Czech Sazka receiver recognises CZK 14.7 bln claims

PRAGUE May 12 (Reuters) - The bankruptcy receiver of Czech lottery firm Sazka said on Thursday he had accepted debt claims from creditors worth 14.7 billion czech crowns ($859 million), including bonds and a number of bank loans.

Sazka, the largest Czech lottery firm, became insolvent in March after failing to pay back debt it racked up mostly when building a sports arena in Prague in 2004.

The recognised claims include Sazka's bonds CZ025854705= worth 200 million euros. The bonds are included twice, with one of the claims being a back-up in case the first one does not succeed, the receiver, Josef Cupka, told Reuters.

Other than bondholders, the firm's largest creditors are closely held investment groups PPF and KKCG, with claims of 1.1 billion and 874 million crowns, respectively.

Banks that have registered claims are Commerzbank CBKG.DE and Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg [LBBW.UL] with 202 million crowns each, Citibank Europe (C.N) with 212 million and Ceska Sporitelna (ERST.VI) with 215 million crowns.

Two units of Italy's lottery firm Lottomatica (LTO.MI) registered claims worth 236 million crowns, T-Mobile (DTEGn.DE) sought 228.5 million crowns and Telefonica O2 Czech Republic SPTTsp.PR filed claims worth 211 million.

Cupka said he had rejected claims worth 17.15 billion crowns, and requested further information on another 9.27 billion worth of claims. Holders of rejected claims can appeal those decisions.

The Finance Ministry temporarily suspended Sazka's gaming licence earlier this week, a decision that has not yet taken effect and which Sazka appealed.

A creditors meeting is planned for May 26. (Reporting by Roman Gazdik, writing by Jan Lopatka)