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SYDNEY - Tattersall's, Australia's biggest lottery operator, and Macquarie Bank gained approval from shareholders of Talarius for their £123 million ($345 million) takeover offer.
Talarius shareholders voted in favour of the 280p a share takeover at a meeting on Monday, the Milton Keynes, England-based gambling company said.
Sydney-based Macquarie, Australia's biggest investment bank, and Melbourne-based Tattersall's are equal partners in the bidding vehicle.
The purchase gives Tattersall's, whose roots go back to 1881, a foothold in UK gaming as the British Government loosens gambling rules.
Talarius owns almost 200 Quicksilver slot-machine gaming centres and the Cyberslotz gambling web site.
Tattersall's and Macquarie raised their bid 3.7 per cent on December 29 as they secured support from institutional shareholders Morley Fund Management, Baronsmead Entities and GAM International Management.
Tattersall's runs games such as Tattslotto and Powerball in four Australian jurisdictions and last year completed the purchase of Unitab, confirming its position as the nation's biggest slot-machine company.
The lottery operator has gambling licences in five Pacific island nations and runs gaming machines in South Africa.
Tattersall's plans to continue Talarius' strategy of buying UK operators with a "small numbers of outlets", the company said in November when it made its initial bid.
- BLOOMBERG
