LONDON, May 4 (Reuters) - Blackstone (BX.N) is weighing options for Spanish gambling company Cirsa, including an initial public offering (IPO), people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The U.S. buyout group recently invited proposals from investment banks to manage a possible share sale and refinancing of Cirsa's debt, said the people, speaking on condition of anonymity. An IPO would follow a public share sale by Italian peer Lottomatica (LTMC.MI), backed by Apollo Global Management (APO.N), whose shares began trading in Milan on Wednesday. Cirsa, a casino operator, posted 552.5 million euros ($609.24 million) in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) for 2022. Based on Lottomatica's valuation, Cirsa could be worth several billions of euros, including debt.

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