According to Sky News, Aristocat Leisure and Playtech have contacted the Takeover Panel to seek a determination that the Asian shareholders, who include the owner of Birmingham City Football Club, are acting as a concert party. Between them, the Asian investors - who also include wealthy heiress Karen Lo - are now thought to own more than 20% of Playtech's shares, and may even have a big enough collective stake to block the Aristocrat deal, Sky said. Under the terms of the offer, Playtech needs at least 75% of voting shareholders to back the Aristocrat bid. Sky cited people close to the companies as saying that they are "mystified" about the Asian investors' intentions and that they may be interested in acquiring Playtech's unregulated gambling businesses in Asia. Aristocrat has already signalled in its offer documents that it will "not operate in, or provide services into, any market that would jeopardise the combined group's existing licences".