FEATURES KINDRED GROUP
Integrated independence Kindred Group CEO Henrik Tjärnström speaks to Tim Poole about the operator’s takeover of supplier Relax Gaming, discussing the rationale behind the merger and the growing trend of operator-supplier integration As industry consolidation continues on an exponential scale, supplier acquisitions like Scientific Games’ takeover of Lightning Box Games and Evolution’s buyout of Big Time Gaming are becoming evermore common. So much so, in fact, it almost feels too obvious to point out... But a newer trend has developed in recent years which is somewhat bucking the wider consensus. Indeed, in the modern M&A climate, more and more operators are buying more and more suppliers – a concept that feels completely contrarian upon first thought. Earlier this year, a prime example materialised as established operator Kindred Group purchased online gaming supplier Relax Gaming. Relax will continue supplying B2B slots and the like to competing operators, in some cases direct Kindred rivals. All the while, Kindred will keep operating in the same vein as it was before – with no change in approach off the back of this merger. They seem like conflicting approaches, and yet they will proceed side by side as part of one overarching strategy. A few months into the partnership, Gambling
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