Canada
Gambling.com Group Agrees to Acquire RotoWire to Accelerate U.S. Expansion
Gambling.com Group Limited, a leading provider of player acquisition services for the regulated global online gambling industry, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Roto Sports, Inc. (“Roto Sports”), operator of RotoWire.com (“RotoWire“), a popular provider of expert fantasy sports news and advice. The transaction is expected to close in early January 2022 and is subject to customary closing conditions.
The acquisition of RotoWire will immediately expand Gambling.com Group’s U.S. presence and is expected to create immediate accretion to fiscal 2022 earnings. The Group will leverage RotoWire’s existing audience, content library, talented workforce, media partnerships and trust with U.S. sports fans to further accelerate the Group’s already fast-growing business in the U.S. online sports betting market. Gambling.com Group believes that RotoWire’s popular digital assets – when combined with the Group’s digital expertise and technology platform – will drive substantial, incremental affiliate revenue in the rapidly expanding sports betting environment.
Transaction Highlights:
• Attractive financial profile: The aggregate purchase price is $27.5 million, of which $7.5 million is deferred over a two-year period following closing. The aggregate purchase price is expected to be approximately four times Roto Sports’ estimated 2021 revenue.
• Dominant player in U.S. fantasy sports: RotoWire had more than 100,000 paid subscriptions and more than 17 million unique web visitors in the last 12 months. Its content reaches millions of additional sports fans through distribution arrangements with some of the largest sports media organizations in the U.S.
• The authority to lead in U.S. online sport betting: RotoWire’s quarter century track record of being a leading authority in fantasy sports gives it the expertise to make sports betting recommendations that American consumers will trust.
“Over the past 25 years, Peter and the RotoWire team have produced some of the best fantasy sports content in America and have in turn embedded their business into the heart of the American sports experience,” said Charles Gillespie, Chief Executive Officer of Gambling.com Group. “Commercially, the RotoWire business has three different revenue streams, each generating over $1 million per year, which give it significant reach into sports media organizations as well as with advertisers and individual sports fans. These deep and long-lasting customer relationships are an ideal platform from which to capitalize on the new era of American sports – the betting and gaming era.”
Peter Schoenke, President of RotoWire and past-Chairman of the Fantasy Sports & Gaming Association, added, “The United States is entering a whole new world of sports fandom and combining forces with Gambling.com Group will accelerate RotoWire’s growth. Gambling.com Group’s resources and experience will help RotoWire rapidly advance its sports betting offerings to take full advantage of this new era.”
Transaction Terms
The aggregate purchase price is $27.5 million. The Group will pay $20.0 million at closing, consisting of $15.0 million in cash and $5.0 million in newly issued, unregistered ordinary shares, valued on a volume weighted average price over the preceding 10 trading days. The Group will pay $2.5 million and $5.0 million on the first and second anniversaries of the closing, respectively, neither of which are dependent on the financial performance of RotoWire. The Group has the ability to elect to pay up to 50% of each of the deferred amounts in unregistered ordinary shares.
“We will commence work on expanding sports betting content and tools across RotoWire’s digital assets straight after closing,” said Gillespie. “We believe that the combination of these two complementary businesses creates immediate accretion to our fiscal 2022 earnings and establishes a foundation for a leadership position in U.S. sports betting which will drive near-term, and especially long-term, value creation for our shareholders.”
Powered by WPeMatico
Canada
IAGR announces Toronto as host city for 2025 conference
Hot on the heels of its most attended conference in history, the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) is excited to announce that its 2025 conference will take place in Toronto, Canada, from October 20 to 23, 2025.
The event will be held in partnership with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) at the Westin Harbour Castle, offering stunning waterfront views and a premier, downtown Toronto location.
‘Fresh off the success of our Rome conference, we’re thrilled to continue the momentum with next year’s event in Toronto,’ said Ben Haden, IAGR President.
‘The IAGR 2025 conference promises to be another unparalleled opportunity for our global community to come together, collaborate and shape the future of gaming regulation. We’re looking forward to working with AGCO to bring it all together.’
AGCO CEO and Registrar Dr. Karin Schnarr, added, ‘We’re excited to welcome IAGR and its members to Toronto. This partnership provides a great opportunity to share Ontario’s innovative regulatory practices and foster meaningful discussions that drive positive change in the industry.’
Stay tuned for registration details early next year.
Bombee Global Entertainment Ltd
ESE Entertainment Completes Acquisition of Gaming Production Company, Bombee Americas
ESE Entertainment Inc., a gaming company that provides a range of services to leading video game developers and publishers, has announced that it has acquired Bombee Global Entertainment Ltd. (Bombee Americas), the North American arm of Bombee Event Production AB, (Bombee), a global production company specialized in live production, special effects, broadcast, and event management for the gaming sector.
Bombee has successfully collaborated with ESE to bring its premier event production services and world class customer service to North America and beyond. The North American arm of Bombee, Bombee Americas, will continue to grow and scale in this new organizational structure under ESE, while maintaining its entire team and global support.
Konrad Wasiela, CEO of ESE, said: “Today marks the next stage of ESE—a 2.0 version of our company. With the acquisition of Bombee Americas, we are not only solidifying our presence in North America but also paving the way for growth and innovation in the gaming industry. This is a major step, positioning us to deliver even greater value to our partners and elevate the gaming experience for our clients globally. We’re thrilled about the opportunities ahead and the exceptional talent joining our team.”
Transaction Terms
The Acquisition was completed by way of a share purchase agreement (the SPA) among the Company, Bombee Americas, and the shareholders of Bombee Americas (the Vendors). Pursuant to the SPA, ESE acquired all of the outstanding shares of Bombee Americas in exchange for: (i) $750,000 in cash paid on closing, (ii) $375,000 in cash to be paid six (6) months following closing, subject to customary adjustments based on the working capital of Bombee Americas on closing, (iii) $375,000 in cash to be paid twelve (12) months following closing, and (iv) 30,000,000 common shares of ESE (the Consideration Shares), issued at a deemed issue price of $0.10 per share.
In connection with the Acquisition, the founders of Bombee Americas have signed three-year service agreements and will continue to run the business following the closing, along with the rest of the personnel of Bombee Americas who will remain in place, ensuring a smooth transition of operations. As part of the Acquisition, the Company has acquired the liabilities of Bombee Americas, mainly consisting of customary current obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business for Bombee Americas, which are not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s operations or financial position.
No finder’s fees were paid or payable in conjunction with the Acquisition.
The Acquisition was an arm’s length transaction within the meaning of the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the Exchange) and constituted an “Expedited Acquisition” in accordance with Exchange Policy 5.3 – Acquisitions and Dispositions of Non-Cash Assets. The Acquisition remains subject to the final approval of the Exchange.
Canada
Suspected Digital Fraud Coming from Canada Up Nearly 11% Since H1 2023, Reveals New TransUnion Analysis
In the first half (H1) of 2024, Canada saw a significant increase in suspected Digital Fraud attempts, with nearly 5.74% of all attempted digital transactions where the consumer was located in Canada involving suspected Digital Fraud, revealed a new TransUnion® (NYSE: TRU) analysis. This is nearly an 11% year-over-year (YoY) rate increase from H1 2023, and TransUnion also documented an 11% increase in the volume of suspected Digital Fraud from Canada during this period, despite a less than a one percent (0.7%) YoY increase in the volume of transactions.
According to a recent TransUnion survey,1 more than half (54%) of Canadians said they were recently targeted by email, phone call or text message fraud attempts. Phishing was the most common scheme type (45%), followed by smishing (42%) and vishing (39%).
The increasing use of digital transactions, combined with rising suspected Digital Fraud attempts are also impacting businesses as they potentially face revenue losses and increased operational costs due to fraud. According to a TransUnion business survey for the H2 2024 Update to the State of Omnichannel Fraud report, 200 Canadian business leaders said their companies lost approximately 6% of equivalent revenue – representing $78 billion – over the past year due to fraud. The most prominent causes of fraud loss cited by them were:
- Scam/Authorized fraud (31%): Dishonest scheme intended to trick a person into giving up something of value (e.g., account access, money, information)
- Account takeover (19%): Unauthorized individuals taking over someone’s online account (e.g., bank, social media, email) without their permission
- Synthetic identity fraud (18%): Use of a combination of personal information to fabricate a person or entity to commit a dishonest act for financial or personal gain
TransUnion also found that suspected Digital Fraud attempts – where the consumer was transacting in Canada and targeted businesses globally – increased on average by 10.5% YoY in H1 2024 compared to H1 2023 and impacted all industries.
Top Three Industries Globally with Highest Rate of Suspected Digital Fraud Attempts Coming from Canada in H1 2024
- Gambling (online sports betting, poker, etc.) – 9.6%
- Retail – 9.2%
- Government – 7.7%
Top Three Industries Globally with Highest YoY Increase (H1 2024 vs H1 2023) in the Rate of Suspected Digital Fraud Attempts Coming from Canada
- Logistics – 172.9%
- Gambling – 79.3%
- Video gaming – 67.8%
“Protecting customers and their businesses from fraud is essential to enabling safe and tailored consumer experiences. These findings reveal that despite the good-faith efforts that are being undertaken by companies to identify and prevent fraud to date, fraudsters continue to evolve and it’s vital that fraud prevention methods keep up with the changing times,” said Patrick Boudreau, head of identity management and fraud solutions at TransUnion Canada.
“Businesses that aren’t already doing so should ensure that they are taking advantage of fraud prevention technologies such as identity verification, IP intelligence, device reputation and synthetic identity detection as critical components of their fraud prevention programs,” he added.
-
Australia7 days ago
Australia’s BetStop Receives International Regulatory Award
-
Brazilian Ministry of Finance7 days ago
Brazilian Ministry of Finance and IBIA sign sports betting integrity agreement
-
Brazil6 days ago
Delasport Ready for Brazil Expansion
-
Brazil7 days ago
ProntoPaga Transforms its Operating Model in Brazil to Ensure Risk-Free Transactions
-
Canada7 days ago
IAGR announces Toronto as host city for 2025 conference
-
Bonita-Fort Myers Corporation7 days ago
Seminole Tribe of Florida and West Flagler Parties Announce End of Legal Challenges and Beginning of Partnership to Offer and Promote Jai Alai on the Hard Rock Bet App
-
Brazilian Ministry of Finance6 days ago
Brazilian Ministry of Finance and Sportradar Join Forces to Strengthen Integrity of Sports
-
Aristocrat7 days ago
Aristocrat Awarded First Gaming-Related Vendor License from GCGRA