Acquisitions/Merger
CDI Announces Definitive Agreement to Acquire Preakness Intellectual Property Rights
Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the intellectual property, including all trademarks and associated rights, of the Preakness Stakes and Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (the Preakness IP Rights) from 1/ST Maryland LLC, an affiliate of 1/ST Racing, for a purchase price of $85 million, subject to customary closing conditions (the Transaction).
The Preakness IP Rights are subject to an Exclusive License Agreement pursuant to which CDI will license to the State of Maryland the intellectual property rights necessary to conduct the running of the Preakness Stakes and Black-Eyed Susan Stakes in exchange for an annual fee.
The Preakness Stakes, first run in 1873, is the second leg of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. The Black-Eyed Susan is a leading race for three-year-old fillies traditionally conducted at Pimlico Race Course on the day before Preakness.
“This acquisition adds one of the most iconic brands in American sports to our portfolio and is consistent with our strategy of investing in premier Thoroughbred racing assets with long-term growth potential. In keeping ownership of the Preakness intellectual property in the racing industry, CDI will support efforts to fully realize the potential of a redeveloped Pimlico and Preakness Stakes within the Triple Crown and the broader sports and entertainment landscape,” said Bill Carstanjen, Chief Executive Officer of CDI.
The parties expect the Transaction to close after the running of the 2026 Preakness Stakes. The Transaction will be funded with cash on hand and the Company’s existing credit facility.
The post CDI Announces Definitive Agreement to Acquire Preakness Intellectual Property Rights appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Acquisitions/Merger
Waterhouse VC takes 3-year option to buy stake in Spinlab Studio
Waterhouse VC has secured a 3-year option to acquire an interest in Spinlab Studio, a no-code iGaming platform aimed at helping operators launch and scale online betting and casino businesses without building full infrastructure.
Spinlab Studio positions its product as a full-stack platform that streamlines integrations across payments, games, compliance and backend systems. The company says the platform is built to support operators targeting regulated markets, with compliance, payments and responsible gambling tools included in the core product.
Tom Waterhouse, Chief Investment Officer of Waterhouse VC said “Spinlab Studio is one of the fastest-moving platforms we’ve seen in this space, with strong early demand from operators. They are addressing a key operational challenge – helping operators bring products to market more efficiently and quickly without the usual complexity”.
Leon Lanen, Co-Founder of Spinlab Studio said “Launching an igaming operation is still too complex and expensive. Spinlab Studio removes that friction so operators can get to market quickly and focus on building their business. We aim to do for the igaming industry what Shopify did to e-commerce”.
Spinlab Studio said it launched in January 2026 and has onboarded around 30 operators. It offers a free trial and pricing that starts from approximately US$1299 per month, with tiered plans that scale with operator activity. The company also said it recently closed an oversubscribed seed round backed by founders and early investors of “one of Europe’s leading listed igaming technology companies”, with proceeds allocated to sales expansion and platform development.
The post Waterhouse VC takes 3-year option to buy stake in Spinlab Studio appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Acquisitions/Merger
LCKY Group agrees to acquire Denmark iGaming operator RoyalCasino
LCKY Group has entered into an agreement to acquire RoyalCasino, an iGaming operator focused exclusively on Denmark. The companies said the transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the second half of 2026.
LCKY Group said the deal will expand its footprint in Denmark and increase exposure to what it described as “sustainable revenue streams in a well-regulated and stable jurisdiction.” The company also said the acquisition supports its multi-brand strategy in the Danish market.
LCKY Group expects the transaction to be immediately accretive, estimating an 18–20% increase in group revenue and a 29–31% increase in EBITDA.
Richard Brown, CEO of LCKY Group, said: “This is a highly strategic and financially compelling acquisition for LCKY Group. RoyalCasino brings both strong market presence and high-quality earnings in Denmark, a market that aligns closely with our focus on regulated, sustainable growth. The transaction enhances our scale, strengthens our competitive position, and provides clear opportunities to drive synergies and long-term value creation. We look forward to working closely with the RoyalCasino team to realize these opportunities.”
Per Petersen, CEO of RoyalCasino, said: “RoyalCasino is one of the largest online casino operators in Denmark, a market known as both well-regulated and high-value. Our industry is characterised by high levels of innovation and competition, and here we see the combination of RoyalCasino’s local expertise and LCKY’s international scale and iGaming pedigree as an excellent recipe for shared success. We look forward to introducing LCKY to our Danish customer base.” Partis acted as financial advisors to RoyalCasino on the transaction.
The post LCKY Group agrees to acquire Denmark iGaming operator RoyalCasino appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Acquisitions/Merger
Genius Sports Announces Close of Acquisition of Legend
Genius Sports Limited, a global leader in real-time sports data, announced it has completed its previously announced acquisition of Legend, a global, digital sports and gaming media network.
Legend provides a scaled media platform, with world-class marketing technology powering owned and operated digital properties including Covers.com, Casino.org and Casino Guru. In 2025, Legend generated 320 million annual visits from 118 million unique visitors, with more than two-thirds returning on a regular basis.
With the acquisition of Legend, Genius Sports is uniquely positioned as the only company operating two synergistic businesses across official sports data and media and advertising.
“Genius Sports has spent years building the data infrastructure behind modern sport. With Legend, we now extend that into the moment where fans choose to participate and act. This combination not only strengthens our core sports business but also expands our ability to monetize new audiences in iGaming, increasing the economic value of our platform across both verticals and driving significant cash flow,” said Mark Locke, CEO of Genius Sports.
The post Genius Sports Announces Close of Acquisition of Legend appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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