Bally's Wraps Up Bet.Works Acquisition
Bally's Corp. has completed its previously announced acquisition of Bet.Works -- a U.S.-based, sports betting platform provider to operators in New Jersey, Iowa, Indiana and Colorado.
The transaction, which includes Bet.Works' proprietary technology stack and turnkey solutions comprised of marketing, operations, customer service, risk management and compliance, makes Bally's the premier, full-service, vertically integrated sports betting and iGaming company in the U.S. with physical casinos, online gaming solutions and a B2B2C business model united under a single, preeminent brand. The total purchase price of the acquisition was $125 million, half of which was paid in Bally's common stock, which Bet.Works shareholders agreed to hold for at least one year.
Soo Kim, Chairman of Bally's Corporation's Board of Directors, said, "... In just a few short years, we have transformed the company from a regional casino operator into the only U.S. gaming and entertainment company providing customers with an omni-channel experience that combines a national portfolio of best-in-class properties with unmatched digital capabilities. With Bet.Works' market-leading technology underpinning our interactive platform, we are well positioned to capitalize on significant opportunities in what continues to be a rapidly expanding industry, and we are looking forward to launching additional interactive offerings later this year."
With the closing of the transaction, Bally's will create two distinct operating divisions: "Bally's Casinos," which will include the company's physical gaming and entertainment properties, and "Bally's Interactive," which will be comprised of all of Bet.Works' sports betting operations. "Bally's Interactive" will also include Monkey Knife Fight, the fastest growing daily fantasy sports site in North America, and SportCaller, a global B2B free-to-play game provider.
Bet.Works Founder and CEO, David Wang, will lead the integration of Bet.Works' experienced team of over 190 employees. Bally's Interactive plans to open a technology development center in Rhode Island by the end of the year, which will consist initially of 25 employees.
Following the recently announced beta rollout of the Bally Bet sportsbook app in Colorado, Bally's intends to launch mobile sportsbooks in three additional markets in 2021, with subsequent launches to occur in 2022. The Bally Bet app is now available for download in Colorado on both iOS and Android, and is also accessible via desktop at www.ballybet.com.