iGaming Acquisitions - M&A in iGaming industry

By Ville Saari Updated:

Learn about the sales and mergers in the iGaming market

Here is an extensive record of all major iGaming acquisitions and mergers to this day. You can learn how the market has changed, what moves companies have made and how the price trend for companies has evolved over the years.

From strategic alliances to game-changing partnerships, iGaming industry is constantly changing. Large companies buying startups, removing competition by merging with them, online casinos expanding into new verticals; there are plenty of stories behind these sales.

You can also find the ten biggest sales of all time and learn more about them.

Table of Contents

The biggest iGaming acquisitions of all time

These are the top 10 biggest iGaming acquisitions of all time. They have changed the industry and created powerhouses that have been hard to rival.

You can learn more about these sales below. We go over each sale in more detail.

  Buyer Asset type Seller Asset type Date Price
1. Silver Lake Private equity firm Endeavor Group Holdings Holding Company 2024 / 04 $13B
2. Paddy Power/Betfair Operator Betfair/Paddy Power Operator 2015 / 09 Merger (£5B)
3. Brookfield Business Partners Operator Scientific Games (US Lottery sale) Developer 2022 / 04 $5.8B
4. Entain (as GVC Holdings) Operator Ladbrokes Coral Operator 2017 / 12 £4B
5. Scientific Games Developer Bally Technologies Developer 2014 / 10 $5.1B
7. Amaya Gaming Operator, Developer PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker Operator 2014 / 07 $4.9B
7. Tabcorp Service Tatts Operator 2016 / 10 AUD 6.4B
8. GTECH Holding Company IGT Developer 2014 / 07 $4.7B
9. Lottomatica Operator GTECH Operator 2006 / 01 Merger ($4.7B)
10. The Stars Group Operator Sky Betting & Gaming Operator 2018 / 04 $4.7B

The most recent iGaming acquisitions (by year)

Here, you can find the major iGaming M&As of the 2000s that we have recorded. Discover how over two decades of bought assets, expansions and corporate purchases have helped reshape the iGaming landscape into what it is today.

All sale prices are calculated at the exchange rate of that time. The prices are not adjusted for inflation. All sales are listed as newest first.

2024

Buyer Seller Asset type Price
BetMakers Racelab Global Developer AUD 1.5M
BlueBet Betr Operator Merger
Silver Lake Endeavor Group Holdings Holding Company $13B
Gambling.com XL Media Affiliate assets $42.5M
Fanduel BeyondPlay Provider Undisclosed
Betsson Holland Gaming Technology Operator €27.5
Lottery.com S&MI Operator Undisclosed
DraftKings Jackpocket Operator $750M
ESPN Bet Wynn (WSI US, LLC) Operator $25M
Evolution Livespins Provider €5M
Allwyn Instant Win Gaming Operator Unspecified
Swintt Elysium Studios Provider Unspecified
Softswiss Turfsport Provider Undisclosed
Undisclosed 6.4% of Lottomatica (Gamma Intermediate still holds 65.4%) Operator €152M
Ekstra Bladet Swush.com (DanskeSpill) Developer (Sports) Undisclosed
GMGI MeridianBet Operator $300M

2023

Buyer Seller Asset type Price
Sun International Peermont Holdings Operator €359.6M
DoubleDown SuprNation Platform $36.5M
GIG Kafe Rocks Affiliate €35M
PM Legacy Inc LottoKings and WinTrillions (Kings Entertainment) Operator CAD 175,000
Oddschecker Supercommesse (Catena Media) Affiliate €19.8M
Spiffbet Helmicasino.com Operator SEK 300,000
LiveScore Group Wonderlabz Developer Undisclosed
Stake Betfair Colombia (Flutter) Operator Undisclosed
SEGA SAMMY GAN Operator $107.6M
Better Collective Playmaker Capital Affiliate €176M
La Française des Jeux (FDJ) Premier Lotteries Ireland (PLI) Physical Unspecified
Jelly Entertainment Wundermachine Developer Unspecified
Lottomatica Group SKS365 Operator (also physical) Undisclosed
Light & Wonder SciPlay (remaining shares) Developer $420M
Fanatics PointsBet US Operator $225M
PA Betting Services iRace Media Service Unspecified
Entain Angstrom Sports Service £203M
La Française des Jeux (FDJ) ZEturf Operator €175M
Playtika Innplay Labs Developer $300M
Flutter Entertainment MaxBet (51%) Operator €141M
Better Collective Tipsbladet Affiliate €6.5M
Xtremepush Thunderbite Service (Loyalty Programmes) Unspecified
Better Collective Torcedores.com Affiliate Undisclosed
LeoVegas Push Gaming Developer Undisclosed
Boom Entertainment NBC Sports Predictor Service Undisclosed
Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) Exacta Systems Developer $250M
Allied Beijing Lianzhong Zhihe Technology Co. Developer $7M
Better Collective SvenskaFans.com, HockeySverige.se, Fotbolldirekt.se, InnebandyMagazinet.se (Everysport Group) Affiliate €3.7M
Playmaker La Poche Bleue Affiliate Undisclosed
Moneta Communications Squawka and GG.co.uk (Catena) Affiliate €6M
Play Synergy Aruze's Slot assets Developer Unspecified
Million Games STHLM Gaming & Rhino Gaming (Spiffbet) Developer SEK 3.5M
Playtika Youda Games Developer €81.3M
888Africa BetLion Operator Undisclosed
Glitnor PlayStar (37.5%) Operator Unspecified
Interblog Aruze's ETG Assets Developer Unspecified
B90 Holdings Funko International Affiliate €3.6M
Raw iGaming FunFair's Multiplayer Portfolio Developer Unspecified
Beach Services Casino.se, .gr and .pt (XL Media) Affiliate $4M
EveryMatrix DeepCI Service Undisclosed
Betsson Betfirst Operator €120M
Paf 888's Latvian Business Operator €28.3M
OpenBet Neccton Service (ALM) Unspecified
Entain STS Operator £750M
Entain Tiidal Gaming NZ (including Sportsflare) Developer (Sports Betting) CAD 13.2M
FS Group 6.57% of 888 Operator Shares trading
Markor/Whitezip Markor/Whitezip Account management / marketing Merger
GLI Group iTech Labs Service Unspecified
Aristocrat NeoGames Developer $1.2B
Betr Chameleon platform (FansUnite) Service (Platform) $7.4M
Undisclosed McBookie (FansUnite) Operator CAD 5M
Kambi Kambi (from Kindred) Operator €7.5M
Yahoo Wagr Operator (P2P) Unspecified
North Star Network LakersBrasil.com Affiliate Undisclosed
Allwyn Camelot (UK) Operator (Lottery) £100M
Stram Entertainment FansUnite Affiliate Unspecified
Super Group (Betway) Digital Gaming Corp Service Unspecified
Entain 365scores Service $150M
Everi Holdings / Global Cash Access Assets from Video King Developer $59M
Better Collective Skycon Affiliate £45M
Entain Sportsflare Service $13.25M
Playtech Hard Rock Digital (minority stake) Developer $85M
Games Global Digital Gaming Corp Service Undisclosed
Elys Game Technology Engage IT Service Unspecified
Playtech Northstar (16%) Operator CAD 12.25M
Penn National Barstool Sports (Remaining shares) Operator $388M
Breckenridge CasinoSecret Operator Unspecified
Zeal Circl Developer (Sportsbetting) Unspecified
Planet Sport Tipstrr Affiliate / Tipster Unspecified
Better Collective Catena Media (5%) Affiliate $10M
Lion Gaming 1Click Games Service Unspecified
Greentube (Novomatic) Alteatec Service Unspecified
Entain BetEnt (BetCity) Operator (Betting) €850M*
Golden Matrix Group MeridianBet Operator $300M
Greentube (Novomatic) Ineor (80%) Developer Unspecified
Undisclosed Bethard Operator (all) €9.5M
Allwyn Camelot Lottery Solutions (US) Operator (Lottery) €74.2M

2022

Buyer Seller Asset type Price
Lady Luck Games ReelNRG Developer SEK 8.25M
GiG Catena Media Publishing Affiliate €45M
IMG Arena Leap Gaming Game Developer Unspecified
Boyd Gaming Pala Interactive Service (Platform) $170M
Endeavour OpenBet Service $800M
Novomatic HBG (80%) Physical Gaming Machines Unspecified
Entain Supersport Operator €690M
Raw iGaming Spigo Developer Unspecified
Tabcorp Dabble Sports (20%) Service AUD 33M
Light & Wonder House Advantage assets Service Unspecified
Betsson KickerTech (80%) Service €14M
Lottomatica Betflag Operator €310M
KeyStar ZenSports Operator Unspecified
Playstudios Brainium Developer (Social Gaming) $70M
Greentube (Novomatic) Present Creative Developer Unspecified
GameCo/Green Jade Games GameCo/Green Jade Games Developer Merger
Seven Star Digital Moneta Communications Affiliate Unspecified
Playmaker Wedge Traffic Affiliate Unspecified
La Française des Jeux (FDJ) Zeturf Group Operator Unspecified
Aristocrat Roxor Developer Unspecified
Kambi Shape Games Service €78.1M
IAC MGM (+4.6%) Operator $41.7M
Flutter Entertainment Sisal Operator €1.9B
Broadway Gaming 888's Bingo and B2C Business Operator $45.2M
Z IGT iSoftBet Game Developer €160M
NeoGames AspireGlobal Service (White Label) €416M
HeadsUp LotteryHub Service Unspecified
Betfred LottoStar Operator (Lotto) Unspecified
888 William Hill International (non-US) Operator £1.95B
Raw iGaming Sapphire Gaming Developer Unspecified
Games Global Quickfire Service Unspecified
DraftKings Golden Nugget Online Gaming Operator $450M
Everi Holdings / Global Cash Access Intuicode Gaming Corporation Developer $22-27M
TCSJohnHuxley Midwest Game Supply Developer Unspecified
Brookfield Business Partners Scientific Games (US Lottery sale) Developer $5.8B
Better Collective Futbin Database €105M
Parsec Capital Enteractive Media Affiliate Unspecified
Blexr ThePogg Affiliate "Six-figure sum"
Parthenon Capital Global Payments’ gaming arm Service Undisclosed
Better Collective Canada Sports Betting Affiliate €21.4M
Novibet/Artemis Artemis/Novibet Operator Merger ($625M)
Bettor Capital BeyondPlay (25%) Service €1.9M
Glitnor KaFe Rocks Affiliate Undisclosed
Everi Holdings / Global Cash Access Assets from Atlas Gaming Developer Unspecified
Bragg Gaming Group Spin Games Developer $30M
Inspired Gaming Group Contract for Dominican Republic’s Loteria Electrónica Contract $14.5M
Thimba Media Seven Star Digital Affiliate Cash/debt free basis
Gambling.com RotoWire (Roto Sports) Affiliate $27.5M
Accel Entertainment Century Gaming Operator (Physical) $164.2M
MGM Resorts LeoVegas Operator $604M
Sportradar Vaix Service Unspecified
Entain Avid Gaming Service €237M
888 William Hill (except US assets) Operator €2.25B
Flutter Entertainment Tombola Operator €479M
Genius Sports FanHub Media Developer (Free to play) Unspecified
Evolution Gaming NoLimit City Developer €340M
Bally's Corporation Tropicana Las Vegas Physical Casino $148M

2021

Buyer Seller Asset type Price
Betsson Slapshot Media (28%) Service CAD 3M
Parimatch Tech mr.fish and PokerMatch Service + Operator Unspecified
GIG Sportnco Platform €50.8M
B90 Spinbookie Operator £1.763M*
GAN (Game Account Network) Silverback Gaming Developer Undisclosed
Scientific Games Authentic Gaming Developer Unspecified
Raketech QM Media (+ P&P Vegas Group) Affiliate $18M
XL Media Saturday Football Service $24M
Raketech A.T.S Consultants Affiliate $15.5M
Catena Media i15 Media Affiliate €38M
Kambi Abios Service (esports) SEK 270m*
B90 Oddsen Affiliate €4.37M
Slotlight Sport Group Alarm Sports Network Platform Unspecified
Scientific Games Sideplay Entertainment Developer Unspecified
Scientific Games Lightning Box Developer Unspecified
DraftKings BlueRibbon Developer Unspecified
Elys Game Technology Bookmakers Company US Operator $12M
Kindred Group Relax Gaming Developer €193m (for 66.6%)
Raketech Infinileads (SlotJava) Affiliate €4.5M
Raketech freepicks.picksandparlays.net/ Affiliate $16M
Z Capital/Affinity Z Capital/Affinity Affiliate / Holding Company Merger
Esports Entertainment Group Helix and ggCircuit Service Unspecified
Betfred Betting World Operator £6.1M
Evolution Gaming Big Time Gaming Developer €450M
Better Collective Action Network Affiliate $240M
PointsBet Premier Turf Club Operator $2.9M
Catena Media Lineups.com Affiliate $39.6M
Entain Enlabs and Bet.pt Operator SEK 3.7B
Thimba Media Assets from Astro Media Group Affiliate $1.8M
PointsBet Banach Technology Service (Platform) $43M
DraftKings Vegas Sports Information Network Service Unspecified
LeoVegas Expekt Operator €3M
Greentube (Novomatic) Eurocoin Gaming Developer Unspecified
Better Collective Rekatochklart.com Affiliate €3.6M
Esports Entertainment Group EGL Service Unspecified
DoubleDown Interactive Suprnation Operator $35M
Aristocrat Playtech Developer £2.7B
Bally's Corporation MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa Physical Casino $155M*
Bally's Corporation Monkey Knife Fight Developer $50M*
Acroud The Gambling Cabin Affiliate SEK 23.6-82M
Bally's Corporation Gamesys Developer Merger ($2B)
Bally's Corporation Bet.Works Service (Platform) $125M
Betsson JDP Tech Ltd (50%) Service €8.8M
BetMakers Sportech’s Racing, Tote and Digital assets Service $56M
Broadway Gaming Dragonfish Operator (Bingo) $50M
Entain Unikrn Operator (Betting / esports) £50M
Esports Entertainment Group Bethard Operator €16M
Penn National Score Media Operator $2B
DraftKings Golden Nugget Online Gaming Operator $1.56B
Esports Technologies Aspire Global’s B2C business Developer / Service €65.5M
Evolution Gaming DigiWheel Developer $1M
Bragg Gaming Group Wild Streak Gaming Developer $30M
Bally's Corporation Sportcaller Developer Unspecified

2020

Buyer Seller Asset type Price
XL Media CBWG Affiliate $22M
Flutter Entertainment FanDuel Operator $4.2B for 37%
GAN (Game Account Network) Coolbet (Vincent Group) Operator €149M
Raketech AmericanGambler.com Affiliate €5M
Wynn Resorts Betbull Operator (Betting) $80M
Entain (as GVC Holdings) Bet.pt Operator Unspecified
Caesars Entertainment William Hill (US) Operator $2.9B
Esports Entertainment Group Argyll Operator (Betting) Unspecified
IAC MGM (12%) Operator $1B
Superbet Lucky 7 (60%) Operator Unspecified
Flutter Entertainment/The Stars Group Flutter Entertainment/The Stars Group Operator Merger
Gauselmann Group Bede Gaming Platform Unspecified
Raketech Lead Republik Affiliate €1.4M
Penn National Barstool Sports (36%) Operator $163M
Aspire Global BtoBet Service (Sportsbook) €20M
Betsson Gaming Innovation Group (casinos) Operator €33M
Evolution Gaming NetEnt Developer $2.1B
Bally's Corporation Eldorado Resort Casino Shreveport Physical Casino $140M

2019

Buyer Seller Asset type Price
The Stars Group BetEasy (remaining 20%) Operator AUD 151M
DraftKings SBTech Operator Merger ($3.3B)
Churchill Downs Presque Isle Downs Casino Physical Unspecified
William Hill CG Technology Sportsbook Unspecified
Genting Authentic Gaming Developer €15M
GIG Top Game Operator Undisclosed
Inspired Gaming Group Gaming Technology Group (Novomatic UK) Game Developer $120m
Jackpotjoy Gamesys (specific assets) Service £490M
NetEnt Red Tiger Developer £223M*
Better Collective mybettingsites.co.uk Affiliate £2.2M
Zeal Lotto24 Operator (Lotto) Unspecified
Rank Group Stride Gaming Operator £115.3M
888 Jackpotjoy's Bingo Brands Operator (Bingo) £18M
Paddy Power Betfair (later Flutter) Adjarabet (51%) Operator €116M
AGS Integrity Gaming Corp. Developer $49M
888 BetBright's Sportsbook Operator (Sportsbook) £15M
888 Costa Bingo Operator (Bingo) £12-18M (consideration)
Aspire Global Pariplay (GMS Entertainment Limited) Operator €13.1M

2018

Buyer Seller Asset type Price
Bragg Gaming Group Oryx Developer CAD 13.8M
Better Collective Ribacka Group Affiliate €30M*
Entain (as GVC Holdings) Neds Operator $95M*
Penn National Gaming Pinnacle Operator $2.8B
Scientific Games Don Best Developer Undisclosed
Better Collective WBS Affiliate €4.2M
Better Collective Bola Webinformation GmbH Service (Platforms) €36.3M
Caesars Entertainment Centaur Holdings Operator (Physical) $1.7B
MrGreen 11.lv Operator €2.8M
Entain (as GVC Holdings) Crystalbet (51%) Operator $41.3M
The Stars Group Sky Betting & Gaming Operator $4.7B
CrownBet William Hill Australia Operator AUD 310M
Playtech Snaitech (70.6% ) Operator $1.05B
Kambi Virtus Sports (25%) Virtual Sports Company £500,000
LeoVegas Rocket X Operator £65M
Catena Media Bonusseeker.com Affiliate $11M
The Stars Group CrownBet (62%) Operator $117.7M
GiG D-Tech (36%) Developer €360,000
Blueprint Gaming Games Warehouse Developer Unspecified
XL Media Nettikasinot.com Affiliate €15M
Scientific Games NYX Developer CAD 775M
Novomatic Ainsworth (52%) Developer AUD 473.3M
Rank Group QSB (YoBingo) Operator (Bingo) €52M*
Eldorado Resorts The Grand Victorio Physical Unspecified
AGS Gameiom Technologies Service/Aggregator $5M
888 All American Poker Network Operator (Poker) $28M
William Hill MrGreen Operator €271M
The Stars Group BetEasy (remaining 80%) Operator Unspecified
Paddy Power Betfair (later Flutter) FanDuel Operator $158M (61%) + US assets
Evolution Gaming Ezugi Developer $12.6M

2017

Buyer Seller Asset type Price
Entain (as GVC Holdings) Ladbrokes Coral Operator £4B
Scientific Games Red7Mobile Developer Unspecified
Cherry AB Game Lounge (51%) Operator Unspecified
Catena Media BayBets Ltd Affiliate €53M
Entain (as GVC Holdings) Cozy Games Operator (Bingo) Unspecified
Ropso Malta Limited GVC's Turkish-facing operations (Headlong) Operator €150M
LeoVegas Royal Panda Operator €60M
GIG STK Marketing Affiliate €26M
Catena Media BettingPro.com Affiliate £13.9M
Kindred Group 32Red Operator £175.6M
DoubleU Games Co Ltd Double Down Operator $825M
Cherry AB Highlight Games (25%) Developer £2.4M
Catena Media NewCasinos.com Affiliate €10.9M
Greentube (Novomatic) Mazooma Developer Unspecified
GiG Unknown affiliate network Affiliate €5.7M
GiG CasinoTopsOnline.com Affiliate €11.5M
LeoVegas Winga.it Operator €6.1M
Cherry AB ComeOn Operator €280M
Betsson Premier Casino Operator €3M
Paddy Power Betfair (later Flutter) Draft Service $48M
Fortuna Entertainment Hattrick Sports Operator €85M
Catena Media Slotsia.com Affiliate $7M
Scientific Games DEQ Systems Developer CAD 27.2M
Aristocrat Plarium Global Limited Developer (Social Gaming) $500M
Playtech BetBudy Tool Undisclosed
Betsson NetPlay TV Operator £26M
Playtech Eyecon Developer (Bingo) £50M

2016

Buyer Seller Asset type Price
Betsson RaceBets Operator €34M
Cherry AB Betman Operator (Physical) Unspecified
Tabcorp Tatts Operator (Lottery) AUD 6.4B
Catena Media SBAT Affiliate €8M
William Hill Grand Parade Service £13.5M
Tabcorp INTECQ Service $128M
GIG Betit Operator €54M
Novomatic Talarius Developer £111M
Playtech Quickspin Developer €50M
NYX Gaming Group Betdigital Developer £24.5M
Catena Media AskGamblers Affiliate $15M
GiG Delta Markets Affiliate €4.2M
Catena Media casinouk.com Affiliate €10.6M
NYX Gaming Group OpenBet Operator £280M
Entain (as GVC Holdings) Bwin.Party Operator $1.6B
Playtech Best Gaming Technology Developer €138M

2015

Buyer Seller Asset type Price
INTRALOT Bit8 (35%) Service Unspecified
Ladbrokes Gala Coral Operator Merger (£2.3B)
Cherry AB Almor (71.5%) Operator €4.6M
NYX Gaming Group Game360 Developer Unspecified
Inspired Gaming Group We R Interactive Game Developer (Social Gaming) Unspecified
Betfair (later Paddy Power Betfair) HRTV TV Network $25-47.8M
888 Bwin.Party Operator £893.3M
Unibet iGame Operator €79M
Paddy Power/Betfair Betfair/Paddy Power Operator Merger (£5B)
Tabcorp ACTTAB Service £540,000
Cherry AB Norgesspill Operator $100M
Betsson Europe-Bet Operator $85M
Playtech TradeFX (Markets.com) (91.1%) Forex Company $458M
Amaya Gaming (later Stars Group) Victiv Fantasy Sports Unspecified
Playtech YoYo Games (GameMaker) Developer $16.4M
NYX Gaming Group Cryptologic and Chartwell Developer CAD 150M
Cherry AB Moorgate Media Ltd Operator £2.9M

2014

Buyer Seller Asset type Price
Churchill Downs Big Fish Games Developer (Mobile) $885M
NYX Gaming Group Ongame Poker Developer Unspecified
Scientific Games Bally Technologies Developer $5.1B
Everi Holdings / Global Cash Access Multimedia Games Developer $1.2B
Tabcorp ACTTAB Service $105.5M
Bally Technologies DragonPlay Developer (Social Gaming) $100M
Intertain Group Mandalay Media Operator (Bingo) £60M
Betsson Oranje Casino and Kroon Casino Operator €130 million
Intertain Group Vera & John (Dumarca) Operator €89.1M
Elray Resources Golden Galaxy Casino (25%) Operator Undisclosed
Amaya Gaming (later Stars Group) PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker (Rational Group) Operator $4.9B
GTECH IGT Developer $4.7B

2013

Buyer Seller Asset type Price
Novomatic Beware (majority share / 90%) Service (Platform) Unspecified
Bally Technologies SHFL entertainment Developer £1.3B
NetPlay Vernons Operator £3M
Scientific Games WMS Developer $1.5B
Ladbrokes Bookmaker.com.au Operator AUD 22.5M
Playtech PokerStrategy.com Affiliate €38.3M
Ladbrokes Betdaq Operator €30M
Gamesys Virgin Games Developer (Social Gaming) Undisclosed
Betfair (later Paddy Power Betfair) Blue Square Operator £5M

2012

Buyer Seller Asset type Price
Sportech eBet Online Service $12.6M
William Hill & GVC Sportingbet Operator £485M
Caesars Interactive Buffalo Studios Developer Unspecified
PokerStars Full Tilt Poker Operator $225M ($731M)
Rank Group 23 Casinos (From Gala Coral) Operator £205M
Unibet Betchoice Operator AUD 20M
IGT Double Down Game Developer $500M
Betsson Automaten Brands Operator (casino) SEK 286M
Amaya Gaming (later Stars Group) Ongame Network Service €25M
Bally Technologies Chiligaming's B2B Platform Service Unspecified
Sportingbet Danbook Ltd & Scandic Bookmakers Ltd Operator $13M
Bwin.party Orneon (and other assets) Operator (Social Gaming) $23M
Betsson Nordic Gaming Group Operator (All) €65M (app)
Aristocrat Product Madness Developer (Social Gaming) Unspecified
Amaya Gaming (later Stars Group) Cryptologic Developer $35.8M

2011

Buyer Seller Asset type Price
Unibet EurosportBet (Solfive) Operator €5.625M
NYX Gaming Group NextGen Developer Merger
Betsson Betsafe Operator €60M
IGT Entraction Holding AB Game Developer $115M
Scientific Games Barcrest Developer $54M
Entain (as GVC Holdings) superbahis.com Operator (Sportsbook) Unspecified
Amaya Gaming Chartwell Developer C$22.77M
Vitruvian Partners OpenBet Service (Sportsbook) £208M
Sportingbet Centrebet Operator (Sportsbook) A$183M
William Hill Brandywine Bookmaking Operator (Sportsbetting) $15.7M (app)
Betfred Tote Operator (Physical) £265M
Paddy Power Cayetano Gaming Developer Unspecified

2010

Buyer Seller Asset type Price
Scientific Games GamesLogic Service (Marketing) Unspecified
Cherry AB COYS Operator (Casino) SEK 150M
Bwin/Party Gaming Bwin/Party Gaming Operator Merger
888 Mytopia Developer (Social Games) $18M(-$48M)
Playtech Virtue Fusion Developer £29M

2009

Buyer Seller Asset type Price
Rank Group Casino at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena Operator (Physical) £650,000
Bwin Gioco Digitale Operator (Poker) €115M
PartyGaming Cashcade Operator (Bingo) £71.9M (+ up to £24M)
888 Holdings Wink Bingo Operator (Bingo) £11-£59.7M
Entain (as GVC Holdings) Betboo Operator $30M
Betfair TVG Horse Racing Network $50M
PartyGaming World Poker Tour Events $12.3M

2008

Buyer Seller Asset type Price
Tatts Group Talarius Developer Unspecified
OpenBet (Orbis) Electracade Service Unspecified
Boss Media Dynamite Idea Developer (Sportsbetting) Unspecified

2007

Buyer Seller Asset type Price
GTECH Finsoft Operator Unspecified
888 Holdings Globalcom Limited aka The Bingo Business (45 sites) Operator (Bingo) $32.4M
Unibet Maria Holdings Operator £54M
GigaMedia Limited T2CN Holding Limited Operator $22.9M

2006

Buyer Seller Asset type Price
PartyGaming Empire Online & Intercontinental Online Gaming Operator (Poker) $66.3M
Playtech Tribeca Tables Poker Network Operator (Poker) $75M-$139M
24hPoker AB B2B Poker Operator (Poker) SEK 15M
32Red BetDirect Operator (Sportsbook) £11M
PartyGaming Empire Poker Operator (Poker) $250M
Lottomatica GTECH Operator Merger ($4.7 billion)

2005

Buyer Seller Asset type Price
Bwin PokerRoom & OnGame Operator (Poker) $570M
Party Poker Multi Poker Operator (Poker) $14.50M
Empire Online Noble Poker & Other iPoker Assets Operator (Poker, Casino Bingo) $40M
Unibet MrBookmaker.com Operator (Sportsbook) £75.9M
Betfair PokerChamps Operator (Poker) $15M

2004

Buyer Seller Asset type Price
GTECH Spielo Developer $150M
Sportingbet Paradise Poker Operator (Poker) $297.5M
Entain (as GVC Holdings) CasinoClub Operator Unspecified

2003

Buyer Seller Asset type Price
Rank Group Blue Square Operator (Sportsbook) £65M
Scientific Games MDI Entertainment Provider $19M

2001

Buyer Seller Asset type Price
Sportingbet Sportsbook.com Operator (Sportsbook) $51M

If there are any missing acquisitions or you feel something needs to be included, you can contact the Bojoko staff, and we will update the list.

Top 10 biggest deals in detail

Let's take a closer look at the ten biggest acquisitions and mergers of all time.

These are the deals that shook the market and created the biggest waves in the industry.

The biggest casino acquisitions of all time

Below, you can find more detailed information on each of the deals.

1. Silver Lake acquires Endeavor Group Holdings

Silver Lake acquired Endeavor Group Holdings

Silver Lake's acquisition of the outstanding shares of Endeavor Group Holdings was a huge sale, one that immediately skyrocketed to the top of the list. The private equity firm Silver Lake has been making investments in Endeavor previously, starting all the way back in 2012.

Endeavor's portfolio has always been versatile. Endeavor, which mainly focused on entertainment, had previously acquired other iGaming companies, including OpenBet.

2. Paddy Power and Betfair merger

PaddyPower's 5 billion Pound merger with Betfair

Paddy Power's and Betfair's merger in 2015 shook the world of online betting. The massive deal created one of the largest online bookies in the world, with more than 7,000 employees.

Combining the strengths of both companies helped them conquer the world of online betting. Paddy Power had a strong physical presence in Ireland and Betfair was a big deal in the UK, so it was just natural for these two companies to start working together.

3. Brookfield Business Partners acquires Scientific Games Lottery

Brookfield Business Partners acquire Scientific Games lottery

Brookfield Business Partners is a global company focused on owning and operating high-quality products and services. They saw the potential of Scientific Games, a game developer that started back in 1973 and made a substantial long-term commitment. This deal let Scientific Games continue operating with an even larger company backing it up.

Scientific Games had a strong start in the 2020s, showing there was room for even more growth with the right kind of focus.

4. GVC acquires Ladbrokes Coral

GVC acquires Ladbrokes Coral

GVC (later known as Entain) bought Ladbrokes Coral to create an online-led gambling behemoth. The strategic move was to combine the online and high street operations with GVC's large roster of strong casino brands. Two years prior, Ladbroke Coral Group was created when Ladbrokes and Coral merged.

The gamut of gambling services would range from smaller online options to household names and well-known local shops. Brands like Party Casino, Foxy Games, bwin, Gala Bingo and many others were now under the Entain Umbrella.

Ladbrokes Coral, at the time of the sale, had over 3,500 bookies. Getting access to all this helped GVC grow even more in the following years.

5. Scientific Games acquires Bally Technologies

Scientific Games acquires Bally Technologies

The US gaming industry was reforged when Scientific Games acquired their rival, Bally Technologies. These two companies had been fighting for the top spot in the physical slot machine market in the US market and were both very visible brands in the casino scene.

Scientific Games were able to use this deal as a stepping stone to the Asia and Australia markets, and start also focusing on online services. Both brands have since been growing their iGaming options.

6. Amaya Gaming acquires Pokerstars and Full Tilt Poker

Amaya Gaming acquires Pokerstars and Full Tilt Poker

Two years after Pokerstars acquired their biggest competitor, Full Tilt Poker, Amaya Gaming swooped in and purchased their operator, Rational Group. One of the major factors in the deal was the aftermath of the Black Friday of online poker, when online poker operators were kicked out of the US.

Amaya Gaming was able to bring these operators to more licensed markets and hasten their return to the US market.

7. Tabcorp acquires Tatts

Tabcorp acquires their rival Tatts

Tabcorp Holdings made a huge splash in Australia when they acquired their rival, Tatts Group. This created a gambling powerhouse in the Australian market who had a strong grasp of the available betting services.

Tabcorp saw that the influx of off-shore betting companies could pose a threat to their business, and creating a large single entity would prevent this. Having a well-known sole betting service available could sway the public to trust their domestic company over the off-shore options.

8. GTECH acquires IGT

GTECH acquires IGT

GTECH's acquisition of IGT was a perfect combination of two gaming industry companies that were the polar opposites of each other.

With minimal overlap, they were able to synergise their operations and improve the gaming experience in all aspects. From better use of R&D to more options for the end user, this deal was able to bring two major players together to form something more powerful.

9. Lottomatica merger with Gtech

Lottomatica merged with GTECH

Lottomatica made headlines in 2006 when it merged with GTECH. Together, they created the largest lottery group in the world. For Lottomatica, this move allowed them to reach new markets and create a corporate powerhouse that could more easily provide lottery services to players all over the Western world.

At this point, Lottomatica and GTECH remained separate companies, mainly operating in different markets. Later on, in 2013, the company would rename itself as GTECH.

10. The Stars Group acquires Sky Betting & Gaming

Stars Group acquires Sky Betting & Gaming

The owner of Pokerstars, The Stars Group, shocked the UK market with their purchase of Sky Betting & Gaming.

This deal created the largest publicly listed online gaming operator and gave The Stars Group an increased presence in the UK gambling market. The other key aspect of the deal was access to Sky Betting & Gaming's innovative casino and betting offerings and the highly popular portfolio of mobile apps.

What are the benefits of iGaming acquisitions?

Buying out competition, expanding your market or getting your hands on new technology, are just some of the benefits of iGaming acquisitions.

Acquisitions are common in every form of business, but in the iGaming market, they happen quite often. When the online gaming market started to heat up, there were a lot of fresh operators pushing new casinos to the market, which were either up for grabs or picking up others.

What are the types of acquisitions?

When companies make acquisitions, they usually fall into one of the following four categories.

What is the purpose of iGaming acquisitions?

The purpose of an iGaming acquisition is to get a better foothold in the market as a whole. Be it through entering a new market, as a growth strategy, decreasing the competition or acquiring new technology.

One of the more common things you see in this market is game providers being bought. Big brands buy out smaller competition for their hit games or innovative technologies, which they then can use on their products. Larger studios also buy out others to expand their services. If you can't provide your customers with something, buy a company that can and add it to your portfolio.

Buying out your competition is a powerful move if you can take advantage of the void it leaves behind. This was the case when Evolution Gaming bought out NetEnt's live casino services. They got rid of their biggest rival and were able to fill the space with their own products. We also saw the same when PokerStars bought Full Tilt Poker.

The same patterns are visible on every corner of the market. From larger B2B services to small B2C online casinos and casino groups, they are all looking to get a leg up and find a way to clear the market so they can better serve their customers.

Which is better, mergers and acquisitions vs. organic growth

There is no clear winner when we look at growth through mergers and acquisitions versus organic growth. Both can be viable methods, and it all depends on the circumstances.

When we look at major online casinos, two brands are perfect examples of both paths leading to the same results. Unibet has acquired multiple smaller brands, bookmakers and services to grow into one of the UK's most well-known online casino brands. Videoslots, on the other hand, has grown organically over the years with the help of its sister site Mr Vegas. Videoslots may not be as glamorous as Unibet in design, it's still one of the biggest and best online casinos in the UK and Europe.

What is the difference between an acquisition, a merger and a takeover?

The biggest difference between an acquisition and a merger is who owns and controls the new entity, and a takeover is a different kind of acquisition.

When one company acquires another, they add it to their own corporate entity. Assets, staff and services are integrated while still appearing to be the same entity.

In a merger, the two companies combine to create a brand new entity. If the companies and their brands are previously well-known, they often simply combine their names.

Takeover, on the other hand, is an acquisition where the target company does not consent. The purchasing company must acquire a controlling stake in the company to force the sale.

About the authors

Ville Saari

Article by:

Ville Saari

Ville is an industry veteran, who has written thousands of gambling-related reviews and articles since 2009. He is an IT engineer with a passion for game and strategy optimisation, and to teach the world to play better.
Joonas Karhu

Article by:

Joonas Karhu

Joonas Karhu is a distinguished expert in the online gambling industry with over a decade of experience. A thought leader, Karhu has authored articles for major industry publications and is committed to promoting responsible gambling standards. His career began as an online poker player, leading to various management roles in the iGaming sector. Karhu holds three business degrees: MBA, BBA, and QBA.

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