COMPANY FOCUS Connective Games Malta
GIO: What is the strategic rationale behind this acquisition? Does it fit in with your current growth strategy? José María Rossi: Connective Games is an outstanding company with a very professional team, strong culture, and a powerful poker product. We have already known Connective for many years as a poker provider to us, so we have had an opportunity to witness how the company has been rapidly growing and to become familiar with the team, processes, and roadmap. By acquiring Connective Games, we benefit from adding a time-tested partner, profitable B2B business, and an own seasoned software supplier. Through this deal, we expect our companies to achieve synergy, which we see in increased revenues, combined talent and technology, reduced costs, and a competitive advantage. Moreover, we are actively expanding our network with new operator partners, and so we urgently need a skillful technology team able to provide cutting- edge products certified for working in many European jurisdictions. This is where Connective Games comes into play. They perfectly meet these requirements, and by partnering with them, we can ensure that our expansion efforts are bolstered by their expertise.
In June 2023, Aconcagua Poker Network Spain acquired online gaming supplier, Connective Games Malta. Following the acquisition, GIO spoke to Aconcagua Poker’s founder and CEO, José María Rossi about the motives behind the transaction, benefi ts of acquiring the supplier and the company’s strategy
GIO: Tell us about your long-standing partnership with Connective Games. José María Rossi: Aconcagua Poker and Connective Games have enjoyed a mutually beneficial partnership for nearly a decade, starting in 2014 when we launched in South America. Since then, we have expanded into the Spanish market in 2018 and subsequently into other European poker jurisdictions. Connective Games has been and continues to be the cornerstone of the Aconcagua Poker Network, playing a pivotal role in our success across all the markets we now serve. Our ability to offer the most advanced poker products in the world is thanks to Connective Games. We highly appreciate their secure and stable platform, cutting-edge mobile poker product that enables multi-tabling with one-handed play, seamless switching between landscape and portrait modes, a comprehensive back office, and a vast array of mobile-optimised game types and formats. From a business perspective, our long-standing partnership and shared understanding guarantee continuity and reliability as we strive to achieve our strategic goals moving forward. With Connective Games’ poker software,
18 NOVEMBER 2023 GIO
we were shortlisted for the “Mobile Gaming Software” and “Poker Software” categories at the EGR B2B Awards in 2018, and our mobile product received recognition at the IGA 2017 Awards. At the same IGA 2017 awards ceremony, Aconcagua Poker was honoured as the “Online Poker Operator of the Year,” surpassing esteemed poker brands like PokerStars, 888Poker, and Unibet.
GIO: How will the acquisition benefit the business?
José María Rossi: It will grant us greater control over our poker offerings, strengthen our differentiation through proprietary content, and overall accelerate our strategy to deliver a superior product and elevate the user experience. We firmly believe that this move will position Aconcagua Poker Network significantly better in the industry and enable us to expand our presence in new global markets.
For Connective, this deal represents a partnership with a leading operator, providing the benefits of an established owner, strong financial backing, and added security. Equally important is the consolidation of decision-making authority under a single entity. We also see substantial potential in taking Connective into new markets where there is a demand for additional content. This presents an opportunity for both companies: we can introduce more content into a market, and Connective can supply us as well as other customers. I want to emphasise that it is our top priority to maintain Connective’s independence, invest in its growth and B2B offerings, and further expand its customer base.
GIO: Moving forward, who will run the business?
José María Rossi: Our ambition is to keep Connective Games as a free-standing entity staying true to its values and overall vision. Connective has been successfully running the business for so many years, and now it is a business in a strong and sustained growth phase. The drive for excellence has allowed them to reach the point that they have. It gave us the confidence and faith in them to continue doing what they do without intervention.
This strategic decision will enable us to grow muscles ourselves in the sense that by letting them continue their own journey we can use Connective as proprietary poker content, as it was already mentioned, and
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