Aquisitions/Mergers
Dizplai acquires gaming platform, PickGuru

- Acquisition of PickGuru creates a new division, Dizplai Gaming
- New division to strengthen Dizplai’s end-to-end offering with new level of services to Dizplai clients
Dizplai, a leading media experience company, trusted by global sports rights holders, brands, betting companies and broadcasters to transform passive audiences into engaged communities, has today announced the 100% acquisition of PickGuru, the most customer-centric, free to play, gaming platform on the market.
PickGuru provides smart solutions that drive audience and commercial objectives for today’s multi-channel bookmakers, publishers and rights holders. PickGuru’s solutions enable partners to quickly and easily create predictor and fantasy games for their platforms, and drive both deeper engagement and commercialisation opportunities.
The acquisition brings together two innovators in the fan engagement space, creating the new division, Dizplai Gaming. This division will expand Dizplai’s end-to-end offering and drive even greater experiences for fans across both first and second screens.
“We fundamentally believe that when audiences are compelled, through a gamified approach, to interact, it makes content more engaging, more commercially valuable, and enables it to grow and, ultimately, retain audiences,” said Ed Abis, CEO Dizplai. “The acquisition of Pickguru as a business, and the team of people who will join Dizplai, will enable us to supercharge that approach, offering a whole different level of services to our clients, thus driving our overarching strategy.”
Paul Watkins, PickGuru: “Dizplai and Pickguru have a collective vision, and this acquisition enables us to accelerate product developments that enables us to build on the Dizplai mantra of “Gamifying the Game”. Fans want to be part of the action and love predicting outcomes, collectively we can deliver on this. Watch this space!”
Paul Cobley, PickGuru: “The Pickguru platform was built on the principle of flexibility. We are committed to enabling our partners to quickly and easily create gamified experiences for their platforms that drive both deeper engagement and commercialisation opportunities. This is an extremely exciting time for us.”
Following the acquisition of PickGuru, Dizplai announced two new senior roles, in line with the growth of the business, with Paul Watkins as Chief Financial Officer and Paul Cobley as Director of Gaming.
Increasingly considered as the ultimate fan solution for live sports owners and creators, Dizplai fuses tech, creative and content experiences to create engaged communities for sports brands and organisations. Every day, millions of sports fans tune in to live broadcasts, which have been enhanced using the Dizplai platform, from companies as diverse as Sky Sports, TNT Sports, Manchester City, Liverpool FC, SuperTri, William Hill and The United Stand.
2024 has been a big year for Dizplai:
- Launched Dizplai Creative, a new creative agency focused on driving greater audience engagement and brand value through content innovation and technology
- Announced by Comcast as one of the ten startups chosen for the 2024 Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech Accelerator program, powered by Boomtown.
- Winner of the Best Technology for Match Day Operations and Experience award at the 2024 Sports Technology Awards
The post Dizplai acquires gaming platform, PickGuru appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Aquisitions/Mergers
Pavilion Payments Acquires CasinoSoft

Pavilion Payments, the leading omnichannel payment solutions provider in the gaming industry, has acquired CasinoSoft, a trusted leader in Anti-Money Laundering (AML)/Title 31 compliance, automated tax form processing, jackpot handling and regulatory reporting software. Together, they are building a unified solution that simplifies and modernizes gaming operations.
“We have put 20 years of our heart and soul into building the CasinoSoft brand and are thrilled with the many ways this acquisition moves us to the next level. The success of our robust suite of AML/Title 31 and tax form products is evidenced by the longstanding partnerships we enjoy with our many satisfied customers throughout the industry,” said Matt Montano, Principal and Owner of CasinoSoft.
The new offering combines Pavilion Payments’ seamless player funding and payment ecosystem with CasinoSoft’s industry-leading compliance and automation software. The result is a powerful, vertically integrated platform that streamlines floor, cage and slot operations, making them faster, easier and more secure for casinos, route gaming as well as iGaming and sportsbook operators.
“CasinoSoft is the industry standard for AML/Title 31 compliance, automated tax forms, jackpot processing, and associated reporting services. With this acquisition, we plan to grow the broader Pavilion business with several new patents, innovative products, and transformative solutions that position us as the clear leader in fintech payments, cashless gaming, cage, and floor automation,” said Diallo Gordon, President of Pavilion Payments.
For more than two decades, CasinoSoft has helped casinos streamline Title 31, AML, tax forms and jackpot workflows, keeping operations audit-ready and freeing up staff to focus on the guest experience. By joining Pavilion Payments, CasinoSoft expands its ability to deliver end-to-end compliance and payment solutions within a single, connected system, reducing manual steps and increasing automation.
“At Pavilion Payments, we pride ourselves on offering our partners and customers a vibrant and diverse portfolio of products and services. The addition of CasinoSoft’s products to our lineup furthers our delivery on that goal. We’re delighted to add CasinoSoft to our team and look forward to delighting our customers with them,” said Dan Connors, CEO of Pavilion Payments.
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Aquisitions/Mergers
OPAP Acquires the Remaining 15.51% Stake in Stoiximan

OPAP announced the acquisition of the remaining 15.51% stake in Stoiximan (the Company) for a consideration of €191.6 million on a cash free debt free basis, plus an adjustment for net cash as of the closing date, increasing its ownership in the Company to 100% (full acquisition).
The investment further strengthens OPAP’s leading position in Greece and Cyprus, while also intensifying its strategic focus on online sports betting and iGaming segments.
OPAP initially invested in Stoiximan in 2018, prompted by its high-growth potential, and gradually increased its stake through two subsequent transactions in 2020. Today, Stoiximan holds an undisputed leadership position in the fast-growing online market, validating OPAP’s strategic investment over the years.
Stoiximan will continue to be supported by Kaizen Gaming with cutting-edge technology and a differentiated product offering, ensuring a seamless user experience, top-notch reliability and innovation.
Completion is anticipated in the third quarter of 2025, subject to approval from the Cypriot regulatory authorities.
OPAP and Stoiximan will continue to operate as separate businesses under their distinct licenses, brands and management teams.
Jan Karas, Chairman & CEO of OPAP, said: “The investment in Stoiximan has greatly contributed to solidifying OPAP’s position in the Greek and Cypriot online markets. I am therefore very pleased with the recent transaction, which further expands our footprint in the fast-growing online market. Looking forward, we are confident that our dual brand strategy will remain effective and both our brands, Stoiximan and Pamestoixima.gr, will sustain their growth momentum.”
Nikos Fligos, CEO of Stoiximan, said: “This milestone marks a new chapter in Stoiximan’s journey. With the dedication and passion of our 300-strong team, who are the driving force behind our market leadership, we remain fully committed to delivering outstanding experiences to our customers, shaping the future of online gaming in Greece and Cyprus.”
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Aquisitions/Mergers
DoubleDown Interactive Enters into Agreement to Acquire German Social Casino Operator WHOW Games

DoubleDown Interactive, a leading gaming company delivering exceptional player experiences across multiple genres, announced that it has entered into a Share Purchase and Transfer Agreement with Azerion Tech Holding to acquire WHOW Games GmbH, a social casino developer headquartered in Hamburg, Germany.
The initial consideration for 100% ownership interest in WHOW Games is €55 million (approximately $64.7 million). An additional earn-out payment of up to €10 million, payable to Azerion at €5 million annually, is contingent upon WHOW Games meeting certain performance targets during each of the first and second year following the closing date. The acquisition will be financed through DoubleDown’s cash reserves and is expected to close during the third quarter of 2025.
DoubleDown intends to leverage WHOW Games’ proven expertise in the Europe market and partner-driven business model alongside its own operational strength, marketing capabilities and extensive gaming content to pursue growth opportunities in Europe, particularly in Germany. According to research from Eilers & Krejcik Gaming LLC, the European social casino market grew in 2023 and 2024 as compared to the overall market which has entered a mature stage. WHOW Games offers a versatile portfolio of social casino apps with proprietary brands such as MyJackpot and Lounge777 as well as third-party labeled social casino offerings including Merkur24 through strategic licensing agreements with prominent global brick and mortar casino companies.
In Keuk Kim, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, said: “This acquisition marks a significant step toward increasing our competitiveness in the growing German social casino market. Leveraging our combined operational expertise and enhanced scale, we aim to unlock valuable synergies. We are delighted to welcome the WHOW Games team to DoubleDown and look forward to working collaboratively on initiatives to drive growth across the business.”
Giovanni Valerio Valeriota, Chief Executive Officer of WHOW Games, said: “We are excited to begin this new chapter as part of the DoubleDown family. Their deep expertise in gaming makes them a natural fit for WHOW Games, and we believe that this partnership will accelerate our growth and innovation. I would like to express our sincere gratitude to Azerion, whose support and strategic guidance during our time together has been instrumental in shaping WHOW Games into the strong and dynamic company it is today.”
The post DoubleDown Interactive Enters into Agreement to Acquire German Social Casino Operator WHOW Games appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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