Evolution announced a new partnership agreement with Bally’s Corporation. The agreement strengthens Bally Casino’s offering in Rhode Island, with a wide-ranging portfolio of Evolution’s slot titles, and establishes Evolution’s footprint in Rhode Island, a key milestone in its US growth strategy.

In a historic first, Evolution is now live in Rhode Island with its online slot games from its renowned slot brands NetEnt, Red Tiger and Big Time Gaming. This milestone marks Evolution’s entry into the state and establishes a presence in all seven US states which currently offer online casino gaming.

Also, under the terms of the agreement, Evolution has also introduced exclusive Bally’s branded live dealer Blackjack tables in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. These dedicated tables offer a seamless user interface integration with the Bally Bet Casino app, and will provide a premium, personalised player experience which showcases the distinctive Bally brand. In addition to these live dealer games, Bally players in New Jersey and Pennsylvania will enjoy an expanded collection of the newest and most exciting cutting-edge slot titles.

Jacob Claesson, Chief Executive Officer Evolution North America, commented: “This agreement represents a significant step forward for both Evolution and Bally’s Corporation. We’re thrilled to deepen our collaboration with Bally’s by delivering world-class gaming experiences and extend our reach into Rhode Island, a first for Evolution. This partnership showcases our shared commitment to driving innovation and providing exceptional entertainment for players.”

Bally’s Corporation announced that Mira Mircheva has been appointed as Executive Vice President (EVP) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), subject to regulatory approvals. Marcus Glover, Bally’s current CFO, has been appointed to serve as Bally’s Executive Vice President, Global Operations Group.

Ms. Mircheva is a senior executive in the hospitality and gaming industry with more than 25 years of experience in finance. Most recently, Ms. Mircheva served as Chief Financial Officer of The Queen Casino & Entertainment. Prior to that, she was Partner & Research Analyst at Standard General. Ms. Mircheva was previously a Senior Research Analyst at Perella Weinberg Partners Asset Management. Before that, Ms. Mircheva worked as a Vice President in credit principal investing at Goldman Sachs. She joined the Goldman Sachs Investment Banking Division as an analyst in 2001. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors of White Energy and Intralot S.A.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors and the entire leadership team, I am thrilled to welcome Mira to Bally’s. She brings considerable experience to this role and her experience as CFO of The Queen Casino & Entertainment will be invaluable as we integrate Queen into Bally’s,” Robeson Reeves, CEO of Bally’s, said.

“Mira’s experience as a CFO and strong financial acumen and operational experience make her the right person to help Bally’s continue to grow and achieve our long-term financial goals,” Soo Kim, Chairman of Bally’s Board of Directors, said.

“I am thrilled to be joining Bally’s at such an exciting time for the Company and to leverage my experience with Queen to continue to strengthen our financial position by optimizing our cost structure, enhancing the efficiency of our operations and leveraging the collective experience of our Board and my newest colleagues across the globe,” Ms. Mircheva, Bally’s incoming EVP and CFO, said.

Bally’s Corporation has completed the previously announced transactions with Standard General and its affiliates including The Queen Casino & Entertainment, a regional casino operator majority-owned by funds managed by Standard General.

Pursuant to the terms of the merger agreement, Bally’s and Queen combined, with Queen shareholders receiving consideration of 30.5 million shares. Thereafter, the Company paid cash consideration of $18.25 per share to holders of 22.8 million of the Company’s outstanding shares. The cash merger consideration was financed by the issuance of $500 million in senior secured notes due in 2028 provided exclusively by funds managed by Apollo, along with Bally’s available funds on hand and its available funding sources.

Bally’s stockholders owning 17.9 million outstanding shares elected to retain their Bally’s stock by means of a rollover election and continue as stockholders of Bally’s. As a result, 48.4 million shares of common stock are now outstanding upon completion of the merger transactions. Warrants representing the right to purchase up to 11.6 million shares of Bally’s common stock also remain outstanding.

Shares of Bally’s common stock trading under the “BALY.T” ticker which remain outstanding as a result of the rollover election will continue trading on the New York Stock Exchange and revert back to the “BALY” ticker.