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Esports Entertainment Group Signs Agreement to Acquire Helix eSports and ggCircuit in Deal Valued at $43 Million

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  • Company raises FY22 revenue guidance to $42 million (Esports Entertainment is currently in FY21)
  • Creates the most diversified, US-listed esports entertainment asset in the industry
  • Accelerates path to a global esports entertainment leader
  • Adds two million unique gamers to platform
  • Adds over 1000 connected locations
  • Adds state-of-the-art analytics platform
  • Helix eSports owns two of the five largest esports entertainment centers in the US
  • Adds safe and regulated player-vs-player wagering opportunities with Helix’s LANduel platform, which is in pilot program with the New Jersey Department of Gaming Enforcement
  • ggCircuit provides best-in-class enterprise software solutions to the esports industry

Esports Entertainment Group, Inc., an online esports tournament and gaming company, entered into an agreement to acquire ggCircuit LLC (“ggCircuit”) and Helix eSports LLC (“Helix”) in a deal valued at approximately $43 million.

“With the acquisition of Helix and ggCircuit, we have created the most diversified, US-listed esports entertainment asset in the entire ecosystem,” stated Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group. “These acquisitions significantly strengthen our Three Pillar Strategy, adding state-of-the-art esports entertainment centers, an esports-focused vertical enterprise software business, a best-in-class esports analytics platform, and a player-vs-player skill-based wagering platform to our diversified asset base. Together with what we’ve already built and further near-term acquisition opportunities, Esports Entertainment Group is well on its way to becoming a global industry leader.”

ggCircuit is a B2B software company that provides cloud-based management for LAN centers, a tournament platform, and integrated wallet/point-of-sale solutions for enterprise customers. ggCircuit has over 1,000 connected locations and has worked with enterprises such as GameStop, Dell, Best Buy and Lenovo as well as universities such as Ohio State, Syracuse and North Carolina. Their ggLeap product has over 60 million hours of usage by over two million unique gamers on tens of thousands of public gaming screens inside centers worldwide.

Zack Johnson, founder of ggCircuit, commented, “We are excited to join forces with Esports Entertainment Group! With our combined state-of-the-art platform and resources, I am confident that we will rapidly scale growth in the quarters ahead.”

“Esports are already a billion-dollar opportunity and expanding at a CAGR of 24%,” added Murphy Vandervelde, founder of Helix. “With growing mass market appeal and a wealth of untapped opportunities, I am eager for Helix to become part of Esports Entertainment Group, where we can capitalize on the significant macro trends that will help catapult us to global leadership in this dynamic industry.”

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Helix eSports owns five esports centers, including two of the five largest centers in the US, where they deliver world-class customer service, esports programming and gaming infrastructure. Helix offers a variety of experiences including casual play, competitive tournaments, STEM programming, high school leagues, large groups and esports bootcamps all with the goal of leveling the playing field in esports and providing equitable access to technology. Their centers have become the destination for social and competitive gamers alike with monthly tournaments and unique experiences.

Helix also owns Genji Analytics (“Genji”), an esports-proven, publisher-trusted analytics provider. Using sophisticated computer vision, natural language processing, and machine learning tools, Genji delivers cutting-edge broadcast optimization and talent scouting analytics. Genji works with leading esports publishers and sports leagues, such as FIFA and the NBA 2K League, to power activities like combines, drafts and data-driven business decisions. Genji has also launched products into Helix eSports Centers that create customized tournament experiences, leveraging both idle computing capacity and unique proprietary data sources. Revenue streams include platform sales to publishers and leagues with plans to expand to all competitive players looking to enhance their gameplay through analysis, fair competition, and roster optimization.

“Some of the best publishers and leagues already rely on Genji as the trusted analytics provider,” commented William Collis, founder of Genji. “I am thrilled with the opportunity to work together with the Esports Entertainment Group team to build on our extensive successes as we seek to become the dominant player in the global market.”

The acquisition also includes LANduel, Helix’s proprietary player-vs-player wagering platform, built in Unity, that allows for skill-based wagering on third-party video games. LANduel’s consumer facing application enforces strict four-factor authentication to ensure fair play and ID verification. LANduel also holds close relationships with several major game publishers to ensure events and wagering follow community guidelines. LANduel is currently working alongside the New Jersey Department of Gaming Enforcement on a pilot program.   Once the model is proven at the Helix eSports locations, LANduel can easily be scaled to other centers throughout the US across the ggCircuit network, and eventually into the homes of gamers through ggCircuit’s proprietary at home product suite.

The Company plans to provide an update to its fiscal year 2021 guidance (currently in FY 21) of $13 million after closing this transaction. Fiscal year 2022, ending June 30, 2022, has been raised from $25 million to $42 million.

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Andrew Cochrane Chief Business Officer of GiG

GiG increases Ontario market presence, powering the launch of Casino Time

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Gaming Innovation Group Inc. (GiG), has announced the launch of Casino Time, powered by its award winning iGaming platform and pioneering real-time rules engine LogicX, with revolutionary sportsbook, SportX soon to follow, to further extend its footprint in the regulated Canadian province of Ontario.

The launch of Casino Time carries extra significance, marking only the second time that on-demand, regulated online Bingo has been made available in Ontario. The new Bingo product vertical, launched alongside a strong Casino offering, will be boosted by GiG’s new sportsbook, SportX, as part of a planned release later this year.

GiG has focused its solutions on driving exponential growth in revenue for operators with its highly scalable iGaming platform, offering localised third party content and leading suppliers for the Ontarian market. GiGs peerless gamification layer creates an optimised and immersive casino experience tailored to regional preferences, swelling client retention and player engagement.

Canadian owned and operated, Casino Time is a joint venture amongst leading retail operators in Ontario’s Charitable Gaming sector, delivering Bingo, Slots and Live Dealer Casino Games. Promising a personalised service and community experience, Casino Time is continuing its long-standing partnership with local charities, introducing its joint fundraising model into the iGaming space for the first time.

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Now coming towards the end of its second year of licensed operations, Ontario has emerged as one of the largest iGaming markets in North America, second only to New Jersey according to data supplied by Vixio. The first and as yet only Canadian province to launch a regulated market, Ontario boasts more than 1.6 million active player accounts spread over 40 plus operators, generating €1.3 billion in Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) in its first year of trading, with this data supplied by iGaming Ontario.

Andrew Cochrane, Chief Business Officer of GiG, said: GiG continues to set the pace with a strong cadence of brand launches in 2024, and I’m pleased that when operators are seeking platform solutions in regulated markets, GiG is leading the pack. Our partnership with Casino Time, will help deliver something new and exciting to the Ontarian market, and further helps to demonstrate the flexibility of our solutions, adapting to match the regional aspirations of our partners to deliver growth.

D’Arcy Stuart, CEO of Casino Time, said: “We are thrilled to partner with GiG as the core technology provider of our iGaming platform. Their powerful suite of player engagement tools, as well as diverse content and regulatory integrations, underpin our ability to serve and delight our player community. Our hybrid online and offline customer network, as well as unique bingo offerings, will drive exciting opportunities as the platform and the marketplace continues to grow.”

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Canada

Glitnor Group expands IBIA’s betting integrity presence in Ontario

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Glitnor Group, operating under the LCKY Group in Ontario, has joined the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA). Glitnor Group’s luckycasino.ca brand sportsbook will feed into IBIA’s world leading betting integrity monitoring platform. The operator joins over 50 companies and 125 leading sports betting brands in IBIA and further cements the association’s position as the leading sports betting integrity monitoring body in Ontario and globally.

David Schwieler LCKY Group CEO, said: “At Glitnor Group, we’re dead serious about keeping our betting games fair and square. That’s why teaming up with IBIA is a big deal for us. We know how crucial it is to protect the spirit of sports, and we’re ready to roll up our sleeves and work closely with the IBIA to make sure sports betting stays exciting, speedy, and above all, fair.”

Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “I am delighted to welcome Glitnor Group as IBIA’s latest member in Ontario. Glitnor and IBIA share a common goal to maintain the integrity of the sports betting marketplace and to protecting consumers and sports from match-fixing. Ensuring product integrity is paramount to our approach and we look forward to integrating Glitnor within our leading global sports betting integrity monitoring system.”

IBIA is a not-for-profit body that has no competing conflicts with the delivery of commercial services to other sectors and is run by operators for operators to protect regulated sports betting markets from match-fixing. IBIA’s global monitoring network is a highly effective anti-corruption tool, detecting and reporting suspicious activity in regulated betting markets.

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Through the IBIA global monitoring network it is possible to track transactional activities linked to individual customer accounts. IBIA members have over $300bn per annum in betting turnover (handle), accounting for approximately 50% of the global commercial regulated land-based and online sports betting sector, and in excess of 50% for online alone.

IBIA recently released a report on the Availability of Sports Betting Products which highlighted Ontario as a leading regulated gambling jurisdiction, with an expected onshore channelisation for sports betting of 92% in 2024 forecast to rise to 97% in 2028. IBIA currently represents over 60% of the private sports betting operators licensed in the province. All online sports betting operators licensed in Ontario are required to be part of a betting integrity monitoring body.

IBIA’s 2023 annual integrity report detailed 184 alerts reported in the year, which represents a decrease of 101 (or 35%) on the revised 2022 figure of 285 alerts. IBIA alerts contributed to the investigations and subsequent successful sanctioning of 21 clubs, players and officials in 2023, an increase on the 15 sanctioned in 2022.

The post Glitnor Group expands IBIA’s betting integrity presence in Ontario appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Bragg Gaming Group

Bragg Gaming Announces Resignation of Chief Financial Officer

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Bragg Gaming Group Inc., a global B2B gaming technology and content provider, announced that Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Ronen Kannor, has notified Bragg’s board of directors (Board) that he will resign from his position to pursue other career opportunities, effective June 3, 2024. The Company confirms that the search for a replacement CFO has commenced.

Matevž Mazij, Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board, commented: “We thank Ronen for his dedication and commitment to Bragg over the past four years and for his unwavering service as a pivotal member of the leadership team.

“During his tenure as CFO, the Company has undergone huge positive transformation including being uplisted to the Toronto Stock Exchange, dual listed on the NASDAQ and successfully completing two acquisitions, all while reporting consecutive years of revenue, gross profit and adjusted EBITDA growth. We wish Ronen all the very best in his future endeavors.”

Ronen Kannor commented: “It has been an honor to be part of the Bragg team which has successfully navigated many challenges and continued to deliver consistent growth over the past four years. I thank the Board for their support throughout my time with Bragg, and I am now fully focused on ensuring a smooth handover to my successor.

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“Special thanks goes to my finance team, who work tirelessly to deliver the positive change and financial growth that the Company continues to achieve. I wish them and all of my colleagues continued success with Bragg now and in the future.”

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