Bally's Corporation To Acquire SportCaller, Leading Global B2B Free-To-Play Game Provider
Bally's Corporation (NYSE: BALY) announced the acquisition of SportCaller, a top B2B provider of free-to-play (F2P) games for sports betting and media companies. This strategic move aims to enhance Bally's interactive offerings, complementing recent acquisitions of Bet.Works and Monkey Knife Fight. SportCaller's platform, featuring over 100 games across 30 sports in 37 countries, will aid in player engagement and retention. The acquisition is expected to leverage Sinclair's media reach and expand Bally's user base in non-sports betting states. Financial terms were not disclosed.
- Acquisition of SportCaller enhances Bally's interactive gaming offerings.
- Expansion into free-to-play games expected to drive user acquisition.
- Leverages Sinclair's media reach to grow player database.
- None.
PROVIDENCE, R.I., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bally's Corporation (NYSE: BALY) (the "Company"), a leading U.S. provider of land-based gaming and interactive entertainment, today announced that it acquired SportCaller, one of the leading B2B free-to-play (F2P) game providers for sports betting and media companies across North America, the UK, Europe, Asia, Australia, LATAM and Africa. With deep technology and product expertise, SportCaller's core products consist of prediction, quiz/trivia, pay-to-play, bespoke and turn-key app games. In 2020, SportCaller received the Acquisition and Retention Partner Award from both SBC and EGR B2B.
As a leading global F2P sports game provider, SportCaller complements Bally's recently announced acquisitions of Bet.Works and Monkey Knife Fight, and its media partnership with Sinclair Broadcast Group. Together with Bet.Works' proprietary technology stack, SportCaller is expected to enable Bally's to launch its own suite of F2P games this year. The acquisition will also allow Bally's to leverage Sinclair's media reach to expand its player database in states that currently do not permit sports betting, as well as generate excitement for Bally's sports betting app.
Further, SportCaller will allow Bally's to use F2P games as an additional player engagement and retention tool in states that authorize sports betting. With more than 100 games in over 20 languages, and over 30 sports across 37 countries, SportCaller's platform is expected to considerably expand Bally's strong geographic presence beyond national borders.
"I am delighted to welcome SportCaller to Bally's Interactive alongside Bet.Works and Monkey Knife Fight," said George Papanier, Bally's President and Chief Executive Officer. "F2P products represent a core component of our interactive strategy to drive user acquisition to Bally's ecosystem. SportCaller offers unique products and I am confident that its pioneering platform and deep international expertise will significantly contribute to our growing interactive platforms."
Together with Bet.Works and Monkey Knife Fight, SportCaller and its technology development center, which consists of more than 40 dedicated technology resources, will join the Bally's Interactive division. This combination will augment Bet.Works' development resources and support accelerated innovation and deployment of new products that are already underway.
"Joining Bally's is a milestone moment for the SportCaller team," said Cillian Barry, Founder and MD at SportCaller. "I look forward to working with Bally's talented team as we continue to create an innovative F2P product that engages sports fans on a global scale."
Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Advisors
Jones Day served as legal advisor to Bally's Corporation. Maples Group served as legal advisor to SportCaller and its shareholders. Oakvale Capital served as financial advisor to SportCaller.
About Bally's Corporation
Bally's Corporation currently owns and manages 11 casinos across seven states, a horse racetrack and 13 authorized OTB licenses in Colorado. With more than 5,900 employees, the Company's operations include 13,260 slot machines, 459 game tables and 2,941 hotel rooms. Following the completion of pending acquisitions, which include Tropicana Evansville (Evansville, IN), Jumer's Casino & Hotel (Rock Island, IL), and MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa (Lake Tahoe, NV), as well as the construction of a land-based casino near the Nittany Mall in State College, PA, Bally's will own and manage 15 casinos across 11 states. Its shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "BALY."
About SportCaller
SportCaller is the leading free-to-play sporting game provider, whose platform allows fans to connect and compete across a variety of sports. It provides free-to-play and jackpot games for operators and media owners, generating new accounts allied to trackable levels of increased player-activity and loyalty. SportCaller works with clients in UK, Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and North America. SportCaller recently retained its crown for Best Acquisition & Retention Partner at the EGR B2B 2020 Awards cementing its status at the forefront of the emerging F2P vertical.
Forward Looking Statements
This communication contains "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than historical facts, including future financial and operating results and Bally's Corporation's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions, legal, economic and regulatory conditions and any assumptions underlying any of the foregoing, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are sometimes identified by words like "may," "will," "should," "potential," "intend," "expect," "endeavor," "seek," "anticipate," "estimate," "overestimate," "underestimate," "believe," "could," "project," "predict," "continue," "target" or other similar words or expressions. Forward-looking statements are based upon current plans, estimates and expectations that are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated or anticipated by such forward-looking statements. The inclusion of such statements should not be regarded as a representation that such plans, estimates or expectations will be achieved. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such plans, estimates or expectations include, among others, (1) uncertainty surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, including uncertainty regarding its extent, duration and impact, the resulting closure of Bally's properties (all of which have re-opened at some limited level of capacity) and the risk that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic may require Bally's properties to close again for an indeterminable period of time; (2) the time it will take Bally's to return its facilities to full capacity and the restrictions applicable to its facilities until then; (3) the costs to comply with any mandated health requirements associated with the virus; (4) customer responses as Bally's facilities continue to operate under various restrictions including the time it takes customers to return to the facilities and the frequency with which they visit Bally's facilities; (5) the economic uncertainty and challenges in the economy resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, including the resulting reduced levels of discretionary consumer spending; (6) challenges Bally's may face in bringing employees back to work upon re-opening of its facilities; (7) unexpected costs, charges or expenses resulting from the recently completed acquisitions; (8) uncertainty of the expected financial performance of Bally's, including the failure to realize the anticipated benefits of its acquisitions; (9) Bally's ability to implement its business strategy; (10) evolving legal, regulatory and tax regimes; (11) the effects of competition that exists in the gaming industry; (12) the actions taken to reduce costs and losses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which could negatively impact guest loyalty and our ability to attract and retain employees; (13) risks associated with increased leverage from Bally's recently completed and proposed acquisitions; (14) the inability or unwillingness of the lenders under our revolving credit facility to fund requests that we may make to borrow amounts under the facility; (15) increased borrowing costs associated with higher levels of borrowing, (16) the risk that contemplated acquisitions, and the expected benefits therefrom and the timing thereof, do not occur as planned or at all; and (17) other risk factors as detailed under Part I. Item 1A. "Risk Factors" of Bally's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 13, 2020 and Bally's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2020 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 6, 2020. The foregoing list of important factors is not exclusive.
Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this communication. Bally's does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information or development, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of these forward-looking statements.
Bally's Corporation
Investor Contact
Steve Capp
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
401-475-8564
InvestorRelations@twinriver.com
Media Contact
Richard Goldman / David Gill
Kekst CNC
646-847-6102 / 917-842-5384
BallysMediaInquiries@kekstcnc.com
SportCaller
Media Contact
Romilly Evans
Red Knot Communications
Rom@redknotcomms.com
View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ballys-corporation-to-acquire-sportcaller-leading-global-b2b-free-to-play-game-provider-301223631.html
SOURCE Bally's Corporation
FAQ
What is Bally's Corporation's recent acquisition?
How will the SportCaller acquisition impact Bally's?
What is the strategic importance of SportCaller for Bally's?
When was the SportCaller acquisition announced?
What markets does SportCaller operate in?
