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Azerion Acquires Remaining 49% Stake in 20-year-old Finnish Game Studio, Sulake Oy

Published

5 years ago

January 25, 2021

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Azerion Holding B.V. (Azerion), a pan-European gaming and adtech company, reached an agreement with its co-shareholder, Elisa Oyj, to acquire the remaining 49% shares in Finnish game studio, Sulake Oy.

The studio is best known for publishing popular social games including Habbo, which has a monthly active user base of 800k across 115 countries. The studio is also responsible for the popular social mobile game Hotel Hideaway, which attracts 840k active players monthly.

Azerion has held a 51% stake in the game studio since 2018 and has been helping to drive revenue growth, which has increased by 46% on average year-on-year (January 2019 – December 2020). The transaction will enable Sulake to take full advantage of Azerion’s growing ecosystem. It will ensure the publisher can expand its global game communities, increase ingame monetization and strengthen its game development capacity. The deal also means Sulake’s gamers will be able to leverage promotions provided via the Azerion network, which continues to grow through acquisitions like Spil Games’ Portal business and Woozworld.

Umut Akpinar, co-founder and CEO: “Sulake has proven to be a great fit for our gaming and adtech platform and Elisa has remained a very loyal and supportive partner over the past years. Together, we re-energised the game studio, which is now a profitable and flourishing business.

We have full confidence in the current Sulake team. They are working well to develop a pipeline of new games while continuing to grow their existing games and communities. We support the decisions they are making and are committed to helping them achieve future plans.”

Valtteri Karu, Sulake CEO: “Azerion has been supporting us to grow and develop Habbo and Hotel Hideaway for over two years now so this acquisition feels like a natural continuation of our partnership. We’re happy to continue our journey with Azerion as there is a lot of synergy with Sulake and all the Azerion businesses.

With Azerion’s help and support we were able to modernize Habbo and to ensure its future, whilst working as an independent unit having full control over design and development decisions. This year we look forward to adding features and expanding Habbo and Hotel Hideaway. We will also be looking at possibilities to develop new games utilising our current game technology.”

The complete Sulake leadership and team of 96 will remain in place. The game studio will continue to operate from its base in Helsinki, Finland with full responsibility for existing games and improvements. This means that nothing will change for the Sulake game communities as a result of this acquisition.

Conferences

R. Franco Digital to showcase premium portfolio at GAT Expo Cartagena 2026

Published

6 hours ago

March 20, 2026

Wladimir P.

r.-franco-digital-to-showcase-premium-portfolio-at-gat-expo-cartagena-2026

At the heart of the exhibition is the IRIS platform, R. Franco Digital’s GLI-certified, open-architecture solution. Designed to deliver a seamless experience across casino, sports betting, and retail operations, IRIS gives operators the flexibility, scalability, and security required to grow efficiently across multiple Latin American markets.

In addition to its robust infrastructure, R. Franco Digital will present its latest high-performance gaming titles, including Strange Spins, Genie Triple Bonanza, Diamond King Gorilla, Luxury Blast, Zorro: Final Duel, and The Phantom. Each game incorporates localized mechanics and culturally relevant themes, ensuring maximum engagement for LatAm players.

Javier Sacristán Franco, International Business Director at R. Franco Digital, commented:
“Latin America is a cornerstone of our global strategy. GAT Expo Cartagena provides an essential platform to connect with partners and showcase how our technology evolves alongside the region’s regulatory landscape. We are excited to highlight the latest advancements in our IRIS platform and our expanding game portfolio, both designed to deliver operational excellence and support regulated operators across LatAm.”

Visitors to the expo will be able to experience live demonstrations of the IRIS platform and explore R. Franco Digital’s diverse content offerings, emphasizing the company’s commitment to innovation, localization, and operator success in the region.

The post R. Franco Digital to showcase premium portfolio at GAT Expo Cartagena 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Conferences

R. Franco Digital to showcase premium portfolio at GAT Expo Cartagena 2026

Published

6 hours ago

March 20, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

R. Franco Digital, the Spanish iGaming provider, has announced its participation at GAT Expo Cartagena in Colombia, continuing its strategic push across the most prominent regulated markets in Latin America.

The company will be at the Las Américas Convention Center from March 24 to 26 to present its comprehensive ecosystem of products and services, specifically engineered to meet the sophisticated demands of the LatAm gaming sector.

The centrepiece of the exhibit will be the IRIS platform, R. Franco Digital’s powerful, GLI-certified open architecture solution. Designed to provide a seamless experience across casino, sports betting, and retail, IRIS equips operators with the flexibility, security, and scalability needed to grow efficiently across multiple markets.

In addition to its technical infrastructure, R. Franco Digital will debut its latest high-performance gaming content, including recent releases such as Strange Spins, Genie Triple Bonanza, Diamond King Gorilla, Luxury Blast, Zorro: Final Duel, and The Phantom.

All titles feature the localised mechanics and themes that have become a hallmark of R. Franco Digital, ensuring relevance and engagement across LatAm markets.

Javier Sacristán Franco, International Business Director of R. Franco Digital, said: “Latin America is a cornerstone of our global strategy. GAT Expo Cartagena provides an essential forum for us to connect with partners and demonstrate how our technology continues to evolve alongside the region’s regulatory landscape.

“We are excited to showcase the latest iterations of our IRIS platform and our continually expanding portfolio, both designed to deliver operational excellence and support regulated operators across LatAm.”

The post R. Franco Digital to showcase premium portfolio at GAT Expo Cartagena 2026 appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

DR Gaming Technology

DR Gaming Technology Appoints Stephane Henault as Director of Technical Services

Published

7 hours ago

March 20, 2026

Wladimir P.

dr-gaming-technology-appoints-stephane-henault-as-director-of-technical-services

DR Gaming Technology (DRGT) has appointed Stephane Henault – formerly of Light & Wonder, Scientific Games and Bally’s – as its new director of technical services.

The newly created role comes amid pending deals for DRG that will see it expand in Latin America and Africa.

“This is an important appointment for DRGT as we continue to scale our operations globally,” said company CEO Marco Herrera.

“Stephane brings a wealth of technical and operational experience, as well as a deep understanding of the evolving needs of casino operators. His expertise will be instrumental in further strengthening and streamlining the services we provide to our partners.”

“I see this opportunity as the perfect way for me to re-connect with operator partners directly, leveraging the experience gained over the last three decades working for both a start-up, and of late, a massive multinational, and to contribute in a very practical way to their day-to-day success,” said Henault.

“DRGT’s current growth trajectory presents an exciting challenge, particularly in ensuring that as the business expands, its technical service delivery remains efficient, scalable, and aligned with operator requirements.

“Being part of that journey and helping to build processes and structures that support it, is hugely motivating. Right now, I wake up every morning with a spring in my step – that’s special.”

The post DR Gaming Technology Appoints Stephane Henault as Director of Technical Services appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.