech's shares, however, perhaps deeming it undervalued. It seems Aristocrat agrees.
