Discussions on sale of Danske Spil continue

Discussions are continuing on the possible sale of the Danish government’s major share in the Danske Spil gambling group (see previous reports), with local media reports indicating some disagreement between the political parties.

The government is reportedly mulling the sale of all online operations whilst retaining the lottery vertical, tempted by the possibility that such a sell-off could generate up to DKK 4 billion (around US$620 million) for the Treasury.

The government view is that a sale could be quickly and easily arranged, with the deal completed within a year.

Opposition politicians are not so sanguine, and point out that short term profit may be at the expense of reliable and substantial long-term gains from an enterprise that has proved successful and profitable (last year Danske Spil returned a profit to the state of DKK 743 million.)

Others have pointed to the possibility that a private owner may not be as consumer-protective as the present management.

The debate continues.