Lottomatica acquired a 20% stake in Sportbet, an online gambling operator. Sportbet has a reported 0.7% market share.
The acquisition gives Lottomatica an ownership interest in an online operator with a stated 0.7% market share.
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Italian online casino spending reached €304.1 million in March 2026, up 16.1% from €262 million in March 2025, according to operator data cited in the report. Lottomatica held 31.7% of spending, followed by Sisal at 13.30% and Eurobet; total stakes reached €7.2 billion.
Online sports betting generated €204.8m in spend in Italy in January 2026, up 28.8% from €159m a year earlier; stakes reached about €1.5bn, a 7.1% increase. Lottomatica led operators by spend market share at 28.6%, followed by Sisal at 19.4%, according to operator data compiled in the market report.
Capula Investment Management has taken positions in CIRSA and Lottomatica ahead of their proposed merger, reportedly seeking to benefit from a difference in their share prices and the exchange value. Its declared CIRSA exposure is about €30 million, while its short position in Lottomatica is valued at about €35 million; the integration is planned for Q2 2027, subject to approvals.
Capula Investment Management has reportedly taken positions in CIRSA and Lottomatica ahead of their planned merger. The arbitrage strategy seeks to benefit from differences between the companies' share prices and the value resulting from the deal.
Cirsa chief executive Antonio Hostench said the company was exploring gaming-hall acquisitions in Spain and could complete a deal before the end of 2026. The company has 270 halls and 7,852 machines in Spain, while its domestic slots division accounts for more than 48% of group EBITDA.
Codere’s controlling investment funds are considering a sale of the company or its businesses separately, according to media reports. The report says a whole-company sale remains the preferred option, while interest in individual divisions has increased; a possible combined valuation is around €2,000 million.