ONLINE NEWS SG acquires Elk Studios
Scientifi c Games Corporation has acquired ELK Studios. The acquisition is the latest in a string of deals as the company aims to grow its presence in digital markets.
ELK Studios is a Stockholm-based developer, its releases include Wild Toro II, Katmandu and Cygnus. Its selection of games also feature the X-iter tool allowing players to jump into the action through a selection of predefi ned modes.
Barry Cottle, president and CEO of Scientifi c Games, said: “Acquiring ELK Studios demonstrates once again our commitment to make targeted, value enhancing investments designed to advance our cross-platform content capabilities,”
“The ELK Studios team is packed with talent and enhances our existing in-house teams and capabilities. The highly synergistic combination of their top-ranked games and our leading OpenGaming ecosystem offers exciting distribution opportunities in the U.S. and Canada. I am thrilled to welcome them to our team.”
ELK Studios is already live with a wide range of operators through the OpenGaming ecosystem. The studio will continue to work independently while also benefi ting from Scientifi c Games’ range of resources including commercial scale, market expansion, support in U.S. and Canada, game IP and data analytics tools.
Dylan Slaney, CEO iGaming at Scientifi c Games, said: “We have had a strategic partnership with ELK
Studios for a number of years and its games have performed brilliantly across the OpenGaming platform. ELK is one of the most innovative, and top-ranked studios in iGaming. Their passion and enthusiasm for producing games of stand-out quality is infectious. They will play a pivotal role in helping us continue to provide players with even more immersive and engaging experiences.” Filip Säfbeck at ELK Studios said: “This deal is the fruit of many years of hard work by a team that is fully committed to crafting high-quality online gaming experiences. We see it as the perfect time to join the Scientifi c Games team, given that our ambitions to grow through innovation and into the U.S. and Canada are in total alignment. We have experienced fi rst-hand through our OpenGaming partnership that Scientifi c Games can take our games to the next level. This acquisition offers us a solid base to bring to market a wide range of exciting new slots more smoothly than ever to online casino partners across the globe.”
GAMSTOP registrations spike
More than 250,000 people have chosen to self-exclude from online gambling by registering with GAMSTOP, a signifi cant milestone in the scheme’s three-year history.
GAMSTOP has seen a spike in registrations in 2021 compared to previous years, with more than 67,000 people signing up to GAMSTOP in 2021, compared to 51,000 in 2020. March of 2021 has been the second highest registration month in the scheme’s history to date, with 7,047 registrations. Of the 250,000 people to register with GAMSTOP, more than 228,000 are currently self-excluding through the service. With GAMSTOP now in its fourth year of operation, the continued rise in registrations highlights its importance as a safety net to those at risk from gambling-related harm. GAMSTOP works closely with fi nancial services organisations and treatment providers, including Citizens Advice, Gamcare, the Northern Gambling Clinic, Gordon moody, Peer Aid and Betknowmore. The TalkBanStop project, in collaboration with Gamcare and Gamban, has also helped to raise awareness of GAMSTOP’s services this year. Several football clubs have pledged their support to raising awareness of GAMSTOP through formal partnerships, including: Crystal Palace, Brentford, Luton, Middlesbrough, QPR, Morecambe, Preston North End’s Foundation, Bolton Wanderers, Milton
4 DECEMBER 2021 GIO
Esports
Technologies acquires Aspire Global’s B2C business
Esports Technologies has announced its acquisition of Aspire Global’s B2C business for $75.9 million. Under the terms of the deal, Esports Technologies has now acquired Aspire Global’s B2C online casino and sportsbook brands, including Karamba, Hopa, Griffon Casino, BetTarget, Dansk777, and GenerationVIP. Additionally, Esports Technologies gains access to gaming licensing in Tier 1 regulated markets including the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, Malta, and Denmark.
Esports Technologies plan to leverage the increased market access to cross-sell esports wagering opportunities to increase its esports revenue, player bet transactions, and customer base.
Keynes Dons and Harrogate Town. Fiona Palmer, CEO of GAMSTOP, said: “The registration levels are higher than anticipated this year, though we cannot pinpoint one specifi c reason for this. We have developed the scheme to make it easier to register and have worked hard on raising our profi le to make sure we are more visible to those who might need us. The effects of the pandemic might also have something to do with the rise.
The independent evaluation which took place during the fi rst 3 months of this year showed us how effective our consumers felt the scheme had been to their ongoing recovery. This was very reassuring to the GAMSTOP team, the wider stakeholders and hopefully anyone thinking about registering. We are fully committed to improving the GAMSTOP service to make it even better next year.”
In the most recent 12-month period ending September 2021, Aspire Global’s B2C revenue was $78.3 million and its EBITDA was $7.9 million, a 43% and 30% gain over the same period in the prior year. During the same period, the B2C business recorded wagering of $1.86 billion and $183 million in cash deposits from 1.25 million customers. Aspire Global will serve as the back-end provider for the acquired B2C brands, ensuring operational continuity, and will offer Esports Technologies wagering products on its platform.
Aaron Speach, CEO, Esports Technologies, said: “Acquiring Aspire Global’s portfolio of innovative B2C brands, access to new markets, and its 1.25 million deposited customers is a strategic leap in our journey to become a world leader in esports wagering. We look forward to our partnership with Aspire as we continue to scale.”
Tsachi Maimon, CEO of Aspire Global, said: “Esports Technologies has rapidly established itself as one of the foremost innovators in esports wagering. Acquiring the world-class B2C portfolio we’ve built will further expand their reach in this skyrocketing global market.”
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