There is no longer legal impediments that may derail the AUD11 billion (US$8.32 billion) merger of Australian gambling giants Tabcorp and Tatts Group

The Sydney Morning Herald reported Justice John Middleton of the Australian Competition Tribunal has greenlit the multi-billion dollar merger of Tabcorp and Tatts Group, saying that the benefits of the proposal outweighed the fears of the company’s inflated market power in dealings with pubs and clubs.

Middleton, however, ordered Tabcorp to sell its pokies monitoring Odyssey Gaming Services in Queensland before it commences with the merger. Tabcorp had since planned to dispose Odyssey and sell it to Australian Federal Hotels if the merger was approved.

“The tribunal is satisfied that the proposed merger is likely to result in substantial public benefits,” the Judge ruled, according to the news report. “And the public detriments identified by the [Australian Competition and Consumer Commission] and the interveners are unlikely to either arise or are not of significance.”