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GOODS&SERVICES PLAYTECH VOTES DOWN ARISTOCRAT TAKEOVER OFFER
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he bid of Australian slot supplier Aristocrat Leisure Ltd. to acquire London-based online gaming giant Playtech PLC has been rejected by Playtech shareholders. At the company’s general meeting, shareholders voting yes on the proposed US$2.9 billion acquisition mustered only 54.68 percent of the total, far below the 75 percent vote threshold required for the deal to go through. “Accordingly, the acquisition of Playtech by (Aristocrat subsidiary) Bidco has been terminated and the scheme has lapsed,” Playtech said in an investor note. “As a result, Playtech is no longer in an offer period as defined by the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers.” The vote to terminate the acquisition bid was not unexpected. Aristocrat released an ASX statement on the day of the vote anticipating the rejec-
tion, and blaming the outcome on Playtech investors who only bought shares after the takeover was announced in October last year. However, another former suitor may be reviving its takeover bid for Playtech. TTB Partners Ltd., the parent company of Gopher Investments, was one of three original suitors for Playtech. Hong Kong-based Gopher Investments is the No. 2 shareholder of Playtech PLC, holding a 4.97 percent stake. The company dropped out of the bidding contest in mid-November, indicating it was going to pursue a deal to buy Playtech’s financial trading division, Finalto, for $250 million, in a deal expected to close in Q2 2022.
ACRES LAUNCHES FOUNDATION APP STORE
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cres Manufacturing Company announced the debut of the Foundation App Store, an opento-all environment that allows any developer to provide applications for any slot machine or table game deploying Acres’ Foundation casino management system technology. The Foundation App Store enables casino operators to seamlessly add the newest
content from developers through an open API in an effort to quickly address evolving consumer interests. With the open API, casinos only pay for the cost of the application, not for the interface. Currently, casinos may have to purchase the same interface for each application they want to buy. This obstacle prevents many casinos from installing new applications, thereby depriving them of incremental revenue and earnings, according to Noah Acres, chief operating officer of Acres Manufacturing. Another significant difference with the Foundation App Store is that Acres allows any app, whether or not it competes with present or future Acres applications. Typically, fees are charged by legacy systems for any interface with competitive products. At launch, the Foundation App Store includes 17 developers with applications tested and certified as “Foundation Compatible” by Acres. Initial applications encompass categories such as reporting, analytics, cashless gaming, bonusing and more.
SIGHTLINE, IGT PARTNER FOR SKY CASINO APP
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ightline Payments announced the planned launch of its mobile loyalty platform, Joingo, at Indigo Sky Casino & Resort in Wyandotte, Oklahoma in Q1 of this year. Leveraging Joingo’s seamless integration with the IGT Advantage casino management system, the Indigo Sky branded mobile app will feature mobile marketing tools that give patrons a unified experience from the convenience of their iOS or Android devices, enhancing the experience for all GO Rewards Club members. Owned and operated by the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, Indigo Sky boasts one of the largest casinos in northeastern Oklahoma. Its casino floor features over 1,400 gaming machines, various table games, and a bingo hall. The resort includes two hotel towers and an RV park, and its Creekside Bar & Grill offers the area’s only golf simulator. In 2021, Sightline Payments announced a partnership with IGT to provide solutions to aid in the deployment of cashless gaming technology through IGT’s suite of systems innovations, including Resort Wallet with IGTPay. They recently expanded the partnership to include Sightline’s mobile loyalty platform, Joingo. The launch of the Joingo mobile loyalty solution at Indigo Sky Casino & Resort will be the first product launch for Sightline with IGT following these announcements.
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Global Gaming Business MARCH 2022
