Industry News
Angel to Acquire GPIC
Gaming Partners International Corporation (NASDAQ: GPIC) (“GPIC”) announced today that it has entered into a merger agreement with Angel Holdings Godo Kaisha (“Angel”) pursuant to which Angel will acquire GPIC for cash in a transaction valued at approximately $110 million. The consideration to be paid to GPIC’s stockholders will be $13.75 in cash for each share of GPIC common stock. The merger agreement was unanimously adopted by a special transaction committee of independent directors of the board of directors of GPIC (the “Board”) as well as the full Board. In addition, GPIC stockholders holding approximately 51% of the outstanding shares have signed a voting agreement to vote “for” the transaction.
TRANSACTION DETAILS:
Under the terms of the merger agreement, stockholders of GPIC will receive $13.75 in cash in exchange for their shares. Upon closing of the transaction, Angel will own 100% of GPIC.
The merger agreement provides for a “go-shop” provision under which, subject to certain limitations and conditions contained in the merger agreement, GPIC and its board of directors may actively solicit, receive, evaluate and potentially enter into negotiations with parties that offer alternative proposals to the proposed merger transaction until February 2, 2019. There can be no assurance that any person will make a proposal more favorable to the stockholders of GPIC than what Angel has agreed to under the merger agreement. GPIC does not intend to disclose developments about this process unless and until its board of directors has made a decision with respect to any potential superior proposal.
The transaction, which is expected to close in 2019, is subject to the approval of GPIC stockholders and the receipt of certain approvals from gaming authorities. The transaction is also conditioned on other customary closing conditions.
ADVISORS
B. Riley FBR, Inc. is serving as financial advisor to GPIC, and Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP and Holland & Hart, LLP are acting as legal counsel for GPIC.
ANGEL HOLDINGS GODO KAISHA
Angel manufactures and supplies playing cards and card games for both the gaming industry and the retail market. A world leader in casino playing cards and table game equipment, Angel’s many groundbreaking innovations include the best-selling Angel Protect Pre-shuffled Cards, and the Angel Eye® series of electronic shoes. Angel’s principal business office is located in Kyoto, Japan, with manufacturing facilities in Japan and Singapore. Angel also has offices in the United States, Macau, Australia and the Philippines.
GPIC
GPIC manufactures and supplies casino table game equipment to licensed casinos worldwide. Under the brand names of Paulson®, Bourgogne et Grasset®, Gemaco®, Dolphin® and Bud Jones®, GPIC provides casino currency, including chips, plaques and jetons; playing cards; table layouts; gaming furniture and table accessories; dice; and roulette wheels. GPIC pioneered the use of security features like radio frequency identification device (RFID) technology in casino currency, and offers RFID solutions including RFID readers, software, and displays. Headquartered in North Las Vegas, Nevada, GPIC also has facilities in Beaune, France; San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico; Blue Springs, Missouri; Atlantic City, New Jersey; Gulfport, Mississippi; and Macau S.A.R., China.
IMPORTANT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRANSACTION AND WHERE TO FIND IT
This communication is being made in respect of the proposed merger transaction (the “Merger”) involving Gaming Partners International Corporation (“GPIC”) and Angel Holdings Godo Kaisha (“Angel”). This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval.
In connection with the proposed transaction, GPIC will file a proxy statement and other documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Before making any voting decision, investors and stockholders of GPIC are urged to carefully read the definitive proxy statement when it becomes available because it will contain important information regarding GPIC, Angel and the Merger.
A definitive proxy statement and form of proxy will be sent to GPIC stockholders seeking their approval of the transaction. This press release is not a substitute for the proxy statement or any other document which GPIC may file with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction. INVESTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS OF GPIC ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THESE DOCUMENTS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. The definitive proxy statement (when available) and other documents filed by GPIC with the SEC may be obtained free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. In addition, the documents filed by GPIC may be obtained free of charge from GPIC at www.gpigaming.com.
PARTICIPATION IN THE SOLICITATION
GPIC and certain of their respective directors, executive officers and other members of management and employees may, under the rules of the SEC, be deemed to be “participants” in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the Merger. Information concerning the interests of the persons who may be “participants” in the solicitation will be set forth in the proxy statement when it is filed with the SEC. You can find more detailed information about GPIC’s executive officers and directors in its definitive proxy statement filed with the SEC on April 18, 2018.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
All statements in this communication other than statements of historical fact contained in this report are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements usually relate to future events and anticipated revenues, earnings, cash flows or other aspects of our operations or operating results. Forward-looking statements are often identified by the words “anticipate,” “guidance,” “assumptions,” “projects,” “estimates,” “outlook,” “expects,” “continues,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “forecasts,” “future,” “potential,” “may,” “foresee,” “possible,” “should,” “would,” “could” and variations of such words or similar expressions, including the negative thereof. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, beliefs and assumptions concerning future developments and business conditions and their potential effect on us. While management believes that these forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made, there can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we anticipate.
Risks and uncertainties that could cause results to differ materially from those expected by the management of GPIC include the expected timing and likelihood of completion of the proposed transaction, including the timing, receipt and terms and conditions of any required governmental and regulatory approvals of the proposed transaction that could reduce anticipated benefits or cause the parties to abandon the proposed transaction, the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement, the possibility that our stockholders may not approve the Merger Agreement, the risk that the parties may not be able to satisfy the conditions to the proposed transaction in a timely manner or at all, risks related to disruption of management time from ongoing business operations due to the proposed transaction, the risk that any announcements relating to the proposed transaction could have adverse effects on the market price of GPIC common shares, the risk of any unexpected costs or expenses resulting from the proposed transaction, the risk of any litigation relating to the proposed transaction, the risk that the proposed transaction and its announcement could have an adverse effect on the ability of GPIC to retain and hire key personnel and maintain relationships with its suppliers and customers and on its operating results and businesses generally, the risk that the proposed transaction could distract management of GPIC, the risk that GPIC will incur substantial costs in connection with the proposed transaction, as well as other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. All of our forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties (some of which are significant or beyond our control) and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from our historical experience and our present expectations or projections. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties that affect the parties’ businesses, including those described in GPIC’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and other documents filed from time to time by GPIC with the SEC. We wish to caution you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any of our forward-looking statements after the date they are made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by law.
Source: Gaming Partners International Corporation
Industry News
Maximising Your Cross-Market Appeal
With Bitblox introducing an entirely new breed of crypto-based price prediction games to the iGaming industry, we talked to CEO, Brandt Page, to discover how combining elements of both chance and skill with lightning-fast betting rounds has helped improve their cross-market appeal.
When Bitblox was first established, our core concept was relatively simple; we didn’t just want to provide players with a new twist on an existing format like slots or casino games, but instead sought to create an entirely new vertical that combined elements of chance and elements of skill.
One of the main drivers behind this decision was the fact that we wanted our releases to appeal to as broad an audience as possible – and I think from the figures we’ve seen so far, we’ve already had some notable success on that front in terms of the players that are engaging with our games.
Funnily enough, I was recently talking to the Head of Marketing from one of the operators that we work with and they told me they were struggling to place our games optimally. Initially, they’d put them in with crash and instant win content, but they soon discovered a lot of their in-game traffic was coming from sports bettors. A move to the sports betting tab followed, but the exact same-thing happened with casino players, leading to the games eventually winding up on the front page.
As this was going on, our games were continuing to post solid numbers with the customers who bet on both sports and casino – and all of this engagement was coming without there being any additional promotion from us or the operator. So why was it that our games were performing so well across these different player segments? I believe there are a number of contributing factors.
First and foremost, having this hybrid model of games of chance and games of skill that I’ve already mentioned has placed us in a fairly unique position within the iGaming industry. On the one hand, the simple premise of our Bitcoin-based titles – coupled with their attractive designs and intuitive UI – makes them highly accessible to casino players who are just looking to have fun.
On the other, the fact that Bitblox games aren’t based on RNG and are instead pinned to the real-time movements of the Bitcoin market certainly resonates with a sports betting audience. As they have the ability to follow the charts and use this information to inform their decisions, they definitely feel they have more control over the outcome than if they were playing a traditional slot.
Another key aspect of our cross-market appeal is the fast-paced nature of all Bitblox releases. With casino players being accustomed to the quick wins and instant gratification of slots and crash games and sports bettors also showing a growing preference for in-play wagering, we’ve ensured each game round is resolved quickly and that there are multiple opportunities for betting.
When we first launched Up or Down?, which features one-minute betting rounds, we soon learned that even this timeframe is too long for some players. This resulted in us developing Up or Down? Turbo – a game which kept the same mechanics as its predecessor but reduced the betting window to 20 seconds – and this has gone on to become one of our most successful titles.
Keeping all this in mind, one of the things I’m most excited about is the upcoming release of our latest game, 3 in a Row, as I think this is a title that really ties everything I’ve talked about so far together. Designed to look like a slot machine, 3 in a Row challenges players to correctly predict how the Bitcoin price will move over three separate 20-second windows for even bigger payouts.
Intended to appeal to casual users and serious sports bettors alike, players can elect to either spin the reels for fun and select a random price sequence or use the bet builder feature to put together their own custom prediction. With the latter essentially functioning like an accumulator bet, players can select up to three possible combinations – i.e. Up/Up/Up, Up/Up/Down etc – and only one result needs to land for them to win, ensuring they stay engaged until the final seconds.
I believe that 3 in a Row can help build on the strong foundations we’ve laid down with casino and sports bettors and provide operators with another popular option that offers significant cross-market appeal. Based on what we’ve seen from previous Bitblox releases, the audience for titles that combine elements of chance and elements of skill is definitely out there – and I’m looking forward to our unique brand of crypto-based games being enjoyed by even more players in future.
Industry News
Gaming Corps to launch with lotteries in the USA via EQL games deal
In-demand content provider extends reach into largest iGaming market in the world with its full suite of games made available via iLottery aggregation platform
Gaming Corps, a publicly-listed game studio based in Sweden renowned for creating industry-leading games, has made its debut in the US market through a breakthrough agreement with leading lottery provider, EQL Games.
The distribution agreement will see Gaming Corps’ full suite of games made available to EQL Games’ powerful iLottery Aggregation Platform, developed to provide lottery operators across America with direct access to a portfolio of proprietary and third-party games.
Following the integration, EQL Games’ lottery operator partners will be offered proven Slots, Table Games, Multiplier Games, Mine Games and Plinko Games, as well as titles under Gaming Corps’ innovative and trademarked Smash4Cash™ series.
The deal and integration come at a time of growing demand among online lottery operators in the US for non-traditional content, a format that Gaming Corps has excelled in, especially with its Smash4Cash™ games, which have been a hit with players in global markets.
EQL’s aggregation platform has been developed to allow online lottery operators to quickly and easily access content from multiple game studios simultaneously through one integration and one commercial agreement.
Its iLottery Aggregation platform simplifies the process of adding new games to an online lottery brand across regulated states. In addition to the third-party content provided via its aggregator platform, EQL Games has a portfolio of in-house titles.
This includes games produced under licence with Team USA which were rolled out by several state lotteries for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris this year, with new titles being planned ahead of the Winter Games in Milan (2026) and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles (2028).
Juha Kauppinen, CEO of Gaming Corps, said: “The USA has always been somewhat of the holy grail for game developers like us, which has been further emphasised as markets in several states have become regulated. The potential in the American market is enormous, and the impact for us is a bit difficult to assess, but we have great hopes for the collaboration with EQL Games, which has an impressive platform towards U.S. lotteries.
“We believe it will have a significantly positive impact on our revenues. I would like to personally take the opportunity to thank EQL Games and Brad Cummings for the collaboration, and we are now working hard to complete the integration so that all our games will be offered to EQL’s customers via their platform.”
Brad Cummings, CEO of EQL Games, added: “Including Gaming Corps as a supplier to the EQL Games iLottery Aggregator is an exciting step forward in our mission to offer unique, high-quality content to state lotteries. Gaming Corps’ expertise in iGaming, along with their unique game portfolio, fits perfectly with our vision of enhancing the lottery experience through dynamic and engaging content.”
Industry News
Public Voting Starts for Ortak x B.F.T.H. Arena Awards 3.0
The highly anticipated Ortak x B.F.T.H. Arena Awards 3.0 has officially entered the public voting phase as submissions are closed.
More than 70 game providers have turned in over 160 submissions, including Tom Horn Gaming, Pragmatic Play and RubyPlay. Public voting involves enthusiasts casting their votes to pick the winner of the Game of Public Choice category.
The Public voting phase ends on December 1st 23:59 GMT+4.
Concurrent to public voting, the first phase of private voting also starts during which all participants who have submitted entries get the chance to vote for one favourite in each category. An international auditing company oversees this phase to eliminate duplicate votes and self-votes. This phase ends on November 19, 23:59 GMT+4.
The second phase of private voting will also take place with a jury of industry experts making their decisions based on the shortlist picked by participants during the first phase.
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