Online Gambling Payment Giant Paysafe Planning to Go Public in US with a $9 Billion Deal

• New SPAC will be formed in $9b US public deal uniting two financial payment processors
• Bill Foley, lead investor owns Fidelity National Financing & NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights
• New company formed is planning to expand its reach by acquiring rival payment firms

International online gambling payment processor Paysafe Group Holdings is preparing for its US public market debut following a $9 billion dollar merger.

News broke on Monday that a ‘special purpose acquisition company’ (SPAC) called Foley Trasimene Acquisition Corp II announced that it had come to terms on a US $9b deal to merge with the with London-based Paysafe, allowing the payments firm to list on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PSFE. The deal will include debt, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the details are private.

According to sources, the SPAC is set to raise more than US$1 billion in new equity to support the transaction, Also, a deal could be announced as soon as this week though no agreement has yet been finalized. There was also mention the timing could change, or talks could fall apart. Bloomberg News last month reported talks about a deal were underway.

Valued at US$9 billion, the deal would be among the largest blank-check mergers this year, only ranking behind MultiPlan’s US$11 billion merger with Churchill Capital Corp III, and United Wholesale Mortgage’s pending US$16 billion merger with Gores Holdings IV Inc.

Background and Impact

The entity, Foley Trasimene is led by investor Bill Foley, whose significant holdings include Fortune 500 insurance firm Fidelity National Financial along with the National Hockey League’s Vegas Golden Knights. The SPAC listed on the NYSE in August after raising nearly $1.5b.

Blackstone Group and CVC Capital Partners as private equity groups will remain Paysafe’s largest investors following the NYSE listing. The impact of the deal could potentially double to triple their investment.

This type of deal involving a SPAC follows the pattern of similar successful opportunities that have recently accelerated Golden Nugget, DraftKings, Rush Street Interactive, and other companies within the online gaming landscape. As their stock prices currently boom, it seems the sky has no limit and opportunities abound.

About Paysafe and Foley

London-based Paysafe, acquired by Blackstone and CVC for approximately 3 billion pounds (US$5.34 billion) in 2017 offers payment processing services that enable companies to accept credit cards, cash, and direct-debit transfers online. It also offers prepaid cards and digital wallets.

The company operates through brands including Income Access, Paysafecard, Skrill, and Neteller.

Foley Trasimene Acquisition Corp II raised US$1.47 billion in an IPO in August. Its shares closed Friday at US$10.62, giving it a market value of US$1.95 billion. Foley himself has a track record of SPAC mergers in the financial services sector. One of his prior vehicles teamed with Blackstone to buy the insurer Fidelity & Guaranty Life for US$1.84 billion in 2017.

CEO Philip McHugh of Paysafe will remain in his position following the sale and told Reuters that the company would look to expand its US sports betting reach, in part by acquiring some rival payment firms.

Most recently in July, Paysafe acquired US-based operator Openbucks, which allows online merchants to accept retail gift cards as payments vs. credit card transactions.

Last month Paysafe also appointed Scott McClintic as Senior VP iGaming Product and Strategy. McClintic was formerly Chief Product Officer at Penn National Gaming’s Barstool Sportsbook.