Canada
Metaverse Pioneer Infinite Reality, Inc. to Acquire Entertainment Conglomerate ReKTGlobal In Landmark Half Billion Dollar Transaction
Infinite Realty, Inc. (iR), the Metaverse innovation and entertainment company born out of the powerful merger of social ecommerce platform Display Social, leading entertainment production company Thunder Studios, and innovative Metaverse builder Infinite Metaverse, announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire esports and entertainment conglomerate ReKTGlobal, Inc., in a $470 million all-stock deal, based on an equity valuation for iR of $2 billion, for a combined post-close valuation of $2.47 billion. Completion of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including ReKTGlobal shareholder approval, as well as regulatory and other approvals.
Founded in 2017 by industry veterans Dave Bialek and Amish Shah, ReKTGlobal has focused on helping endemic and non-endemic brands authentically activate within the gaming and esports industries. With its proven and experienced leadership team, ReKTGlobal is uniquely positioned to help brands engage the esports and creator markets through services including content creation, paid media, marketing, influencer activation, fan relationship building and monetization, and more. This acquisition aims to consolidate ReKT’s entertainment and esports business into Infinite Reality’s already impressive offering of creative tools covering social, gaming, virtual and remote production, NFT minting, content, and Metaverse creation.
As part of the deal, Infinite Reality will integrate ReKT’s four key business divisions, which include esports franchises, marketing and partnership services, talent management, and technology products. Infinite Reality’s comprehensive vision is bolstered by ReKt’s previous acquisitions of content creation and marketing company Greenlit Content; renowned digital media agency Fearless Media; fan engagement and monetization platform FullCube, and digital talent management company TalentX Entertainment. Additionally, ReKTGlobal stands at the forefront of competitive global esports, thanks to its ownership of League of Legends LEC champions Team Rogue and Call of Duty League’s London Royal Ravens. ReKTGlobal currently has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Charlotte, London, and Berlin. Investors in ReKTGlobal include the band Imagine Dragons, Nick Gross, son of billionaire investor Bill Gross, DJ Steve Aoki, and Summit Partners, to name a few.
“This acquisition is another step in our journey towards becoming the leading Metaverse Entertainment company in the world,” said Infinite Reality CEO John Acunto. “The synergies across our combined business units from content creation to Web3 entertainment to APIs and more are awe inspiring. We look forward to working with ReKTGlobal’s senior leadership to integrate our valuable combined assets and accelerate Infinite Reality’s growth.”
“We are extremely excited to announce this acquisition to all of our investors, employees, and clients, as well as all Rogue and Royal Raven fans around the world,” said Amish Shah, ReKTGlobal Founder and Chairman. “Our journey does not end today. We are beginning the next chapter in our evolution into the Metaverse. The explosive combination of our shared collective assets together creates a dominant, unstoppable force in the marketplace.”
By integrating the two companies’ robust assets, Infinite Reality further establishes its place at the forefront of creator empowerment and Metaverse opportunities.
“We believe that the future of business, entertainment, socializing, and learning will be conducted in digital environments and that iR is the company that will bring it all to life,” said ReKTGlobal co-founder and CEO Dave Bialek. “We will employ the incredible 150,000 square foot production facilities at Thunder Studios to create the digital twins of our gaming and creator brands, as well as the many businesses, municipalities, and brands who also wish to take the transformative step. With many thanks to John Acunto and Rodric David and the many brilliant and creative minds at iR who recognized the synergies between our companies and quickly and innovatively snapped the pieces together.”
Infinite Reality previously announced it entered into a definitive merger agreement with NYSE-listed Universal Security Instruments, Inc. (NYSE: UUU) and secured a Standby Equity Purchase Agreement with Yorkville Advisors Global, LP for up to $200 million upon completion of the merger with Universal Security Instruments. Completion of the announced merger with Universal Security Instruments remains subject to approval by shareholders of both Infinite Reality and Universal, as well as clearance by the Securities and Exchange Commission and NYSE stock exchange listing.
Cowen is serving as exclusive financial advisor to ReKTGlobal and O’Melveny is serving as legal counsel to ReKTGlobal.
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.
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.
“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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