Canada
Bragg Gaming continues US expansion; acquires premium content developer Wild Streak Gaming
Global B2B iGaming technology and content provider Bragg Gaming Group today announced that it has acquired Wild Streak Gaming (“Wild Streak“), a Las Vegas, Nevada based content creation studio with a portfolio of 39 premium casino slot titles supported across online and land-based applications.
Bragg signed a purchase agreement to acquire all of the outstanding membership interests of Wild Streak in a cash and stock transaction for a purchase price of approximately USD30 million. Pursuant to the Transaction, which closed simultaneously with the signing of the purchase agreement, the sellers of Wild Streak received USD10 million in cash at closing and will receive USD20 million worth of common shares of Bragg over the next three years, subject to acceleration in the event of a change of control.
Together with the pending acquisition of Spin Games (“Spin”), announced on May 12, 2021, the Transaction serves to advance Bragg’s acquisition strategy by increasing its ability to distribute and develop high-quality online casino content to the US market in-house. The Transaction provides Bragg with a library of 39 premium casino content titles, including several top performing land-based titles, and a robust suite of intellectual property and know-how including game designs, mathematic works, advance game mechanics and features that are specifically tailored for US markets.
Wild Streak’s design team comprises experienced mathematical and creative minds from the casino gaming industry and includes Doug Fallon, the founder and CEO of Wild Streak and a renowned land-based slot designer with over 20 years of industry experience. Doug worked in several executive marketing and design positions over 11+ years at Aristocrat before founding Wild Streak. Wild Streak has created popular games for the largest US land-based slots manufacturers and designed the games and mechanics behind several well-known land-based slots titles and brands along with successful games in both social and real money online casinos. Wild Streak has a library of land-based content that will be customized for the USA online market along with building upon existing high performers such as Dragon Power in the USA online market.
Effective at closing of the Transaction, Mr. Fallon will join Bragg as Managing Director of Group Content and will play a key role in leading Bragg through its US content creation strategy while also collaborating closely with the Company’s European development staff to facilitate the cross-selling and repackaging of Bragg’s proprietary European content for US operators.
Upon the completion of the Spin and Wild Streak transactions, Bragg will have successfully executed on its strategy of acquiring the essential resources and technology assets required to become a tier one vertically integrated B2B iGaming business operating in US and Canadian markets. Bragg’s consolidated operations will comprise an enhanced full turnkey iGaming, content delivery and Player Engagement Platform with integrations into the majority of the tier one operators across both US and European markets, and a robust in-house content development function with localized market expertise that will allow the Company to expand its proprietary content offering.
Wild Streak reported USD1.05M in revenue and USD233,000 of EBITDA in FY2020, and USD487,000 in revenue and USD241,000 of EBITDA in Q12021.
“In an industry where premium content is king, Doug and his team have built up an enviable track record of developing leading premium casino slot content for both the land-based and online casino industry,” said Richard Carter, Chief Executive Officer of Bragg Gaming. “We look forward to integrating this know-how into Bragg’s overall offering and significantly expanding the Company’s higher margin proprietary in-house casino slot content capabilities.
“We expect this Transaction to be materially enhancing to both revenue and EBITDA in the first full year of ownership, as well as strategically compelling given Wild Steak brings a wealth of US market casino games insights into the group, including valuable game designs, advanced game mechanics and features that are specifically tailored for and proven in the US market.
“We welcome Doug and the whole Wild Streak team onboard, and we look forward to leveraging Doug’s expertise to lead our US and global content creation strategy,” he added.
“Richard and the Bragg Gaming executive team have put in place the strategy and key components to accelerate their growth and market share in the iGaming market, and Wild Streak is excited to be a cornerstone for their growth strategy,” commented Mr. Fallon. “We are highly impressed with the ORYX Gaming technology stack’s robust foundation and their roadmap for additional capabilities in development. We are looking forward to working with the ORYX team to create unique player experiences as we embed their technology into our game designs.”
“As the trends indicate, much of the historical content designed for Europe does not resonate with the traditional American player and we believe our background is an ideal fit with for the Bragg Gaming Group as it focuses on this emerging market,” he added.
Wild Streak Gaming Highlights
- Initially focused on land-based game design and mathematics, Wild Streak has been increasingly focusing on online content as it customizes games for a wide variety of markets in the US and Europe.
- Growing portfolio of 39 titles with a variety of game assets and design mechanics that service a broad array of operators and slot players with games deployed on 12 different platforms including land based, online and social casinos.
- Passionate agile team with multiple employees having over 20 years of experience in the slot design industry working for some of the largest companies including IGT, Aristocrat, Scientific Games and Konami.
- Wild Streak’s game content is distributed across six land-based platforms around the globe including traditional Class 3 casinos, video lottery terminal (VLT), limited payout machines (LPM) and Class 2 casino markets. Wild Steak has collaborated and deployed game content with leading global manufacturers including IGT and Scientific Games.
- Proven performers in land-based casino market across multiple slot manufacturer platforms.
- Highly successful in the NJ USA online market with Dragon Power and multiple successful titles released in Europe in 2021 including Congo Cash, Temujin Treasures, and Amazing Money Machine.
Bragg Gaming Group Highlights
- Leading global business-to-business gaming technology and content provider serving markets primarily in Europe and Latin America via its proprietary ORYX Gaming full turnkey solution.
- Its modular, scalable and fully customizable ORYX Gaming technology and content solutions have been developed, licensed, launched and operated on behalf of more than 125 iGaming and sports betting operators worldwide.
- The full ORYX turnkey solution offers online casino, sportsbook and lottery operations including the proprietary ORYX remote games server, ORYX Hub and the powerful new Player Engagement Platform (PEP).
- The innovative PEP suite of engagement tools offers proven retention-boosting gamification features such as Quests, Achievements, Leaderboards, Tournaments and bespoke Jackpot game promotions.
- Richard Carter was recently announced as CEO of Bragg, moving from the position of Board Chair, which he had held since October 2020.
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has mandated all Ontario-registered sportsbook operators to halt offering and accepting wagers on World Boxing Association (WBA) events immediately. This measure is being taken to protect the Ontario betting public following concerns that WBA-sanctioned boxing matches are not adequately being safeguarded against match-fixing and insider betting.
Since December 2023, the AGCO has been conducting a comprehensive review of suspicious wagering activity on a WBA-sanctioned title fight between Yoenis Tellez and Livan Navarro that was held in Orlando, Florida. Suspicious betting patterns on the bout lasting over 5.5 rounds were reported to the AGCO by two registered independent integrity monitors and detected in Ontario by a registered igaming operator. Media reports also alleged that Tellez’s Manager placed $110,000 on the match lasting longer than 5.5 rounds at a Florida casino. The bout ended with Tellez knocking out Navarro in the 10th round.
Following an intensive review that included outreach to the WBA, Ontario-registered gaming operators, independent integrity monitors, and regulators in other jurisdictions, the AGCO has concluded that bets related to WBA events do not currently meet the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming.
The AGCO requires all Ontario-registered gaming operators to ensure the sport betting products they offer are on events that are effectively supervised by a sport governing body. At a minimum, the sport governing body must have and enforce codes of conduct that prohibit betting by insiders.
Registered gaming operators were unable to demonstrate to the AGCO that the WBA prohibits betting from insiders, which could include an athlete’s coaches, managers, handlers, athletic trainers, medical professionals, or others with access to non-public information. Further, registered gaming operators were unable to demonstrate that the WBA took any action to investigate or enforce the allegations of potential match-fixing and insider wagering.
The AGCO has indicated to registered operators that in order for WBA betting products to be reinstated in Ontario, operators must demonstrate that the WBA effectively supervises its events, thus bringing them into compliance with the Registrar’s Standards. In December 2022, the AGCO required gaming operators to stop offering bets on UFC events for similar issues related to insider betting safeguards. Within a month, UFC amended its policies and implemented new protocols that allowed the AGCO to reinstate betting on UFC events in the province.
“Ontarians who wish to bet on sporting events need to be confident that those events are fairly run, and that clear integrity safeguards are in place and enforced by an effective sport governing body. Knowing the popularity of boxing in Ontario, we look forward to reinstating betting on WBA events once appropriate safeguards against possible match-fixing and insider betting have been confirmed,” Dr. Karin Schnarr, Registrar and CEO of AGCO, said.
Andrew Cochrane Chief Business Officer of GiG
GiG increases Ontario market presence, powering the launch of Casino Time
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.
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.”
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.
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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