Juroszek family takes majority control of Gentoo Media via €100m refinancing
The Polish family acquired new shares and provided a loan to help the affiliate firm repay bonds due in December.
The Juroszek business family has taken majority control of affiliate media group Gentoo Media through a €100 million refinancing deal. The family increased its shareholding to approximately 56.5% by acquiring 91.9 million new shares for €50 million, supplemented by a €50 million loan. The transaction was executed to refinance bonds amounting to €91.5 million that mature in December 2026. The share issuance diluted existing shareholders by about 40.6%.
The new shares were purchased equally by two family-affiliated entities, MJ Foundation Fundacja Rodzinna and Fundacja Zbigniewa Juroszka. Gentoo CEO Jonas Warrer confirmed the completion of the share issue and refinancing. “Today we have completed the share issue, and with it our refinancing,” Warrer said. “The issue was offered to our eligible shareholders and has been fully subscribed by our largest shareholders, at a premium to the current share price.”
Warrer added that the proceeds, together with the loan, secure the full repayment of the bonds in December and reduce the group’s overall debt. The debt originated from acquisitions made under the company’s former identity, Gaming Innovation Group (GiG). Gentoo has struggled with its debt obligations since being spun off from GiG in 2024, a restructuring that saw GiG Software retain the platform and sportsbook technology operations. The company was forced to secure temporary debt relief last year and abandoned an earlier refinancing attempt in January. It has also cut its financial guidance twice in three months, citing challenges including Brazil’s ban on online gambling. The refinancing addresses a persistent challenge for the group, as it had been unable to generate sufficient surplus cash to meet its upcoming financing obligations despite a moderate leverage ratio.
Family's Gaming History
The Juroszek family is no stranger to Gentoo or the iGaming sector. They became the largest individual investors in GiG in 2023 by increasing their stake to 11.08% and later supported the company’s split into two separate businesses. The family is best known in Central and Eastern Europe for its former ownership of STS Holdings, the market-leading betting company in Poland. They sold a 70% stake in STS to Entain in 2023, with Mateusz Juroszek joining the board of the resulting Entain CEE joint venture.