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Empire Resorts and bet365 Forge Strategic Alliance to Offer Sports Betting and Online Gaming in New York State at Resorts World Catskills
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- Collaboration Between New York’s Premier Integrated Commercial Casino Resort Destination and World’s Largest Online Sports Betting Operator Positions Resorts World Catskills as Leading NY State Sports Betting and Gaming Destination
- bet365 to Invest up to $50 Million to Become Empire Resorts, Inc.’s Second Largest Shareholder
- Kien Huat Realty III, Ltd. Commits up to $126 Million Investment via Convertible Preferred Stock
Empire Resorts, Inc. (NasdaqGM: NYNY) (together with its subsidiaries, “Empire”) and an affiliate of bet365 Group Limited (“bet365”) today announced a strategic alliance to develop a physical and online sportsbook in New York State at Resorts World Catskills, New York’s newest and largest integrated commercial casino resort destination with closest proximity to Manhattan. Empire and an affiliate of bet365, the world’s largest online sports bookmaker, entered into a 20-year agreement (the “Sports Wagering Agreement”) to offer retail sports betting, an online sportsbook and online gaming at Resorts World Catskills if and when permitted by applicable law. Under the Sports Wagering Agreement, Empire and bet365 will establish New York’s premier sports betting and online gaming option. This agreement provides for the companies to share profits 50/50 after bet365 recoups its start-up and other costs.
In connection with the Sports Wagering Agreement, an affiliate of bet365 will acquire up to $50 million of Empire common stock at a price of $20 per share in two tranches, making it Empire’s second largest stockholder.
Additionally, Kien Huat Realty III, Ltd. (“Kien Huat”), Empire’s largest stockholder, has committed to purchase up to $126 million of convertible preferred stock, with a conversion price of $20 per share. The investment by bet365 and the commitment by Kien Huat strengthens Empire’s financial position and underscores Kien Huat’s view of the potential for value creation in Empire’s Resorts World Catskills.
Resorts World Catskills is one of only four commercial casinos in New York State currently authorized by statute to offer retail sports betting pending the promulgation of regulations. Resorts World Catskills is ideally positioned to offer sports betting with the expertise of bet365, which is ranked No. 1 in sportsbook revenues globally with annual revenues of over $3 billion and No. 1 in the EGR Global Power 50 rankings from 2010 to 2017. bet365 operates a highly successful in-play betting product with a scalable and growing mobile platform.
“Joining forces with bet365 positions Empire and our flagship Resorts World Catskills to lead a potentially enormous new market,” said Manny Pearlman, Executive Chairman of Empire Resorts, Inc. “bet365’s global expertise in effectively developing and executing world-class sportsbooks strongly complements Empire’s leadership in commercial casino operations in New York. This collaboration, which will enable Resorts World Catskills to be a leading destination for sports wagering in New York State, highlights our commitment to the continued growth of Resorts World Catskills, as well as our dedication to working with the best, most innovative pioneers in the industry to provide world-class gaming options.”
The alliance provides bet365 access to the New York State sports wagering market, which, according to market estimates by Eilers & Krejcik Gaming LLC, is expected to be the single largest market jurisdiction for sports betting in the United States other than California, with projections for more than $1 billion in annual revenues from sports betting within five years of legalization.1 Following the announcement of a market access deal in New Jersey earlier this year, bet365 is well positioned for sports betting expansion into New York State.
“This landmark agreement, which combines Empire’s gaming operating skill with our expertise in providing best-in-class online sports betting, allows bet365 to tap into what we believe will be one of the most significant online and sportsbook markets in the United States,” said Simon Betteley, President of Hillside (New York) LLC, a bet365 affiliate.
The alliance with bet365 is the next phase of Resorts World Catskills’ growth, including the addition of a new hotel with two dining and entertainment venues by the end of the year. In 2019, two additional hospitality venues are expected to open at the destination resort in which Resorts World Catskills is located. The Kartrite Hotel and Indoor Waterpark is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2019, and a Rees Jones redesign of the well-known Monster golf course will debut in the second half of 2019.
Following its initial investment, which closed today, an affiliate of bet365 will own approximately 4.9% of Empire’s outstanding common stock. Pursuant to the Sports Wagering Agreement, the parties expect to use the bet365 brand and online consumer facing sports betting and digital platform.
Moelis & Company LLC acted as financial advisor and Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy LLP, Sidley Austin LLP, Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP and Fox Rothschild LLP acted as legal counsel to Empire Resorts, Inc. Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP acted as legal counsel to bet365 Group Limited.
Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network

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Betsson Group Rolls Out Its Flagship Offering in Lithuania
Betsson Group has today launched its flagship brand, Betsson, in Lithuania, marking a new chapter in the Group’s ongoing strategy to unify and elevate its brand presence globally. The rebrand sees the former Betsafe operation transition to the Betsson brand, further strengthening the company’s positioning in regulated markets.
Betsson Group first entered the Lithuanian market in 2016 through the acquisition of TonyBet, which was rebranded as Betsafe the following year. Since then, the brand has gone from strength to strength, establishing itself as one of the leading operators in the country. The transition to Betsson reflects the Group’s ambition to bring even greater consistency, scalability, and brand recognition to its operations across regulated markets. For Lithuanian customers, it ensures the same trusted and seamless gaming experience – now backed by the strength of a globally recognised brand, with expanded resources, international partnerships, and unique fan engagement opportunities.
Jesper Svensson, CEO at Betsson Group, commented, “Lithuania has been an important market for us over the years, and this rebrand is a natural next step in our journey. By aligning our presence in the market under the Betsson brand, we can tap into broader marketing synergies, strengthen our global identity, and continue offering the same great service that our customers know and trust.”
The rebrand reflects Betsson’s ongoing investment in Lithuania, where the company moved into a larger office in Vilnius’ Central Business District just over two years ago. Today, the office is home to around 40 employees working across commercial, payments and support functions.
Over the years, the Group has also built strong local partnerships that demonstrate its commitment to sport. Betsafe is the title sponsor of the Lithuanian Basketball League (Betsafe-LKL), one of the most competitive leagues in the region. The brand also supports both the men’s and women’s Lithuanian national basketball teams, and is a proud sponsor of football club FC Žalgiris.
This brand transition also aligns with Betsson Group’s broader international marketing strategy. The Group is actively investing in high-profile sports sponsorships, including partnerships with Boca Juniors and Racing Club in Argentina, Inter in Italy, Atlético Nacional in Colombia and several other clubs across Europe and Latin America. These global initiatives not only raise brand awareness but also bring added value to local markets like Lithuania through stronger brand recognition and cross-market campaigns.
The post Betsson Group Rolls Out Its Flagship Offering in Lithuania appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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ELA Games Unveils Revamped Client Area – A Redesigned Hub For B2B Customers
ELA Games, an innovative iGaming game development studio, has redeveloped its comprehensive Client Area. These changes package crucial assets and data regarding the studio’s games and content in an intuitive and informative manner.
The new Client Area includes the following information:
- Roadmap: B2B clients can now learn about the studio’s plans before they’re revealed to the public. Here, clients can access upcoming games, their information and the company’s forthcoming business plans.
- Game Info: Clients can view ELA Games’ content stats in one consolidated section. They can sort each game by certain metrics, such as RTP%, volatility and more.
- Licensing Info: ELA Games currently has licenses for various regions across Europe, including Malta, Romania, Denmark, and Sweden. Clients can view all the games available in each region to better understand the scope of content applicable to their platforms.
- Visual Assets: Clients can access every game’s visual elements for promotional and marketing purposes and game demos.
ELA Games has grown substantially since its inception, with a significant increase in production output. With more visually-rich content and more technical details for clients to digest, having a consolidated and centralised Client Area that includes all relevant information for B2B clients is essential.
Yaroslav Soloshenko, Business Development Manager of ELA Games, commented on the new improvements, “The Client Area is a useful hub where all our onboarded clients can view game details, our studio’s plans and download any visual assets. This consolidated section makes it easier for operators to interact with our brand and make the most out of our content more effectively. We look forward to making more additions to the improved Client Area as we continue to grow and expand our portfolio.”
The post ELA Games Unveils Revamped Client Area – A Redesigned Hub For B2B Customers appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Gaming Corps signs groundbreaking strategic agreement with major shareholder, Denwena Limited
Gaming Corps, a publicly listed game studio based in Sweden, has entered into a strategic collaboration agreement with global iGaming group and existing major shareholder, Denwena Limited.
The agreement, subject to approval by Gaming Corps’ shareholders, aims to drive growth through the joint production, marketing and distribution of games.
In addition, Denwena will market Gaming Corps as a game studio to other operators and providers, as well as use its extensive network of streamers and influencers for major digital marketing campaigns for the games produced under the collaboration.
The agreement is based upon milestones regarding Gaming Corps’ monthly revenue, linked to the joint games produced. Each milestone is achieved when the turnover from the collaboration reaches or exceeds a specific threshold for a single calendar month, outlined in the table below.
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Should these milestones be achieved, Denwena Limited will be compensated through a warrant program with a predetermined number of shares in Gaming Corps for each milestone reached.
If the collaboration achieves all eight milestones, which Gaming Corps and Denwena Limited acknowledge to be ambitious, the maximum number of warrants Denwena Limited can receive is 208,640,208 with the maximum dilution in Gaming Corps shares fixed at 58.9%.
Each warrant entitles Denwena to subscribe for one new share in Gaming Corps at a subscription price of SEK 1.34 (which corresponds to 130 per cent of the volume-weighted average price (VWAP) of the Company’s share on Nasdaq First North Growth Market thirty trading days before June 16, 2025
Given the high levels of turnover required by the agreement’s various milestones, there is no communicated timetable for when each milestone will be achieved.
In addition to the collaboration agreement, Gaming Corps and Denwena Limited have entered into a loan agreement for a credit facility totalling €2 million, maturing on 20 June 2028 with an interest rate of 6 per cent per annum.
The total value of the agreement is approximately SEK 280 million, which means that the rules in AMN 2025:19 on certain related party transactions need to be considered to comply with generally accepted practice in the stock market.
Against this background, the agreement is subject to approval by Gaming Corps’ shareholders at an extraordinary general meeting. Notice of the meeting will be published shortly. The shares and votes held by Denwena will not be considered in the resolution of the General Meeting.
If milestones are reached, Denwena will subscribe for new shares in Gaming Corps with the support of the warrants Denwena receives in connection with each milestone.
These shares will be transferred from Denwena to Denwena’s owners to avoid mandatory bids in the Company. There is no agreement or other agreement between Denwena’s owners regarding the coordinated exercise of voting rights in Gaming Corps.
“The collaboration with Denwena Limited has had a flying start, and when they first chose to double their RGS agreement with us and then also enter heavily as an owner in connection with our directed share issue in the autumn of 2024, it was an important step for our company journey. To now be able to tell you about the continued path we have set out for Gaming Corps together with them feels incredibly exciting. Our common ambition is to build Gaming Corps into one of the great dragons among the world’s game studios in the coming years. Thanks to the step-by-step model with milestones that the collaboration is based on, the risks for us as a company are small, while the opportunities for both the Company and us shareholders are extremely exciting,” comments Juha Kauppinen, CEO of Gaming Corps.
“We are very pleased with the design of this agreement. In the event of a successful exchange, there is indeed a large dilution effect on our share, but at the same time it is fully conditional on extreme revenue growth levels for Gaming Corps, levels that most likely create value for our shareholders at completely different levels than the dilution effect,” adds Bülent Balikci, Chairman of the Board of Gaming Corps.
“This, in turn, means that if sales do not increase according to our set milestones and joint ambition, there will be no dilution of the share. In addition, Denwena is committed to supporting us with the financing needs that may arise when we gear up the organisation in such a comprehensive way through a loan agreement. Thus, the structure of the agreement creates double built-in protections for our existing investors.
“Here I would also like to clarify that it is only the turnover directly derived from the collaboration with Denwena Limited that is included in these calculations of milestones, while our other operations continue according to the previously communicated strategy and plan.”
Juha Kauppinen, CEO of Gaming Corps, concludes: “Although we have had a very good revenue development in Gaming Corps in recent years, the figures discussed in this collaboration are at very high levels. If we were to achieve only a couple of these milestones, we are likely to be more than profitable, which would be a fantastic development for Gaming Corps and the shareholders.
“In parallel, we will of course also continue to build the Company according to our previous communication, where our strong distribution network and our innovative, unique game engines have given us a solid foundation for increased shareholder value in the long-term work towards profitability, concludes.”
The post Gaming Corps signs groundbreaking strategic agreement with major shareholder, Denwena Limited appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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