(a) Without the prior approval of the Commissioner, a licensee shall not consummate a transaction involving a merger, acquisition of control or a sale of all or substantially all of its business assets, where the licensee is a principal party to such transaction.

(b) The Commissioner shall not approve the merger of a licensee with another corporation unless:

(1) The licensee is the surviving corporation; or

(2) If the licensee is the disappearing corporation, the surviving corporation is also a licensee.

(c) The Commissioner shall approve an application by a licensee for approval of a proposed transaction involving a merger, acquisition of control or a sale of all or substantially all of such licensee’s business assets, only upon a finding by the Commissioner that:

(1) Such merger, acquisition or sale will be on a sound financial basis with respect to the acquiring licensee;

(2) Upon consummation of such merger, acquisition or sale, it is reasonable to believe that the acquiring licensee will comply with this chapter; and

(3) Such merger, acquisition or sale will not have a major detrimental impact upon competition in the providing of financing assistance or management assistance to business firms, or if there will be such a major detrimental impact, such merger, acquisition or sale is necessary in the interests of the financial soundness of any of the parties to such merger, acquisition or sale, or is otherwise, on balance, in the public interest.

66 Del. Laws, c. 344, § 1.