MADRID, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Private equity investor

Blackstone aims to list shares of Spanish gambling

company Cirsa in mid-April in an initial public offering,

newspaper Expansion reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed market

sources.

The operation would involve a placement of between 700

million euros and 1 billion euros ($733 million-$1.05 billion),

combining both new and existing shares, before the Easter

holiday, the report added.

Cirsa did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for

comment.

According to Expansion, the company plans to announce its

intention to float on, or around, March 13.

In November, Cirsa postponed an expected IPO announcement

due to market volatility over the presidential election in the

United States.

However, the company could still hold off on its stock

market debut to wait for optimal market conditions, CFO Antonio

Grau told analysts last week.

It will have a window of four months, starting from the

presentation of its audited annual results on February 20, to

take the step before having to file new audited accounts.

Cirsa reported an operating profit of 699 million euros for

2024, an 11% increase compared to 2023.

Blackstone acquired Cirsa, which operates casinos and

betting shops across Spain and Latin America, in 2018 for an

undisclosed sum.

($1 = 0.9547 euros)