Fire Joker Blitz

What is Fire Joker Blitz?

Lottomatica and Cirsa have agreed a blockbuster merger that would create the second-largest listed gaming and sports betting operator in the world.

Announced on Wednesday, the all-share deal is expected to close in Q2 2027, forming a combined group with a pro forma adjusted EBITDA of around €2 billion ($2.3 billion).

Cirsa’s implied pro forma value, before synergies, corresponds to an multiple of approximately 6x its expected 2026 EV/EBITDA which will be between €800 million and €820 million, according to the operator’s most recent earnings.

What is Fire Joker Blitz?

The agreement was signed at Osan Seongho Middle School and links gambling prevention education with a “phone free” strategy alongside RAS education. RAS is an approach combining reading, arts and sports and is designed to occupy students’ time with structured, screen-free activities. 

The dual approach seeks not only to limit access to gambling content on smartphones but also to provide meaningful alternatives that reduce overall reliance on digital devices.

The KGCC, which operates under the prime minister’s office and oversees gambling supervision and the monitoring of illegal gambling activity, will collaborate with the Gyeonggi education office. There will be policy coordination, student protection and the exchange of educational resources and prevention experts. 

How to play Fire Joker Blitz

Is the monopoly safe, is it set in the law that it will operate forevermore? No, it’s under constant evaluation, Petra explains: “The Dutch state, represented by the Ministry of Finance, is our shareholder and they evaluate every seven years, not only us as Holland Casino, but all state-owned companies.”

One of the operator’s most significant challenges is the increase in gambling tax enforced over recent years. Petra has been particularly vocal about this and the company’s profitability has taken a reasonable hit, since the first tax increase to 34.2% of GGR came into effect on 1 January 2025.

Holland Casino now pays 37.8% of GGR to the state, as per the additional increase in 2026, but with labour tax on top the business pays around 52% before they can look at their base running costs. It is not a small burden by any stretch of the imagination, so it is heartening to see the business doing well despite the tightening tax burden.