LONDON/PARIS, Jan 20 (Reuters) - French casino and hotel company Groupe Lucien Barriere is exploring options including an initial public offering (IPO), a person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday.
Challenges.fr website reported earlier that Lucien Barriere was preparing a stock market listing that would see France's Accor sell part or all of its 49 percent stake in the group.
'Rothschild is advising Lucien Barriere to explore possibilities including an IPO, but that would come only after sorting out the capital structure and refinancing,' the source said.
Spokeswomen for Accor and Lucien Barriere declined to comment on the article.
Groupe Lucien Barriere is 51 percent owned by the Desseigne-Barriere family, which also owns over 70 percent of SFCMC (La Societe Fermiere du Casino Municipal de Cannes).
Groupe Lucien Barriere and SFCMC are regrouped under the Lucien Barriere Hotels and Casinos brand, which has 40 casinos in France and Europe, with a quarter of approved slot machines and half of all gaming tables in the French market, and 16 luxury hotels, according to its website.
Sales reached 1.2 billion euros ($1.7 billion) in 2008.
Company Chairman Dominique Desseigne entered into a partnership with Accor and Colony Capital investment funds in December 2004, allowing Groupe Lucien Barriere to double in size by taking on Accor Casinos.
Accor Chief Executive Gilles Pelisson is vice chairman of the company's supervisory board. He has said that Accor would quit the casino sector at some stage, implying the company could sell its holding in Lucien Barriere.
SFCMC is 22.7 percent owned by Qatari Investment Authority unit Qatari Diar.
($1=.7040 Euro)
(Reporting by Daisy Ku and James Regan; Editing by Rupert Winchester) Keywords: LUCIENBARRIERE/ (james.regan@thomsonreuters.com; +33 1 49 49 53 84; Reuters Messaging: james.regan.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
Challenges.fr website reported earlier that Lucien Barriere was preparing a stock market listing that would see France's Accor sell part or all of its 49 percent stake in the group.
'Rothschild is advising Lucien Barriere to explore possibilities including an IPO, but that would come only after sorting out the capital structure and refinancing,' the source said.
Spokeswomen for Accor and Lucien Barriere declined to comment on the article.
Groupe Lucien Barriere is 51 percent owned by the Desseigne-Barriere family, which also owns over 70 percent of SFCMC (La Societe Fermiere du Casino Municipal de Cannes).
Groupe Lucien Barriere and SFCMC are regrouped under the Lucien Barriere Hotels and Casinos brand, which has 40 casinos in France and Europe, with a quarter of approved slot machines and half of all gaming tables in the French market, and 16 luxury hotels, according to its website.
Sales reached 1.2 billion euros ($1.7 billion) in 2008.
Company Chairman Dominique Desseigne entered into a partnership with Accor and Colony Capital investment funds in December 2004, allowing Groupe Lucien Barriere to double in size by taking on Accor Casinos.
Accor Chief Executive Gilles Pelisson is vice chairman of the company's supervisory board. He has said that Accor would quit the casino sector at some stage, implying the company could sell its holding in Lucien Barriere.
SFCMC is 22.7 percent owned by Qatari Investment Authority unit Qatari Diar.
($1=.7040 Euro)
(Reporting by Daisy Ku and James Regan; Editing by Rupert Winchester) Keywords: LUCIENBARRIERE/ (james.regan@thomsonreuters.com; +33 1 49 49 53 84; Reuters Messaging: james.regan.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
