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Duisburg (dpa / lnw) - The sale of the former state-owned casino group Westspiel has begun.
The bidding process has now been initiated with the announcement in the EU Official Journal, announced the NRW Ministry of Finance on Friday.
Bidders must already be in the casino business and have at least 20 million euros in equity.
The total value of the company - viewed over the current 15-year concession - is estimated in the tender documents at 2.7 billion euros.
That says nothing about a possible purchase price.
Because in 2019 Westspiel had actually achieved a consolidated net profit of almost 3.2 million euros for the first time in years, as the final report said.
The casino taxes to the public sector rose last year by around 13 to almost 59 million euros.
The money is used to finance social tasks, among other things.
The Westspiel sale has been controversial for years.
Finance Minister Lutz Lienenkämper (CDU) emphasized several times that “it is good when the state is not at the roulette table”.
The SPD had criticized the plans.
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Lienkämper informed the state parliament on Friday that the bidding process was designed as a "non-discriminatory, transparent and Europe-wide concession award procedure."
According to the tender, interested parties must have equity of at least 20 million euros and have been running a casino for at least three years.
Offers can be submitted until February 1st.
Call for tenders in the European Official Journal