One of the world’s oldest and most well-known iGaming video slot and table game brands is amid a takeover on the Stockholm NASDAQ.
All the NetEnt shares are on the verge of moving over to Evolution Gaming, which is sending the industry’s newswires and grapevines into overdrive.
This is a momentous deal worth an awe-inspiring $2.1 million, and NetEnt will retain a portion of Evolution Gaming’s shares in return. This does not retain power, but it is likely to give NetEnt bigwigs some voting power at the table.
The news was made official in a NetEnt press release…
As for whether this is a hostile takeover as part of a move by Evolution Gaming ‘or’ if this is an amicable agreement will probably never come out, but either way, the deal works well for both iGaming developers. Although, it is a little strange that both these giants are on the NASDAQ and suddenly by the end of the year, NetEnt’s principal rival in the live casino gaming arena is taking over.
That said, if NetEnt still has a say, then with the way Evolution Gaming’s business model is set up, everyone involved in NetEnt should benefit. In most takeovers or acquisitions, the original stricture of the team that created and maintained the brand name usually stays the same.
NetEnt will likely want to keep their brand name intact while Evolution Gaming would do well too. NetEnt video slots and table games rely on the NetEnt brand name to attract players. While Evolution Gaming clearly has its sights set on moving into the video slots side of the online casino industry.
Evolution Gaming has a reputation for its exquisite live dealer table games. These games are streamed to players mobile devices or desktops who then play at the table placing virtual chips on live felts as if the player were physically sat a casino table. A real-life dealer or croupier hosts the table streamed via Ultra-HD and high-quality audio.
NetEnt also has the same set up but with the addition of its virtual table games and video slots. In the virtual table gaming, arena Evolution Gaming already has virtual casino games operated by RNGs (Random Number Generators) using a brand-new concept called ‘First Person’ gaming which is arguably a much more attractive way to play table games over a virtual interface.
Therefore, Evolution Gaming looks to be interested in the video slots portion of NetEnt’s business. On top of this, NetEnt also boasts the second most popular live dealer platform in Europe. This is huge for Evolution Gaming because its brand is already the most widely used live dealer platform in the iGaming industry today.
Add the second most popular live dealer brand from a NASDAQ takeover to the most popular brand, and you have a firm that now dominates the iGaming live casino arena.
What Does Evolution Gaming Get From NetEnt Video Slots Games?
Evolution Gaming has no video slots section to its business, so this will be a new venture, but now the firm will have access to one of the most prestigious slot collections in the world and the development behind the success of these slots.
What is likely to happen is that for the next few years, NetEnt video slots will slowly undergo a rebranding phase. One that let’s video slot players get used to the transition.
At first, we will probably see ‘NetEnt Slots by Evolution Gaming’ a little like the สล็อต xo rebranding in Thailand. NetEnt will still keep their slot development team in place, as this is the team that brought the NetEnt video slots brand to the forefront of the iGaming industry.
The company has some of the most played online slots in the industry today, with its most popular slot title ‘Starburst’ breaking all kinds of records. It is constantly changing positions with Play’n Go’s Book of Dead slot as the most popular video slot game in Europe, North America, and Asia, and it has held this position the better part of a year now.
Another one NetEnt’s very popular slot titles is Gonzo’s Quest; also breaking records for an online slot game in Europe, North America, and Asia. Then its brand-new slot Rage of the Seas is also making headlines on online slot review publications and online casino news sites.
Adding to this, NetEnt has a huge progressive jackpot video slot network. Devine Fortune, Mega Fortunes, Halls of God, Mega Fortune Dreams, Arabian Nights, Imperial Riches, and Mega Joker are all famous progressive jackpot slot titles. This network has paid out billions in jackpot prize money to winners that stretch from Canada, across the pond to the UK, over Europe, down to African nations, and across to Australia and New Zealand, and back to Asia.
Is the Deal Worthwhile for Evolution Gaming?
With all this in mind, no matter how many billions this deal costs the firms, its more than worth it. NetEnt’s full live dealer suite is no longer its chief competitor and under Evolution Gaming’s wing.
Even better still, Evolution Gaming grows into the iGaming industry with ownership of a large and extremely popular progressive jackpot video slot network as well as a collection of slot titles that already comes with its loyal following of NetEnt slot fans.
How this deal brings Evolution Gaming forward is going to be interesting. Its live casino platform is already the biggest in the world and the firm recently added eZugi too. eZugi is another smart acquisition because its live dealer game target players in South East Asia with a particular focus on India thanks to its Andar Nahar, Teen Patti, Bet on Teen Patti, Live Keno, Live Lottery, and Baccarat tables.
Is the Deal Worthwhile for NetEnt Gaming?
Well, we already mentioned how successful Evolution Gaming is and that the firm has a clear strategy that is leading it to continuous success.
We can also look at another big piece of news to come out of the Evolution Gaming news wires which could also see NetEnt enter the US market. Evolution Gaming agreed with BetMGM in the USA on a joint venture between MGM Resorts International and GVC Holdings to provide live casino solutions across the USA.
This means Evolution live tables will enter BetMGM casinos such as Party Casino and Borgata Online with its live dealer studios situated in New Jersey.
What’s next on the cards for the expansion of the Evolution brand is not yet known, but you get the feeling that this firm will not stop at NetEnt.
