With the igaming industry worth more than ever before, there can be little surprise that some of the largest companies in the game have been buying up and coming newcomers.
Indeed, 2019 has seen some of the most exciting acquisitions in igaming for years, with major brands like Rank, 888 and William Hill making significant buys.
In this article, we will take a look at some of the most significant acquisitions in igaming in 2019. Trends have grown toward a more generalised approach from the biggest online gaming companies, with each of the major players seeking to dominate across the four major sectors in igaming. From game changing technology to apps that help bring the casino mobile, there have been some very interesting acquisitions so far this year.
Certainly, one of the most eye catching of these was when Rank Group, parent company of Mecca Bingo and Grosvenor Casinos, purchased online casino and bingo company Strike Gaming. Back in May, it was reported that Rank had shelled out a huge £115.3m for the company. Without a doubt, it will be curious to see where Rank takes what is surely one of the web’s most exciting young gaming companies.
At the beginning of the year, back in February, 888 acquired Costa Bingo as well as City Bingo and Sing Bingo. Having paid £18m for the company to former owners Jackpot Joy (JPJ), it will be interesting for the gaming world to see how 888 progresses with this expansion into bingo. 888 also acquired Betbright in 2019, closing the Irish firm for operation since the transaction was finalised in April. This purchase sees 888, one of the nation’s biggest casino companies, expanding into sports even more with its 888Sport brand. The acquisition of this high-quality and scalable sportsbook technology from Betbright will certainly bolset 888Sport and its quest to dominate all major levels of online betting.
The Paddy Power and Betfair merger created new company Flutter, which in 2019 acquired Adjarabet for around £120m. Aimed at the Georgian market, Adjarabet is licensed to provide services of online betting and gaming in both casino and sports sectors. The acquisition will allow Flutter to continue to realise their aim of establishing themselves as top level players across key markets worldwide.
Finally, in January, Malta based igaming brand Mr Green was taken over by UK gambling giant William Hill. This all came after the company acquired a 92% stake in Mr Green’s parent company MRG for £245m. William Hill’s new International Online Managing Director Patrick Jonker replaced Mr Green CEO Jesper Karrbrink as the company chief as William Hill continues its bid to expand its emerging markets.
All in all, 2019 was a fascinating year for igaming acquisitions and it will be intriguing to see what 2020 brings in terms of new deals being struck across all sectors of the industry. In all likelihood, we will continue to see the largest companies in the business buying up promising mid to small level competition across emerging markets worldwide. With the continued growth of the industry, the amounts being paid by major companies for new acquisitions look set to continue their rapid increase.