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Gaming Innovation Group acquires Sportnco
“High quality, proven B2B sportsbook – doubling short- and long-term addressable market and geographic expansion”
Gaming Innovation Group Inc. has signed a Share Purchase Agreement (“SPA”) to acquire the iGaming company Sportnco Gaming SAS (“Sportnco”). Sportnco is one of the leading platform providers of turnkey betting and gaming solutions for operators in regulated markets through its inhouse developed sportsbook and PAM. The combined company will enhance and strengthen GiG’s position as one of the industry leading platforms and media providers with innovative and proprietary products and creating one of the largest and fastest growing providers in regulated iGaming with an unparalleled geographical footprint.
Combined, GiG and Sportnco will be licensed in 25 markets, currently with around 55 clients, as Sportnco’s geographical presence is highly complementary to GiG’s current offering. Sportnco’s tier 1 sportsbook product is strong, and the acquisition is expected to create attractive commercial, operational, and technological synergies, as well as enable cost savings and accelerated growth.
Sportnco is estimating revenues for 2021 in excess of €9 million with an EBITDA around €5 million.
The initial consideration is €50.8 million, whereof €23.5 million will be paid in new shares in GiG and €27.3 million in cash. In addition, GiG will assume existing debt in Sportnco of €19.2 million and there will be an earn-out of up to €23.0 million based on the Sportnco performance in 2022 and 2023.
GiG has also entered into an agreement with SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited (“SkyCity”), whereby SkyCity will, subject to final completion of the acquisition, invest €25 million in GiG through a directed share issue at NOK 18.00 per share, that will finance the main part of the cash consideration.
Closing is expected in February 2022 and is subject to necessary approvals from relevant gaming authorities, shareholder approval to increase the authorised shares in GiG, bondholder approval on the rollover of loans in Sportnco, and final approval by GiG’s Board of Directors.
Richard Brown, CEO of GiG said: “We are tremendously excited to welcome Sportnco into Gaming Innovation Group product offering. The transaction accelerates our long-term vision to become a global leader in the provision of platform, sportsbook and media services to the iGaming industry. The hugely complimentary regulatory profile and high-quality sportsbook that Sportnco have, rapidly expands both companies short- and long-term addressable market. Herve and the team at Sportnco have built a fantastic company over the last decade, creating a great product and working in a range of competitive regulated markets and have a proven track record of success. We are very excited to combine the two companies’ offerings and accelerate our growth potential.”
Hervé Schlosser, CEO and founder of Sportnco, said “GIG and Sportnco really have the perfect match both in terms of product and geographical areas of business but also as they share the same corporate values. I am excited by the sales potential of our combined offerings. Sportnco sportsbook will add strength and attractiveness to the offer of GIG and our mutual PAM solutions will enable us to cover European and American regulated markets for all our existing and future clients.”
SkyCity’s CEO, Michael Ahearne said “we are excited that SkyCity is expanding its strategic partnership with the GiG team. GiG is an established online operator who we have come to know well since partnering in mid-2019 to launch the SkyCity Online Casino. The partnership has provided SkyCity with access to a complementary and high-growth gaming category and has enabled us to pursue an omnichannel strategy. The combined GiG/SportNCo business will be licensed or certified in over 20 jurisdictions, including growth markets such as the US, Canada and Latin America. We are delighted to support GiG in the financing of the transaction, becoming a major shareholder and helping GiG execute on its strategic vision through representation on the Board. Importantly, the equity investment builds our digital capability and strengthens our strategic alignment with GiG.”
Richard Brown adds: “we are also delighted to bring on SkyCity as a new shareholder, a company held in high-regard within the land-based segment of the industry,. Both companies’ outlook and focus around the ever-evolving digitalisation of gambling is expected to enable strategic gains, with GiG benefiting from decades of retail experience to finetune our offering and SkyCity benefiting from first-hand digital experience that GiG holds, and new opportunities brought about by the transaction with SportNCo.”
Sportnco
Sportnco is an independent sports betting and iGaming business with international presence in Europe, South America and the US through a combination of tier 1 clients and strong local players. The company has been successful in entering into new geographical markets and currently has around 40 partners working in 12 countries across Europe and Latin America and currently being launched in new regions in North America.
The company started in 2008, and is a specialist in online sports betting for regulated markets, starting in France, then Spain and expanding to other markets as their sports betting activity was getting regulated. The company has developed its own proprietary betting platform, offering a complete live and pre-match betting offer on more than 50 sports. It includes an experienced team of sports traders who perform betting quotation and counterparty risk management to deliver both attractive odds and high level of margin. Sportnco operates the leading B2B betting networks in France and Spain and is active in other European jurisdictions such as Belgium, Portugal, and Greece, as well as in South America and the US. The company has been developing a responsible gaming policy since its launch, which has led it to be present only in highly regulated markets.
Sportnco’s platform offers a player account management (PAM) system that enable its clients to launch a complete offer of online casino games, sports betting, poker and bingo, as it is connected to more than 40 game providers. This powerful technological integration tool allows operators to manage all the key aspects of their activities: players KYC, CRM and bonusing, regulatory report through its proper digital vault.
Its shareholders are made up of several French private investors, alongside the CEO and founder of the company, Hervé Schlosser, who is the main shareholder of Sportnco, and the institutional investor BNP Paribas Développement who entered in 2019. Sportnco has offices in Toulouse (France), Madrid and Barcelona (Spain), and currently employs around 130 people, led by an experienced management team made up of industry veterans.
SkyCity
SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited (“SkyCity”) is New Zealand’s largest tourism, leisure and entertainment company and is dual listed on the New Zealand and Australian stock exchanges (with a market capitalisation of around NZ$2.3 billion)
SkyCity operates integrated entertainment complexes in New Zealand (Auckland, Hamilton and Queenstown) and in Adelaide, Australia, featuring casino gaming facilities, tourist attractions, premium restaurants and bars, as well as award-winning hotels. SkyCity recently completed an A$330 million refurbishment of its Adelaide property and is currently developing an International Convention Centre and new hotel adjacent to its flagship property in Auckland (total cost around NZ$750 million).
In August 2019, SkyCity Online Casino was launched on GiG’s platform, an offshore online gaming business for New Zealanders, as a logical extension of its land-based casino operations. The platform has resonated with customers since launch with LTM revenue to 30 September 2021 of around NZ$37 million and a significant active customer base. GiG’s partnership with SkyCity has provided it with access to a complementary, high-growth gaming category and allowed it to pursue an omnichannel strategy.
The Acquisition
GiG will acquire 100% of the shares in Sportnco Gaming SAS for an initial consideration of €50.8 million, whereof €23.5 million in new shares in GiG and €27.3 million in cash. The share price will be determined by the VWAP of the GiG share 10 days prior to closing. The shares will be subject to a 6-month lock-up period. The acquisition implies an enterprise value of Sportnco of €70 million, including around €19.2 million in existing long term loans with French banks that will be rolled over.
The sellers are entitled to a two year earn-out based on the performance in 2022 and 2023 with up to €11.5 million per year. The earn-out will be paid 50% in cash and 50% in new shares in GiG, where the number of shares to be issued shall be based on a 10-day VWAP of the GiG share at the time of payment, expected in April 2023 and April 2024.
The number of outstanding shares of GiG as of today is 96,675,626 (98,415,626 on a fully diluted basis), and the number of authorized shares is 110,000,000. By assuming today’s EUR/NOK exchange rate and a share price of NOK 18.00, GiG will issue around 14.1 million new shares to SkyCity and around 13.2 million new shares to the shareholders of Sportnco. After the issuance of the new shares, the number of outstanding shares in GiG is estimated to be around 124.0 million, whereof SkyCity will hold around 11.4% and the shareholders of Sportnco 10.7%.
Sportnco has 57 shareholders whereof the largest being its CEO and founder its CEO and founder Hervé Schlosser (15.6%), Olivier Marchal, President at Bain&Co France, (9.1%) and BNP Paribas Développment (6.5%), and these will hold approximately 1.7%, 1.0% and 0.7% respectively in GiG after closing.
GiG will call for a special meeting of shareholders to be held on or about 18 January 2022 to approve to amend the certificate of incorporation to increase the number of authorized shares from 110,000,000 to cater for the acquisition, and to approve the increase the board of directors from 6 to 7 and to nominate one representative of SkyCity to the board of directors of GiG.
To keep key employees in Sportnco, a 3-year option program will be entered into, whereby the option holders, pending continued employment, will receive shares in GiG at future VWAP valuation up to a total aggregate value of €4 million.
Bond
The acquisition requires the bond terms to allow for roll over of the current long-term loans in Sportnco. GiG also plans for a tap issue of up to SEK 100 million (€10 million) to finance part of the up-front cash consideration. GiG has engaged in discussions with its largest bondholders and received indicated support for the required amendments from investors representing approximately 59% per cent of the outstanding bond volume. The formal voting process to amend the bond terms will be announced in the beginning of January.
Full-service digital and cloud infrastructure provider to support customers launching in the fast-growing, emerging regulated Brazilian market with its cutting-edge solutions
Continent 8 Technologies, the award-winning managed hosting, connectivity, cloud and cybersecurity provider to the global iGaming and online sports betting industry, is set to launch in Brazil. This strategic expansion aims to address growing customer demand in this rapidly emerging market. The move comes in anticipation of the market’s quick progression towards a comprehensive regulation of its online offering, with an expected launch in the summer of 2024.
Its move into Brazil strengthens its position in the wider Latin America region, where it has taken an ambitious first-to-market approach to deliver tailored solutions to customers in the likes of Colombia, Peru and Puerto Rico. Brazil adds to a private network spanning more than 100 locations across the world, making it one of the Top 20 best connected networks globally.
Operators and suppliers in Brazil will be able to benefit from Continent 8’s full suite of innovative and reliable digital and cloud infrastructure solutions including a Public Cloud, a scalable and cost-effective offering, with a usage-based commercial model to suit the customer.
Customers will also be able to access its Gaming Exchange, a powerful private internet that offers unrivalled speed, capacity, and security, as well as a full suite of cybersecurity solutions designed to combat the ever-changing threat landscape.
Cybersecurity will be a major concern for both operators and suppliers making a move in Brazil as it is a hotbed for cyber-attacks, in addition to the iGaming and online sports betting industry being one of the most vulnerable to attack ahead of healthcare and finance.
Luana Monje, Sales Executive at Continent 8 Technologies, said: “Brazil looks set to be a hugely significant market and one that our customers are keen to explore.
“Digital and cloud infrastructure is the foundation of any successful online business, and we are delighted to be launching in Brazil to support new and existing customers with our solutions and services as they make their move in the market.”
Continent 8 has strategically positioned itself with certified operations in various locations across Latin America. This recent expansion into the Brazilian territory is integral to Continent 8’s long-term Latin American and global growth strategy as the company looks to deliver essential local, technical, and regulatory support in each new and emerging market.
Michael Tobin, Founder and CEO of Continent 8 Technologies, added: “For more than 25 years, we have been supporting customers as they launch into new and growing markets, and we couldn’t be more excited to be doing this in Brazil.
“This is a market that offers tremendous potential to both operators and suppliers, but they must have the right foundation in place to maximise the opportunities on the table. Continent 8 has the experience, expertise, and solutions to help businesses do just that.”
Raptor PR, the specialist tech PR agency for the global video games industry, has appointed MCV/DEVELOP 30 Under 30 2023 winning PR and communications professional James Law as PR Director. James will play an instrumental role in the establishment of Raptor PR’s new consumer gaming PR division, and will be leading on key B2B accounts at the agency.
Since early 2021, Raptor PR has carved out a unique reputation as the world’s only specialist B2B tech PR agency for the global games industry. James’ appointment will see the agency expand its B2B offering with a fully integrated B2C PR service for ambitious game development studios and publishers from the worlds of mobile, PC and console gaming.
James was previously PR Manager at Heaven Media, a leading creative marketing agency specialising in the gaming and technology industries. His experience includes global brands such as Nexon, Fanatec, and PowerA, as well as indie darlings like OutOfTheBit, Wales Interactive, and Utomik. Prior to Heaven Media, James was an experienced consumer games industry journalist, having written for leading gaming outlets such as Eurogamer, NME, Rock Paper Shotgun, and PC Gamer. He has also been Managing Editor at Gfinity Esports.
Rana Rahman, Founder and CEO at Raptor PR, commented: “We’re beyond excited to have James come on board to help shape the next evolution of Raptor PR. We’ve spent the last three and a half years establishing ourselves as the leading B2B tech PR agency for the global games industry, with flagship clients such as The Games Fund, Sandsoft, Midjiwan, Stardust, and Metaplay. We implicitly understand the complexities of the businesses and technologies that are powering the games industry, hence it is a natural progression for team Raptor PR to voyage into the world of consumer gaming PR, immediately supporting our existing portfolio with consumer gaming consultancy and tactical execution.”
James Law, PR Director at Raptor PR, commented: “Raptor PR is in such an exciting place with the agency’s fantastic success and strength in the B2B gaming and tech sectors. The opportunity to lead the agency’s nascent consumer gaming division is one I couldn’t resist – I love the games industry and the people in it, and the Raptor team is one that shares my passion for gaming and drive to make the industry a better place. I can’t wait to get stuck in – meeting the brilliant Raptor team and working alongside them has already been a fascinating learning experience, and it’s been a treat to be able to contribute and deliver my own unique perspectives. Here’s to a successful new partnership!”
James’ work demonstrates a passion for the games industry community, and a desire to make it a better place. As co-founder of startmenu, a website and community dedicated to bringing new and upcoming writing talent together within the games industry, James has helped build bridges into the industry that previously didn’t exist. At Raptor PR, James will be supported in his voluntary roles, as an ambassador for Safe In Our World, the video games industry mental health charity, and as a mentor in the 2024 Limit Break mentorship scheme.
The post RAPTOR PR HIRES AWARD-WINNING JAMES LAW AS PR DIRECTOR appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
On the eve of SiGMA Americas, the largest iGaming show in the region, SOFTSWISS, a leading global software supplier with 15 years of experience, introduced the racing legend Rubens Barrichello as its Non-Executive Director in Latin America. Local press, influencers, and industry representatives attended the unveiling event, expressing broad interest in SOFTSWISS as the company actively expands its presence in the region.
During the official introduction, Ivan Montik, Founder of SOFTSWISS, and Rubens Barrichello, Non-Executive Director in Latin America at SOFTSWISS, shared the company’s plans for the Brazilian market, commented on the local gambling regulations, and answered questions about Barrichello’s role within SOFTSWISS.
Ivan Montik, Founder of SOFTSWISS, expressed his excitement about the significant milestone, saying: “This marks a thrilling chapter for us. It’s an extraordinary day for me personally as I’ve been a Formula 1 fan since 1994, my teenage years. Welcoming Rubens to our team feels like a dream come true.”
Rubens Barrichello, now serving as SOFTSWISS’ Non-Executive Director in Latin America, highlighted his deep connection to the company’s values. “I am new to this role but no stranger to challenges. In racing, the goal is always to win, but knowing when to step back and why things didn’t go as planned is important. I see responsible gaming in a similar manner. It is about knowing your limits and pushing forward to improve. I’m here to bring that mindset to our team.”
In light of the ever-evolving news about gambling regulation, Montik commented: “We are looking forward to the final version of the Brazilian law, expected to be unveiled this July. Understanding the regulatory landscape will guide our efforts to adapt to software requirements and bring solutions to the market. We aim to collaborate closely with local operators and businesses, empowering them with robust software tools tailored to their needs.”
Addressing security concerns, Ivan Montik emphasised: “Ensuring the security of our software solution has always been paramount. It’s been a core strength for us since the beginning. Throughout our journey in the industry, we have maintained a clean record with no cases of software hacks, of which I am proud. Our software undergoes rigorous testing by international laboratories like GLI, meeting many cybersecurity standards. We not only meet but exceed these requirements because fraudulent activities and hacker attacks constantly target the gaming industry.”
Rubens Barrichello’s appointment as Non-Executive Director in Latin America signifies a pivotal strategic step for SOFTSWISS, particularly in Brazil’s rapidly expanding market. With projections from TGM Research indicating that by 2026, Brazil’s iGaming industry could yield gross revenues of 2.3 billion euro, potentially accounting for 1% of Brazil’s GDP, which stands at 1.5 trillion euro.
About SOFTSWISS
SOFTSWISS is an international tech company supplying software solutions for managing iGaming projects. The expert team, which counts over 2,000 employees, is based in Malta, Poland and Georgia. SOFTSWISS holds a number of gaming licences and provides one-stop-shop iGaming software solutions. The company has a vast product portfolio, including the Online Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with thousands of casino games, the Affilka affiliate platform, the Sportsbook Platform and the Jackpot Aggregator. In 2013, SOFTSWISS was the first in the world to introduce a Bitcoin-optimised online casino solution.
The post F1 Star Joins SOFTSWISS as LatAm Non-Executive Director: Key Highlights appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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