Wynn Resorts and Austerlitz Acquisition Corporation I have entered into a definitive agreement under which Austerlitz I will combine with Wynn Interactive Ltd. to create an independent public company.
Upon closing of the proposed transaction, the combined company will retain the “Wynn Interactive, Ltd.” name and relist its shares on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange under the new ticker symbol “WBET.”
Wynn Interactive, the online gaming division of Wynn Resorts, offers a world-class collection of casino and sports betting mobile options to consumers across the U.S. and U.K. through its WynnBET, BetBull and WynnSLOTS brands.
The Company delivers one-of-a-kind experiences in digital gaming that drive enhanced user acquisition and retention through unique social betting mechanics, a proprietary tech stack and high-quality user interface. Wynn Interactive currently has market access to 15 states covering approximately 51% of the U.S. population and expects to gain access to additional states in the near-term, resulting in its footprint covering approximately 77% of the U.S. population.
“We are confident that this transaction will unlock the tremendous potential of Wynn Interactive to further accelerate growth and enable the business to capture the massive opportunity in North America. Bill Foley is the ideal partner to ensure continued success – his track record with business combinations, extensive experience growing marquee consumer brands and partnering to maximize value in businesses like ours will be invaluable as we continue scaling,” said Matt Maddox, CEO of Wynn Resorts and Chairman of Wynn Interactive.
“Wynn Interactive is rapidly establishing a leadership position in what will ultimately be a $45 billion North American online sports betting and iGaming market through our relentless focus on product features, user experience and customer service. We look forward to working with Bill Foley and Austerlitz I to support Wynn Interactive’s long-term growth,” said Craig Billings, President and Executive Director of Wynn Interactive.
William P. Foley, II, Founder of Austerlitz I, commented, “I am excited to be a partner and future owner of Wynn Interactive. Wynn is the premier brand in gaming and luxury resorts and we believe our investment in Wynn Interactive fits the criteria for the type of company and management team with which we like to co-invest. I’m optimistic about the future of U.S. online casino gaming and sports betting and am confident in the ability of Matt and the Wynn Interactive team to execute the business plan and exceed their financial projections against what will be a massive addressable market.”
The business combination will provide Wynn Interactive with additional capital and expertise to accelerate its vision as a standalone company. Beyond its base of live operations in six U.S. states, together with Austerlitz I and Wynn Resorts, the Company is well-positioned to capitalize on opportunities to scale in the highly complementary and rapidly expanding online sports betting and iCasino markets, which brokers expect to grow at a 10-year CAGR of approximately 32% to $45 billion by 2030, driven in part by legislative momentum in the U.S. and Canada. Wynn Interactive plans to accelerate growth through customer acquisition initiatives, executing a broad-based, national marketing and branding campaign, including investment in mass media and partnerships, and continued product enhancements leveraging BetBull’s proprietary technology.
Transaction Overview
The combined company is expected to have an enterprise value of approximately $3.2 billion at closing, representing 4.5x Wynn Interactive’s projected 2023 revenue.
Cannae Holdings, Inc. has agreed to fully backstop share redemptions, assuring availability of cash proceeds at closing. As a result, irrespective of share redemptions by the public stockholders of Austerlitz I, approximately $640 million in cash will be available to fund the combined Company’s operations and support new and existing growth initiatives of Wynn Interactive.
Upon closing of the transaction, assuming no share redemptions by the public stockholders of Austerlitz I, Wynn Interactive’s current shareholders will retain an equity interest in the Company of approximately 79%, inclusive of 58% equity interest (and 72% voting interest) by Wynn Resorts, Ltd., Austerlitz I’s stockholders will hold approximately 18% and Austerlitz I’s sponsor will hold approximately 3%.
The proposed business combination, which has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both Wynn Resorts and Austerlitz I, is expected to close by the end of 2021, subject to approval by Austerlitz I’s stockholders, gaming regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions.
Following the closing of the proposed business combination, Matt Maddox will continue to serve as Chairman, Craig Billings will continue to serve as President and Executive Director, Wynn Interactive co-founder Sadok Kohen will continue to serve as CPO and Director, and Norbert Teufelberger and Ellen F. Whitemore will continue to serve as Directors. Additionally, William P. Foley, II intends to serve as a Director on the Company’s Board.
Advisors
Credit Suisse and Moelis & Company LLC are serving as financial and capital markets advisors and Kirkland & Ellis LLP is serving as legal counsel to Wynn Resorts. Bank of America is serving as financial advisor with Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP serving as legal counsel to Austerlitz Acquisition Corporation I.
Investor Conference Call Information
Wynn Resorts and Austerlitz I will provide an investor slide presentation and pre-recorded audio-video presentation discussing the proposed business combination on their respective investor relations websites on May 10, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. EDT / 2:30 p.m. PDT. The presentations can be accessed on the “Company Info” page of the Wynn Resorts Investor Relations website (https://www.wynnresorts.com/) or the Investor Relations website of Austerlitz I (https://investor.austerlitz1.com).
In addition, Austerlitz I will file the investor presentation with the SEC as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K prior to the call, which will be available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
