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Lottomatica and Cirsa have agreed a blockbuster merger that would create the second-largest listed gaming and sports betting operator in the world.

Announced on Wednesday, the all-share deal is expected to close in Q2 2027, forming a combined group with a pro forma adjusted EBITDA of around €2 billion ($2.3 billion).

Cirsa’s implied pro forma value, before synergies, corresponds to an multiple of approximately 6x its expected 2026 EV/EBITDA which will be between €800 million and €820 million, according to the operator’s most recent earnings.

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“Leadership is the single biggest determinant of an inclusive culture,” Skinner comments. “Policies matter, but individuals experience inclusion primarily through their managers. Leaders set the tone through the decisions they make, the behaviours they reward and the conversations they encourage.”

Some companies, such as Evoke, actively monitor DEI at a leadership level to track whether initiatives are making an impact.

“Leadership is critical in setting expectations and maintaining accountability,” says Nicola Kociuba, learning and performance business partner at Evoke. “For example, our Nomination Committee monitors progress against diversity objectives and considers diversity in succession planning and appointments, while ensuring decisions remain based on merit, experience and capability.”

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Both Richards and Ahlberg state this acquisition doesn’t reflect a turnaround story for 888Africa, with a management team led by industry veteran Christopher Coyne and a footprint in some of the continent’s fastest-growing markets.

“It has real market positions already, including a market-leading position in Mozambique and a growing presence in Angola and Tanzania, so we are buying established local relevance rather than starting from zero,” Richards continues.

“That combination of proven profitability, established market share and continuity of management materially reduces the execution risk you would normally associate with re-entering a consumer-facing business.”