Classico

About Classico

Illinois Gaming Board data obtained earlier this year by the Chicago Sun-Times revealed that 502 gaming-related burglaries had been reported through June 22—already topping the 473 recorded during all of 2025. More than $1.5 million was stolen during the first half of 2026 across more than 100 municipalities.

The attacks have shown little sign of slowing. Earlier this month, law enforcement noted that a single crew is suspected in coordinated burglaries across Wheeling, New Lenox, and Peotone, where masked offenders armed with sledgehammers hit gaming venues within a 24-hour span.

New Lenox alone recorded at least 14 gaming-related smash-and-grab burglaries by early September.

How to play Classico

If successful, Merkur intends to pursue a squeeze-out process, compelling minority shareholders to sell their shares, and subsequently delist SFC from Euronext Paris. 

These steps remain subject to regulatory approvals, including clearance from the French Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) and the French Interior Ministry, which oversees ownership changes in gaming operators under Article L. 323‑3 of the French Code de la sécurité intérieure.

The definitive share transfer agreement is expected to be signed following the completion of mandatory employee information and consultation procedures at Casigrangi and at the Casino de Gruissan’s social and economic committee. 

What is Classico?

In a written response published in January 2026, Arno Rutte, the state secretary at the time acknowledged that enforcement against such sites remained limited, particularly for domains not registered under the .nl extension.

According to KVA, KT van Bruggen, the current state secretary for Justice and Security, has pointed out the urgency of implementing effective countermeasures to limit access to such illegal platforms.

Last week a committee made up of MPs from across the Netherlands’ political spectrum also raised concerns around the role of Meta and Google in supporting the black market.