Mediaset mulls joining Sisal in scratchcard bid

Italian broadcaster Mediaset said it was mulling over whether to join a Sisal-led consortium to bid on the country's $12bn scratch-and-win card tender. Local newspaper said on Thursday that Mediaset was considering taking a 15 per cent stake in the consortium, which includes mail operator Poste Italiane and bookmakers Sisal and bwin, without citing any sources. "Mediaset has been asked to join the consortium with a minority stake. We are still evaluating our participation," a Mediaset spokeswoman told Reuters on Thursday. She gave no further details. Bwin, an Austrian Internet bookmaker, Poste Italiane and Sisal declined to comment. The other consortium bidding for the lucrative concession is led by Lottomatica. Mediobanca analyst Fabio Pavan said Mediaset would have no problem contributing the €60m needed to get a 15 per cent stake in the consortium and could expect to see a return on its investment if it wins the tender. "This is not the core business of the company, but we would underline that Mediaset could take profit via the strong advertising investments that the potential new consortium will have to put in place in order to increase its market share," he said.