Blackstone Group, which already owns 10 percent of Crown Resorts Ltd., offered to buy the casino operator in an A$8.02 billion ($6.2 billion) deal, reported media outlets. In a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange, Crown Resorts said its board had not yet formed a view on the merits of the proposal and would commence a process to assess the bid.
The outcome of the takeover bid will also depend on whether Crown Resorts can retain its licenses in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. The Blackstone bid came after regulators refused to grant Crown Resorts a license to run its flagship casino in Sydney.
The troubled casino operator is subject to multiple inquiries into allegations of money-laundering and ties to organized crime, including laundering profits from human trafficking, drugs, child sexual exploitation and terrorism.
