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Leading Mobile Entertainment Company Jam City to Become Publicly Traded Company Through Merger with DPCM Capital, Inc

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Jam City, Inc., a leading mobile entertainment company behind some of the world’s highest grossing and most enduring mobile games, and DPCM Capital, Inc., a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company led by Emil Michael, announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement that will result in Jam City becoming a publicly listed company. The transaction values the combined company at an enterprise value of $1.2 billion. Upon closing, the combined company will operate as Jam City Holdings, Inc. and its Class A common stock is expected to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “JAM”.

In conjunction with the closing of the business combination, Jam City will use the cash proceeds to acquire a leading Montreal-based mobile game publisher Ludia, Inc. (“Ludia”) from FremantleMedia Canada Inc. (“Fremantle”), bringing together two highly creative leaders in mobile gaming and further strengthening Jam City’s market position and global player network. The combined company’s well-balanced, diversified portfolio of critically acclaimed, top grossing games is expected to include Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery; Cookie Jam; Panda Pop; and Jurassic World Alive. It is also expected to benefit from a strong pipeline of tentpole owned and licensed game releases with leading brands such as DC, and some of Disney’s biggest brands, which are expected to accelerate organic growth for the next several years.

“We have built and are scaling one of the world’s leading mobile entertainment platforms by bringing art – including storylines, characters and game mechanics – together with a powerful technology platform that leverages data to drive user acquisition and live game operations,” said Chris DeWolfe, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Jam City. “We expect going public will provide us with a source of capital to accelerate our growth and advance our strategic priorities, while acquiring and teaming up with Ludia adds compelling new intellectual property and gaming genres to our catalog. Together, we believe these transactions will advance our vision to create premium, social mobile games that are an enduring part of our players’ lives.”

The combined company will be led by Chris DeWolfe and the rest of Jam City’s highly experienced management team including co-Founder, President and Chief Operating Officer Josh Yguado, and Chief Financial Officer Jae Yu. Denmark West, founding partner and Chief Investment Officer of Connectivity Ventures and former executive at BET, Viacom Media Networks and Microsoft, will join the combined company’s Board of Directors. Existing Jam City stockholders are expected to own approximately 65% of the outstanding shares of Class A common stock of the combined company at close, assuming no redemptions by DPCM Capital stockholders. Netmarble Corporation (“Netmarble”), Jam City’s valued strategic investor, will own a significant portion of the combined company.

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A group of leading institutional investors, along with Netmarble, DPCM’s sponsor, and members of the combined company management teams have committed to a private investment of $100 million in Class A common stock of the combined company that will close concurrently with the business combination and, subject to any redemptions by DPCM Capital’s shareholders, there is approximately $300 million currently held in DPCM Capital’s trust account. Proceeds from the transaction will be used to finance the $175 million acquisition of Ludia from Fremantle, provide liquidity to an early investor, and pay fees and expenses associated with the transaction. It is expected that the combined company will have approximately $115 million of cash on its balance sheet, which is anticipated to be used to accelerate growth by introducing new games that appeal to broad global audiences, continuing to enhance its proprietary technology, and pursuing future M&A opportunities and other strategic initiatives.

“We believe our central technology platform, Jam City Live, is what sets us apart and provides us with a sustainable competitive advantage by driving performance and growth to create enduring franchises,” said Yguado. “We believe that games are the next-generation of social engagement, and that our longstanding relationships throughout the global gaming ecosystem provide us access to a rich pipeline of untapped, accretive growth opportunities that we are poised to capitalize on.”

“We believe Jam City is at the forefront of mobile gaming, and its unique Games-as-a-Service model has proven to sustain player retention and drive monetization,” said Emil Michael, Chairman and CEO of DPCM Capital. “We are proud to partner with Chris, Josh and the team in their efforts to continue Jam City’s growth and further define the company as a category-defining entertainment brand.”

Combined Company Overview

As a well-capitalized leader in mobile entertainment, we believe Jam City is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the large, fast-growing global mobile gaming market, a market which includes more than 2.7 billion players and that is expected to exceed $205 billion in revenue by 2023, according to Newzoo.

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Jam City benefits from a world-class talent base, a global studio network and a proprietary technology platform that enables it to consistently deliver deep, rich and engaging mobile entertainment experiences that appeal to fans around the world. In addition to introducing new game franchises, Jam City has fueled growth through a successful and scalable M&A strategy that involves acquiring assets and studios that have created deep entertainment experiences and leveraging Jam City Live to improve game performance.

With the addition of Ludia, Jam City’s game portfolio will include seven forever franchises, which it considers its most enduring games with at least $100 million in lifetime bookings and receive ongoing Jam City support. Our forever franchises are anticipated to include Cookie Jam; Panda Pop; Genies & Gems; Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery; Bingo Pop; Disney Emoji Blitz[1]; and Jurassic World games (Jurassic World: The Game, Jurassic World Alive).[2] These franchises are diversified across game genres and types of intellectual property, with no single game contributing more than 20% of Jam City’s and Ludia’s combined $570 million total bookings in 2020. By leveraging its strengths to improve performance across Ludia’s portfolio, Jam City expects to generate $868 million in bookings and $112 million in Adjusted EBITDA in 2022, representing 23% and 30% CAGRs, respectively, from 2019 to 2022E.

“Joining forces with Jam City enables us to leverage their technology platform to further enhance performance across our portfolio and collaborate on exciting new projects,” said Alex Thabet, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ludia. “This combination is expected to benefit our collective stakeholders and create new avenues for sustained growth.”
In 2020, Jam City was a top 10-featured game publisher in the U.S. across the App Store and Google Play. Together with Ludia, Jam City has built an engaged global player network of 31 million monthly active users and 1.3 billion cumulative game installs as of fourth quarter of 2020. Jam City and Ludia also generated a combined 3 billion total hours played and 9 billion advertising impressions last year.

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Bally’s Interactive Launches the New Bally Bet Sportsbook & Casino App in Ontario

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Bally’s Interactive, the digital and sports betting division of Bally’s Corporation, has launched the all-new Bally Bet Sportsbook & Casino app in Ontario, Canada. This latest release marks another significant milestone for the company, following the recent app update in New Jersey and a series of successful app launches in the past year, including the introduction of Bally Bet Sportsbook across multiple states and Bally Casino in Rhode Island.

The updated Bally Bet Sportsbook & Casino app represents a major step forward, as it combines the functionalities of the existing Bally Casino app and Bally Bet Sportsbook app into one comprehensive platform. Powered by White Hat Gaming, this new app allows players residing in or traveling to Ontario to conveniently place wagers on both sports and casino games using a single app, account, and universal wallet.

“We are thrilled to introduce the new Bally Bet Sportsbook & Casino app, marking a significant milestone for Bally’s. This integrated platform merges the features of our previous apps, providing players in Ontario with a seamless experience for both sports and casino betting. Our commitment to enhancing the player experience remains at the forefront as we strive to personalize the enjoyment of playing Bally Bet,” said Robeson Reeves, CEO of Bally’s Corporation.

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BCLC

Be #GiftSmart: Scratch the Idea of Gifting Scratch & Win Tickets to Kids

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BCLC reminds adults to gift responsibly this holiday season

With the holiday season in full swing, BCLC is reminding British Columbians to gift responsibly and scratch lottery products from their shopping lists for kids.

“Scratch & Win tickets can make great stocking stuffers for the adults in your life, but they’re not for kids,” said Ryan McCarthy, BCLC’s Director of Player Health. “The research shows that children who have early encounters with gambling are four times more likely to develop riskier gambling behaviour as they grow up. While people are out shopping for those last-minute gifts, BCLC wants adults to be aware of the potential risks associated with gifting lottery products to children and to consider safer alternatives.”

While Scratch & Win tickets are among the most common ways kids can be introduced to gambling, children are increasingly exposed to various online forms, such as gambling streams.

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“With the convergence of gaming and gambling, youth are becoming more exposed to gambling content in online spaces like streaming sites, where creators are able to live-stream their own gambling, usually while playing online slots and instant games,” said Dr. Luke Clark, Director for Gambling Research at UBC. “Our research at the UBC Centre for Gambling shows that a higher frequency of watching online gambling streams is associated with a more positive attitude towards gambling and a high intention to gamble in the future.”

In B.C., it is illegal to sell lottery products to anyone under the age of 19 and BCLC encourages adults to have conversations with the kids in their lives about the risks associated with gambling.

“Open and honest conversations are crucial when it comes to navigating childhood exposure to gambling,” said McCarthy, who shared the following tips to adults:

  • Monitor for gambling-related lifestyle changes. For example, developing a positive attitude towards gambling or a preoccupation with video games or streaming sites.
  • Be a positive role model. Exhibit safer gambling behaviour and talk about the risks.
  • Limit exposure. Monitor kids’ online activities and discourage engagement with gambling content. Explain how gambling is based on chance.
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AGCO

Jackpot Digital Receives Approval from AGCO as a Registered Gaming Supplier

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Jackpot Digital Inc., a leading provider of innovative dealerless electronic poker gaming solutions, has announced that the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has approved the Company to be licensed as a registered Gaming Related-Supplier (the “Supplier License”) under the Gaming Control Act in the Province of Ontario.

This significant achievement allows Jackpot Digital to enter one of the most dynamic and rapidly growing regulated gaming markets in North America. The Supplier License authorizes Jackpot Digital to supply its electronic table games to Ontario’s gaming venues, including casinos and other regulated gaming facilities.

Jackpot Digital’s flagship product, the Jackpot Blitz electronic table game system, offers a modern, dealerless, player-friendly solution that integrates traditional multiplayer poker games with cutting-edge digital technology. The Supplier License will enable the Company to offer its innovative gaming solutions to operators throughout Ontario, driving new revenue opportunities and enhancing player experiences.

“Receiving AGCO’s approval is a major milestone. This approval provides us with the opportunity to offer our top-tier electronic gaming systems to operators throughout all of Ontario, positioning us for further growth in one of the world’s most robust gaming markets. We are excited to bring our innovative products to Ontario’s gaming community and continue our commitment to providing exciting, technology-driven entertainment experiences,” said Jake Kalpakian, CEO of Jackpot Digital.

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