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Aquisitions/Mergers

EVOLUTION TO ACQUIRE GALAXY GAMING, A LEADING INDEPENDENT DEVELOPER AND DISTRIBUTOR OF CASINO TABLE GAMES AND TECHNOLOGY

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Evolution AB (publ)’s wholly owned subsidiary, Evolution Malta Holding Limited, (“Evolution”) has entered into an agreement to acquire Galaxy Gaming, Inc. (“Galaxy Gaming”) for a total equity value of approximately $85 million(the “Transaction”), payable in cash.

Transaction highlights and strategic rationale

Galaxy Gaming, a leading developer and distributor of innovative casino table games and enhanced gaming technology solutions, continues to revolutionize the casino industry with its state-of-the-art products and exceptional service. With a diverse portfolio of cutting-edge games, Galaxy Gaming has established itself as a trusted partner to casinos worldwide.

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The acquisition is in line with Evolution’s strategy of being the world’s top provider of casino games, supplying its customers with the best gaming content. With the acquisition of Galaxy Gaming, Evolution solidifies its presence in the US market and enhances its position as a leading licensor of proprietary tables games to the online gaming industry.

“We are thrilled to announce the acquisition of Galaxy Gaming, which represents a significant milestone in our mission to provide unparalleled gaming experiences to our customers. Galaxy Gaming’s exceptional products and technology complement our existing portfolio and strengthen our strategic position.” – Martin Carlesund, CEO Evolution AB (publ)

“Evolution intends to retain the management and employees and also plans to operate Galaxy Gaming as a separate and independent business unit,” added Carlesund

“We believe this transaction represents the opportunity to unite two world-class, customer-focused teams in a way that will benefit all stakeholders. It combines Galaxy Gaming’s thriving land-based business, driven by our industry-leading games and progressive technologies, with Evolution’s global reach and innovative online gaming leadership. For years, our collaboration has successfully delivered popular games like 21+3® and LuckyLadies® to millions of players in regulated iGaming markets globally. This acquisition by Evolution empowers Galaxy to sustain and maintain its independence while continuing to focus on growth and expanding its operations, leveragingEvolution’s operational and financial strength to facilitate product sharing and drive cutting-edge omni-channel innovation.“ – Matt Reback, President and CEO, Galaxy Gaming.

Galaxy Gaming has provided guidance of $29.0 – $30.0 million in Net Revenue and $12.0 – $13.0 million in Adjusted EBITDA for fiscal year 2024.

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Consideration and financing

Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, Evolution has agreed to acquire all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Galaxy Gaming for$3.20 per share in cash, which represents a premium of 124% to Galaxy Gaming’s closing share price on July 17, 2024, the last trading day prior to the announcement of the Transaction. The Transaction values Galaxy Gaming at at total equity value of approximately $85 million, and approximately $124 million including net debt. The consideration will be financed with cash on hand.

 Conditions and time plan for the acquisition

The Transaction has been approved by the board of directors of Galaxy Gaming. Galaxy Gaming board members holding approximately 14%of Galaxy Gaming’s common stock have entered into support agreements to vote their shares in favor of the Transaction.

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The Transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including Galaxy Gaming stockholder approval and certain required gaming regulatory approvals.  The parties currently expect the closing to occur in mid-2025, subject to satisfaction of those closing conditions.

 Advisors

Evolution has engaged J.P. Morgan SE as exclusive financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis LLP as legal advisor in connection with the Transaction. Galaxy Gaming has engaged Macquarie Capital as exclusive financial advisor and Latham & Watkins LLP as legal advisor in connection with the Transaction.

The post EVOLUTION TO ACQUIRE GALAXY GAMING, A LEADING INDEPENDENT DEVELOPER AND DISTRIBUTOR OF CASINO TABLE GAMES AND TECHNOLOGY appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Aquisitions/Mergers

ENDEAVOR ANNOUNCES MANAGEMENT BUYOUT OF OPENBET AND IMG ARENA

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Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc., a global sports and entertainment company, today announced that it has agreed to sell OpenBet and IMG ARENA to OB Global Holdings LLC in a management buyout backed by Ariel Emanuel with participation from executives of OpenBet, including CEO Jordan Levin.
Levin said: “This management buyout allows us to continue executing our vision for increased market expansion and product innovation. Our group is extremely confident in OpenBet’s future considering the premium product offering, superior talent, and solid foundation we already have in place following a strong period of business growth.”
Under the terms of the transaction, OB Global Holdings will acquire the businesses for approximately $450 million, subject to certain adjustments, financed through a mix of cash and debt.
During the sign-to-close period and after closing, Endeavor will continue to market IMG ARENA for sale to a third-party purchaser.
OpenBet powers responsible betting and gaming entertainment for more than 200 market leading operators around the globe. Following close of the transaction, Levin will continue to lead the business as CEO.
The transaction is being pursued, and is a necessary step, for the closing of the proposed Endeavor take-private by Silver Lake. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including approvals required under applicable gaming regulatory authority, and is conditioned on and expected to close immediately prior to the closing of the Endeavor take-private.
Oakvale Capital LLP and The Raine Group acted as financial advisors to Endeavor.

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Aquisitions/Mergers

OKTO Acquires Aplauz CH GmbH and Expands in Swiss Market

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OKTO has announced the full acquisition of Aplauz CH GmbH, the Swiss subsidiary of Aplauz Financial Services Ltd. This strategic acquisition strengthens OKTO’s presence in the Swiss market, enabling the company to expand its customer base and introduce innovative payment services in the market while maintaining and enhancing the existing infrastructure of Aplauz CH GmbH in the region.

Under OKTO’s ownership, Aplauz CH GmbH will continue to deliver its Aplauz prepaid payment service through online merchants and retail distribution partners, now rebranded as OKTO.VOUCHER. The transition will be seamless, ensuring uninterrupted service for all partners and consumers.

Aligned with its growth strategy, OKTO also introduces OKTO.CASH to the Swiss market—a fast, direct cash-to-online payment solution already established across multiple European markets, including Romania, Greece, Czech Republic, Germany, Cyprus, Italy and Serbia.

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Aplauz CH GmbH, now under OKTO’s leadership, holds the necessary regulatory approvals from the Self-Regulatory Organization (SRO) VQF to offer both OKTO.VOUCHER and OKTO.CASH services in Switzerland.

Thanos Mondanos, OKTO’s Head of Business Strategy, said: “Welcoming Aplauz CH GmbH into the OKTO Group marks a significant step forward in our international growth strategy. This acquisition reinforces our commitment to expanding in high-potential markets like Switzerland, allowing us to deliver a stronger portfolio of payment solutions that meet evolving customer demands. We are confident that Aplauz CH GmbH’s established presence, combined with OKTO’s innovative payment technologies, will create substantial value for both users and partners in the region.”

Mathias Wratschko, Senior Distribution Manager at OKTO, said: “This is a pivotal moment for OKTO, our Swiss partners and users. Through the acquisition of Aplauz CH GmbH, we’re set to elevate both transaction volumes and customer experience in Switzerland. By expanding the rebranded OKTO.VOUCHER service and launching OKTO.CASH, we’re enhancing Swiss payment options in a way that promises substantial revenue growth for our partners and increased satisfaction for consumers.”

Goran Abramović, Director of Aplauz Financial Services Ltd., said: “We are thrilled with the successful sale of our Swiss consumer business and have every confidence in OKTO’s capacity to drive further growth in this segment within the Swiss market. Aplauz Financial Services remains fully committed to supporting the Swiss market by continuing to provide our cutting-edge voucher issuing technology platform to OKTO and offering ongoing technical support to our valued partners. We look forward to seeing the positive impact OKTO will bring to this evolving market.”

The post OKTO Acquires Aplauz CH GmbH and Expands in Swiss Market appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Aquisitions/Mergers

FDJ’s tender offer for Kindred succeeds, creating a European gaming champion

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La Française des Jeux (FDJ) announces the success of its tender offer for Kindred Group plc, a leading player in the online betting and gaming sector in Europe.

At the end of the offer period ending on 2 October, 195,659,291 Kindred Swedish Depository Receipts (SDRs), representing 90.66% of the Group’s capital, were tendered. FDJ had also acquired 2,400,000 Kindred SDRs directly from Veralda, representing 1.11% of the Group’s share capital.

With the condition precedent of controlling more than 90% of Kindred’s share capital1 fulfilled, FDJ decided to complete the acquisition of Kindred Group plc. Settlement-delivery for Kindred shareholders who have tendered their SDRs to the offer will take place from 11 October and FDJ will implement a squeeze-out procedure on Nasdaq Stockholm.

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In addition, FDJ announces that it is extending its offer until 18 October 2024 at 5 p.m. CEST to enable Kindred shareholders who have not tendered their shares to do so on unchanged terms, i.e. SEK 130 per SDR. Settlement and delivery will take place from 29 October.

Kindred is one of the top five online betting and gaming players in Western Europe, present in seven of the top ten European markets, chief among them the Netherlands, the UK, France, Sweden and Belgium. It offers a comprehensive online offering (sports and horse betting, poker and casino), operating brands such as Unibet and 32Red.

This transaction of nearly €2.5 billion creates a European champion with a diversified and balanced profile, based on monopoly activities, primarily lotteries, in France and Ireland, and on online sports betting and gaming activities open to competition in Europe.

The new combined group resulting from this offer will generate around 26% of its revenue internationally, and its online gaming range open to competition will account for around 27% of its business.

Stéphane Pallez, Chairwoman and CEO of the FDJ Group, said: “I am delighted to announce today the acquisition of Kindred, a leading European player in the competitive online betting and gaming sector. Kindred has strong brands, recognised technological excellence and an attractive growth and profitability profile, all of which will bolster FDJ’s strengths. The two groups also share high standards for responsible gaming and a business model that combines performance and responsibility. This acquisition creates a new European champion that intends to pursue its strategy of sustainable and profitable growth for the benefit of all its stakeholders.”

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