Rescuing the Star – crisis at a flagship casino

Australia’s largest publicly traded casino operator, Star Entertainment Group, has been temporarily suspended from the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). This follows a damning report from the New South Wales Independent Casino Commission (NICC), which condemned the company for failing to address pervasive issues of money laundering and unethical conduct. Chief Commissioner Philip Crawford stated that Star had only recently begun to tackle longstanding challenges, raising serious doubts about its fitness to operate. With venues in Sydney, Brisbane, and the Gold Coast, Star's future remains uncertain as it is facing significant regulatory scrutiny.

DraftKings strengthens market share with acquisition of Simplebet

DraftKings Inc. has announced its agreement to acquire Simplebet Inc., a company specialising in in-game betting technology. The acquisition indicates DraftKings' commitment to enhancing its product offerings and strengthening its position in the rapidly evolving sports betting market. This deal is particularly significant as it highlights the growing importance of microbetting—wagers placed during live sporting events—a trend that is reshaping the landscape of sports wagering. It will no doubt grow Draft Kings' market share significantly.

Bet Play launches in Paraná after acquiring Aposta.la

Lottopar approved the change of the Aposta.la betting platform to Bet Play in Paraná. The change includes a new domain and GLI 33 certification, ensuring security in operations. Users with remaining balance will be refunded via Pix.

Evoke acquires Romanian gambling operator in €10 million deal

Evoke (EVOK), formerly 888 Holdings, has announced the acquisition of Net Gaming Solutions (NGS), a leading Romanian gambling operator, for €10 million. This strategic move positions the newly combined entity as the fourth-largest operator in Romania, with a market share of approximately 7 percent.

Plagued by shadows of past leadership, Entain battles group action law suit

London-listed Entain finds itself entangled in a major legal battle, partially a result of the style of risk management and governance protocols of the previous administration. A group of institutional investors has filed a £150 million lawsuit against the company, seeking compensation for a decline in its share price following an investigation into alleged bribery at its former Turkish subsidiary. The announcement of the DPA had an immediate and profound impact on Entain’s stock, triggering a significant drop in share value.

Flutter continues aggressive acquisition strategy with Snaitech takeover

UK-based technology firm Playtech has confirmed ongoing discussions with Irish betting giant Flutter Entertainment regarding the sale of its Italian subsidiary, Snaitech. This potential transaction, reported to be valued at approximately £2 billion ($2.57 billion). Both companies are keen to solidify their positions in the global market. Background and Market Reactions

Flutter set to acquire Brazil’s Betnacional for £1 billion

Flutter Entertainment is to make a significant investment in Brazil’s expanding gaming market. The company is in talks to acquire Betnacional, one of Brazil’s largest gambling operators, in a deal estimated to be worth £1 billion.

Poland’s STS Group and BetGames extend partnership

BetGames, a leading provider of content that seamlessly integrates sports betting and casino gaming, has renewed its exclusive partnership with the STS Group, a top-tier operator in Poland. This successful collaboration, which has been extended until 2026, underscores STS’ exclusive rights to offer BetGames’ wide choice of games in its domestic market. This includes the…

Idealbet acquisition marks Stake’s expansion into Italian market

Stake, a leading brand in the betting and gaming category, has made a strategic acquisition that marks its expansion into the Italian market. The company has acquired 100 percent of Baldo Line s.r.l., a company previously part of the Octavian Group that holds an Italian gaming license. This acquisition includes Italy-based sports betting and remote gaming operator Idealbet.it.

Ebbe Groes steers through the complex iGaming M&A maze

EveryMatrix has recently acquired FSB Technology, which has been described as the company’s “most ambitious acquisition to date”. Could you elaborate on the strategic rationale behind this acquisition and how it aligns with EveryMatrix’s overall M&A strategy? We identified FSB towards the end of last year and have been in various negotiations since then. The core rationale is to take the union of both these companies and produce something even better than each of us has done as standalone businesses. Being a successful B2B supplier is all about scale, to secure many clients, to build successful technologies once and to sell them many times over. This gives you the profitability you need to keep investing in product. With FSB added to the group we immediately have better scale, plus market entry into new territories such as UK & Ireland and to further expand in Africa.