Trilantic Capital Will Invest in Italy, Portugal, FT Reports

Trilantic Capital Partners, a U.S. buyout firm, will take control of Gamenet SpA, an Italian slot- machine operator, and buy a minority stake in Grupo Leya, a Portuguese educational publisher, the Financial Times reported, citing Vittorio Pignatti-Morano, a Trilantic founding partner.

The firm has the backing of Johann Rupert, a South African billionaire and the chairman of Cie Financiere Richemont SA, the Swiss-based luxury goods company, the newspaper said.

Trilantic has invested 50 million euros ($65 million) in Gamenet, buying licenses to operate video lotteries, and a similar amount in preferred securities issued by Leya, the FT said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Alan Purkiss in London on apurkiss@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Colin Keatinge in London at ckeatinge@bloomberg.net.