Industry News
The Stars Group completes $4.7B Sky Betting & Gaming purchase

The Stars Group Inc. made an announcement that it had agreed to acquire Sky Betting & Gaming from CVC Capital Partners and Sky plc for $4.7 billion.
This came as a shocker to the gaming enthusiasts and the industry at large as the combination would result in the world’s largest gaming company publicly listed.
According to Rafi Ashkenazi, The Stars Group CEO, the acquisition of Sky Betting & Gaming was a landmark moment for the company’s history. It is important to understand that Sky Betting & Gaming is UK’s leading gaming provider and the world’s fastest growing sportsbooks. Its premier sports betting product is somewhat the pillar to our industry-leading poker platform. The Stars Group will now enjoy a great growth potential considering that it will now have the ability to offer two low-cost acquisition chances of this magnitude. So the CEO said that “this will significantly increase our ability to create winning moments for our customers.”
According to Mr. Ashkenazi, this transaction means that the Stars Group will not only enjoy a significantly enhanced scale, but it will also have a highly-regarded global brand portfolio. He added, “we are well positioned to realize our vision of becoming the world’s favorite Gaming destination.”
This acquisition is remarkable as it will provide The Star Group with multiple operational and financial benefits.
Here is what is up for grabs from this deal:
Enhanced exposure to sports betting and greater revenue diversification. Betting is the world’s largest and fastest growing online gaming segment. It is important to understand that the majority of SBG’s revenue comes from sports betting.
With the UK market being the world’s largest regulated online gaming market means the increased presence in this market.
The addition of Sky Betting & Gaming innovative casino and sportsbook offerings will improve products and technology.
What is Sky Betting & Gaming?
Sky Betting & Gaming as we speak is UK’s largest active online player base. It also happens to be the leading mobile betting and gaming operator considering over 80% of revenues generated from mobile devices.
Sky Betting & Gaming has partnered with Sky, Europe’s leading broadcaster and media company to develop online gaming’s most well-known sites like Sky Vegas, Sky Casino, and Sky Bet.
The company’s unaudited annual revenue was £624 million and £202 million of unaudited adjusted EBITDA within a period of 12 months that ended on December 31, 2017.
The $4.7 Billion Purchase
The Star Group Inc. is the owner of BetStars, PokerStars, and Full Tilt brands. The group is also thinking of posing a secondary offering of 6 million shares. The price and the total size of this will be determined after an underwriting agreement.
The acting joint book-running managers and representatives of the underwriters are JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank securities.
The Star Group’s mission is to use net proceeds from treasury offering with cash on hand and debt financing, to fund the acquisition. But there are conditions to this acquisition like the listing of the treasury common shares on the Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq and the approval of the Stock Exchange.
The securities regulatory authorities have already received Preliminary Supplement in each of the provinces and territories in Canada and the Securities and Exchange Commission in the US.
It is important to note that the Stars Group stock rose up by 70% since January. It was able to hit an all-time high of C$50 in June before it dropped just under that mark on 15th of June. The company has high hopes in this purchase as it expects to profit from legal sports betting in the US following May’s ruling by the Supreme Court.
The company also reported a 23% year-on-year increase in its revenues in the first quarter of 2018. The purchase is believed to be a stepping stone for the company to continue providing technology-based product offerings in the interactive entertainment industries and global gaming. Sky Group also owns brands such as the European Poker Tour, Latin American Poker Tour, PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, PokerStars Festival, Asia Pacific Poker Tour and many more. So it goes without saying that the combination opens a new and exciting chapter for Sky Betting & Gaming to accelerate the international growth.
Source: CasinoPlayersReport.com
Industry News
EGT Digital Will Shine with its Latest Products at SBC Summit Barcelona 2023

EGT Digital is all set to participate in SBC Summit Barcelona 2023, where the iGaming provider will demonstrate the latest novelties in its portfolio. Guests can see them at stand CG20 on 20 and 21 September.
Along with the well-known instant games the company will showcase its jackpot bestsellers Bell Link, Clover Chance, High Cash and Single Progressive Jackpot, including over 80 in-house developed slot games. The newest addition to High Cash Mummy Secret will stand out, making its debut during the show. It joins the already established Princess Cash, Dragons’ Realm and Leprechance Treasury and it will immerse the players in the mysteries and riches of Ancient Egypt, where the high chances of winning in combination with the beautifully themed symbols and lavish look will guarantee them an unforgettable gaming experience. The multiplayer title xRide will complement the selection of slots.
EGT Digital will also show its in-house developed all-in-one betting platform X-Nave with its 4 main modules: Sportsbook product, Casino aggregator, CRM Engine and Payment Gateway. They could be both part of the complete solution or operate separately as they allow integration with third-party platforms.
The Sportsbook product will present its latest promotion mechanisms and bonus types, including new bonus mechanics, odds boosters, new early payout types and jackpots. The self-service betting terminal which offers a 360-degree solution for both software and hardware aspects of the business in the retail segment will also be on display.
The main highlight in CRM Engine will be the Player Engagement Suite. Its three modules: campaign manager, gamification and loyalty and player journey, enable operators to provide their clients with bonuses and promotions tailored according to their tastes and preferences.
X-Nave’s Casino aggregator, which currently includes more than 90 different integrations with popular third-party gaming providers, will also demonstrate its latest modules for tombola, operator-controlled prize drops and jackpots.
“SBC Summit Barcelona provides us with the chance to meet with our current partners, as well as with many potential new customers, which is very important to us, considering the fact that Spain and the Iberian region as a whole have a lot of potential for our products. I am confident that we will have a very fruitful participation in this year’s edition of the exhibition, which will repeat and even surpass our success from last year,” Tsvetomira Drumeva, Head of Sales at EGT Digital, said.
Industry News
Aristocrat Gaming to Introduce New European For Sale Link Lineup

Aristocrat Gaming is rolling out an exciting collection of new For Sale Link games in Europe, set to bring a new level of energy to gaming floors across the region.
Joining the growing list of For Sale Links, which offer customers ownership of Aristocrat content with optional centerpiece packaging, are:
Jin Cai Hao Yun: A For Sale Link that meshes the popular Choy character with 5 Dragons in two distinct settings: Red and Yellow editions, each offering Lucky Zone free game bonuses with expanding and sliding wilds. The popular Hold ‘n Spin feature progressively unlocks more room for Cash-on-Reels tokens, as well as boasting a repeat win mechanic, with a Super Feature unlocking all rows from the start.
Scorchin’ Fortune: Aristocrat’s first multigame For Sale Link introduced in Europe, features three flaming hot 25/50 line base games: Prosperity of the Nile, Tiki Blast and Sky Temple, as well as a Hold ‘n Spin feature. Player-selectable low and mid-denom ranges are available, complementing a selection of operator-configurable grand progressive start-up values.
“Our focus on the For Sale Link segment is driven by our customers’ feedback and their desire to own some of the top Aristocrat games to expand their offering to players. With this, we are on a continued mission to expand our portfolio and deliver on the promise to invest in the EMEA region,” said Marcel Heutmekers, VP of Sales and Operations in EMEA for Aristocrat Gaming.
Earlier this year, Aristocrat Gaming launched For Sale Link titles – Flamin’ Fortune and Mo’ Mummy in Europe. Flamin’ Fortune 50 Lions and Queen of The Nile, appear on the MarsX Portrait cabinet and entertain players with traditional free game bonus features and a new Hold ‘n Spin feature with repeat wins.
Mo’ Mummy: Housed on the MarsX dual screen cabinet, offers players a choice of two base game themes – Mighty Pyramid, inspired by the great pyramids of Egypt – and the Inca-inspired game, Valley of Riches. Mo’ Mummy combines a triple metamorphic and an innovative take on Hold ‘n Spin mechanics through its cash collection feature. In this feature, players can grow ‘zone of pays’ by landing Cash-on-Reels tokens, or metamorphically trigger free games or a jackpot pick ’em feature.
These games and more for EMEA will be featured in the Aristocrat Gaming booth at The Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in Las Vegas from 9 October to 12 October 2023.
Australia
Aristocrat Appoints Superna Kalle as Chief Strategy & Content Officer

Aristocrat Leisure Ltd announced the appointment of Ms Superna Kalle to the position of Chief Strategy & Content Officer, reporting directly to Aristocrat CEO & Managing Director Trevor Croker. Ms Kalle will join Aristocrat on 9 October 2023.
Ms Kalle spent 16 years at Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), where she held leadership positions in corporate development, before growing SPE’s television networks businesses in India, Japan and across Asia, and leading the company’s US networks. More recently, Ms Kalle was President of Starz International, and led the rollout of the premium streaming company to over 60 countries. Ms Kalle holds a Bachelor of Arts from Barnard College, Columbia University and an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business.
Mr Croker said: “I am delighted to welcome a global executive of Superna Kalle’s calibre to Aristocrat, and to our leadership team. Superna will play a pivotal role in driving our Group growth strategy, and leveraging Aristocrat’s industry-leading intellectual property across our operations as a key part of this effort.
“Superna is a global digital media executive with more than 20 years of experience driving transformational growth, both as an operational and strategy leader. Superna has a track record of maximising the strategic value of content across a range of consumer media verticals. I look forward to her contribution and congratulate her warmly on her appointment.”
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