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Aquisitions/Mergers

Flutter Announces Acquisition of Snaitech

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Flutter Entertainment has announced that it has agreed to acquire Snaitech S.p.A. (Snai), one of Italy’s leading omni-channel operators, from a subsidiary of Playtech plc, for cash consideration based on an enterprise value of €2.3b.

The acquisition fully aligns with Flutter’s strategy to invest in leadership positions in international markets. The transaction is expected to close by Q2 2025.

Snai is the number three online operator in the Italian market with a 9.9% share in 2023 and 291,000 average monthly players. Online revenue and Adjusted EBITDA have grown at a compound rate of 26% and 32% respectively, in the four fiscal years to 2023. This is supported by a strong retail presence with over 2000 sites driving a number two retail share position in both betting of 19% and gaming of 14%. Snai generated 100% regulated revenue of €947m (which is after the deduction of gaming duties) and Adjusted EBITDA of €256m in financial year 2023, of which 50% was generated online.

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On completion, Flutter will assume the gold medal position in Italy with a ~30% online share when combined with its existing Italian business, which will deliver efficiency benefits in a key market for the Group. This includes Sisal, which, grew AMPs, and revenue at a compound rate of 27% and 17% respectively between Q2 2022 and Q2 2024, resulting in 270bps online share gain. The transaction is expected to deliver operating cost synergies of at least €70m along with incremental revenue synergies. On a post-cost synergy basis, the transaction is at a similarly attractive multiple to the Sisal transaction. It is also comfortably above the internal returns criteria by year two.

The transaction is subject to merger control clearance and other customary regulatory clearances and is expected to close by Q2 2025.

The transaction is consistent with the company’s strategy and is another example of Flutter allocating capital to drive shareholder value creation. The company will provide a further update at the Investor Day on September 25.

Peter Jackson, CEO, commented: “I am delighted to announce the acquisition of Snai, one of the leading players in Italy, Europe’s largest regulated market. This transaction is compelling strategically and financially. It fits perfectly within our strategy for value creating M&A and creates a significant opportunity to accelerate Snai’s growth by providing them with access to Flutter’s market leading products and capabilities both in the US and globally.

“I look forward to welcoming the Snai team to the Flutter Group and working with them to maximize the growth opportunity for our combined businesses.”

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Aquisitions/Mergers

ENDEAVOR ANNOUNCES MANAGEMENT BUYOUT OF OPENBET AND IMG ARENA

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Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc., a global sports and entertainment company, today announced that it has agreed to sell OpenBet and IMG ARENA to OB Global Holdings LLC in a management buyout backed by Ariel Emanuel with participation from executives of OpenBet, including CEO Jordan Levin.
Levin said: “This management buyout allows us to continue executing our vision for increased market expansion and product innovation. Our group is extremely confident in OpenBet’s future considering the premium product offering, superior talent, and solid foundation we already have in place following a strong period of business growth.”
Under the terms of the transaction, OB Global Holdings will acquire the businesses for approximately $450 million, subject to certain adjustments, financed through a mix of cash and debt.
During the sign-to-close period and after closing, Endeavor will continue to market IMG ARENA for sale to a third-party purchaser.
OpenBet powers responsible betting and gaming entertainment for more than 200 market leading operators around the globe. Following close of the transaction, Levin will continue to lead the business as CEO.
The transaction is being pursued, and is a necessary step, for the closing of the proposed Endeavor take-private by Silver Lake. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including approvals required under applicable gaming regulatory authority, and is conditioned on and expected to close immediately prior to the closing of the Endeavor take-private.
Oakvale Capital LLP and The Raine Group acted as financial advisors to Endeavor.

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Aquisitions/Mergers

OKTO Acquires Aplauz CH GmbH and Expands in Swiss Market

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OKTO has announced the full acquisition of Aplauz CH GmbH, the Swiss subsidiary of Aplauz Financial Services Ltd. This strategic acquisition strengthens OKTO’s presence in the Swiss market, enabling the company to expand its customer base and introduce innovative payment services in the market while maintaining and enhancing the existing infrastructure of Aplauz CH GmbH in the region.

Under OKTO’s ownership, Aplauz CH GmbH will continue to deliver its Aplauz prepaid payment service through online merchants and retail distribution partners, now rebranded as OKTO.VOUCHER. The transition will be seamless, ensuring uninterrupted service for all partners and consumers.

Aligned with its growth strategy, OKTO also introduces OKTO.CASH to the Swiss market—a fast, direct cash-to-online payment solution already established across multiple European markets, including Romania, Greece, Czech Republic, Germany, Cyprus, Italy and Serbia.

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Aplauz CH GmbH, now under OKTO’s leadership, holds the necessary regulatory approvals from the Self-Regulatory Organization (SRO) VQF to offer both OKTO.VOUCHER and OKTO.CASH services in Switzerland.

Thanos Mondanos, OKTO’s Head of Business Strategy, said: “Welcoming Aplauz CH GmbH into the OKTO Group marks a significant step forward in our international growth strategy. This acquisition reinforces our commitment to expanding in high-potential markets like Switzerland, allowing us to deliver a stronger portfolio of payment solutions that meet evolving customer demands. We are confident that Aplauz CH GmbH’s established presence, combined with OKTO’s innovative payment technologies, will create substantial value for both users and partners in the region.”

Mathias Wratschko, Senior Distribution Manager at OKTO, said: “This is a pivotal moment for OKTO, our Swiss partners and users. Through the acquisition of Aplauz CH GmbH, we’re set to elevate both transaction volumes and customer experience in Switzerland. By expanding the rebranded OKTO.VOUCHER service and launching OKTO.CASH, we’re enhancing Swiss payment options in a way that promises substantial revenue growth for our partners and increased satisfaction for consumers.”

Goran Abramović, Director of Aplauz Financial Services Ltd., said: “We are thrilled with the successful sale of our Swiss consumer business and have every confidence in OKTO’s capacity to drive further growth in this segment within the Swiss market. Aplauz Financial Services remains fully committed to supporting the Swiss market by continuing to provide our cutting-edge voucher issuing technology platform to OKTO and offering ongoing technical support to our valued partners. We look forward to seeing the positive impact OKTO will bring to this evolving market.”

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Glitnor Group Acquires Leading Multinational Casino Operator OneCasino

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Glitnor Group has today signed a Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) to acquire OneCasino, a leading iGaming Operator with a strong position across multiple regulated markets including the Netherlands, Spain, Denmark and with plans to enter the regulated German market pending final license approval.

The combined business will significantly enhance the Group’s financial scale and create further geographical reach in markets across Europe, where the Group will have operations across more than 8 regulated jurisdictions.

The acquisition is expected to create attractive commercial, operational & technological synergies enabling accelerated growth and profitability. On a proforma basis revenue for the consolidated entities would surpass 150 million Euros in 2024.

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OneCasino has built an extremely strong proprietary technology stack and product with a true focus on player engagement. The in-house game studio offered via the proprietary iGaming platform enables localised and bespoke content and an exciting opportunity for further growth across the Group, complimenting further Glitnor’s own games studio and in-house PAM & RGS.

Closing is expected in the first half of 2025 and is subject to the necessary approvals from relevant gaming and regulatory authorities.

Richard Brown, CEO of Glitnor, said: “We are tremendously excited to welcome OneCasino and its team into the Glitnor Group. The transaction accelerates our long-term vision to become a leader across high value, regulated markets in the iGaming industry. The hugely complementary geographical profile and high-quality product OneCasino have rapidly expands both companies’ short- and long-term addressable market. Mark and the team at OneCasino have built a fantastic company over the last years, creating a great product and working in a range of competitive regulated markets and have a proven track record of success. We are very excited to combine the two companies’ offerings and accelerate our growth potential.”

Mark Schram, CEO of OneCasino, said: “We’re incredibly proud of what the OneCasino team has accomplished over the years. Joining forces with the Glitnor Group marks an exciting new chapter for us as we continue to grow and expand into new markets. The shared vision and synergies between both companies make this merger a perfect fit, allowing us to further enhance our proprietary technology and product offerings while continuing to focus on providing exceptional gaming experiences to our customers.

At the core of our business we always ensure that players can enjoy our platform in a safe and responsible manner. Together, OneCasino and Glitnor are sure to become a leading force in the regulated iGaming space, and I look forward to the exciting opportunities ahead.”

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