Light & Wonder on Monday announced it has completed the sale of its Lottery Business to Brookfield Business Partners L.P. for $5.8 billion.
“The sale marks a major milestone in transforming the Company and its balance sheet, delivering on one of the key promises the Company made as part of its strategic review,” said the company.
After another record year, this is a significant step forward for the Lottery Business, positioning it to accelerate growth as a stand-alone company with a singular focus on its lottery customers.
L&W said it will use the proceeds from the sale for debt reduction, share buybacks, and investment in key growth opportunities.
“The Lottery Business sale closing is a significant step towards streamlining our portfolio and strengthening our balance sheet as we execute on our strategy to transform our business with a singular focus on building great games and franchises to entertain our players wherever and whenever they want to play.
The convergence of land-based and digital continues to gain momentum and we are strongly positioned to be a leader in the industry,” said Light & Wonder Chief Executive Officer Barry Cottle.
“With the completion of the Lottery Business sale and the upcoming sale of our Sports Betting Business, we are moving rapidly as we execute on our vision to be a leading cross-platform global game provider and unlock the full potential of Light & Wonder.
This also positions the Lottery Business for success as a stand-alone company completely focused on innovating for its global lottery customers.”
“The proceeds from this transaction and our strong cash profile allow us to accelerate progress on our capital allocation strategy,” said Light & Wonder Chief Financial Officer Connie James. “We now have the financial flexibility and balance sheet integrity that, combined with our double-digit growth profile and high mix of digital and recurring revenues, give us a tremendous opportunity to continue to drive shareholder value.”
