Kindred Group States Interest In Danske Spil Acquisition

By Brian Cullingworth, Last updated Mar 3, 2021

But Danish Government not ready to commit

Hot on the heels of Kindred Group’s (formerly Unibet) acquisition of 32Red, Danish newspaper Børsen reports the company’s continued interest in acquiring elements of State-owned gaming company Danske Spil.
According to Børsen, Kindred Group is ready to buy Danske Spil’s casino, poker, tips, Zezam and oddset assets for around Krone 4 billion (approx. GBP 458 million).
Kindred’s aspirations align with the Danish Government’s strategy to sell off state-owned companies that compete directly with private firms.
“We are ready to buy Danske Spil. We believe that the price is three to four billion. Kr., And we are ready to invest. We just need a response from the Danish government,” Henrik Tjärnström, chief executive officer of Kindred Group told Børsen.
The Government, who has back and forthed on the issue for close on a year, remains uncommitted on the prospects of a sale with Finance Minister Kristian Jensen, in an email response, saying: “Decisions on the sale of a government stake will always depend on a concrete assessment of the company and the framework conditions for its business. There may well be solid reasons why the state remains the owner.”
Jensen points out considerations such as competition and problem gambling need to undergo a thorough analysis first, which once complete will enable the Government to make a decision on the future ownership of Danske Spil.
“It [Danske Spil] is a direct competitor to us, and we believe that competition is completely skewed. Danske Spil effectively acts as if it still holds a monopoly, and is in our eyes abusing their dominant position,” Tjärnström added.
“Our capital resources are robust enough to buy the entire company, or parts of it. Even a partial sale would level the playing field.”
Danish political parties are divided on the future ownership of Danske Spil, with the Liberal Alliance advocating a sale and the Social Democratic Party pushing back saying it is a “gilt-edged” business, why sell?
A view supported by the Danish People’s Party who believe, properly managed, Danske Spil will better serve as a continuous source of income.
Any sale would require a majority political party vote.

Online Casino News Courtesy of Infopowa

Brian Cullingworth

Infopowa news was a staple of Casinomeister’s news from 2000 until 2019. Brian Cullingworth was the main writer, contributor, and was one of the most knowledgeable persons I have ever known involved in the online casino industry.

We first met in January 2001 at the ICE in London where I observed him going booth to booth interviewing online casino, software, and licensing jurisdiction representatives. Brian was also heavily involved with our forum as “Jetset“, he was involved as an informal consultant to eCOGRA, the OPA, and was a player advocate who assisted countless aggrieved players with his connections to industry folks. He also published “Casino Cautions” via Infopowa news for quite a number of years. These can be found in our news archives.

His passing in February 2019 was a dark day for us. He will be forever missed.


Latest News

Casinomeister Went Down, But Not Out — The Website’s Back in Action

Casinomeister website experienced some downtime, and as always, we’re here to tell you exactly what happened.

By Natasa Milojevic, Last updated Feb 12, 2025
Casinomeister Went Down, But Not Out — The Website’s Back in Action

Extra Love From Pragmatic Play: Win Up to 4 Amazon Vouchers

This Valentine’s Pragmatic Play has brought extra love for Casinomeister players. Cast your line and win up to 4 Amazon vouchers!

By Natasa Milojevic, Last updated Feb 12, 2025
Extra Love From Pragmatic Play: Win Up to 4 Amazon Vouchers

Lottomart Celebrates Casinomeister Award Win With an Exclusive Bonus

Lottomart won the Casinomeister Award for the best customer service in 2024, and they decided ot mark this occasion with an exclusive promo.

By Filip Colovic, Last updated Feb 12, 2025
Lottomart Celebrates Casinomeister Award Win With an Exclusive Bonus

It’s That Time of the Year Again: Casinomeister Awards 2024

It’s that time of the year again! Casinomeister Awards for 2024 have been announced, and we give you all the highlights.

By Natasa Milojevic, Last updated Feb 5, 2025
It’s That Time of the Year Again: Casinomeister Awards 2024

New Rating System for Sweepstakes Social Casinos — Now Live!

Casinomeister has a introduced a detailed new rating system for sweepstakes casinos, making it easier to find the right place to play.

By Filip Colovic, Last updated Feb 3, 2025
New Rating System for Sweepstakes Social Casinos — Now Live!