SKS365 Malta Holdings has officially engaged in dialogue with Playtech as the major player in the global iGaming industry confirmed its interest in pursuing an acquisition. A successful deal would significantly strengthen Playtech’s presence in the lucrative Italian iGaming market, but interest from competitors Flutter Entertainment and Lottomatica may mean a harsh negotiation process.

Playtech Can Expand Its Existing Regional Presence

SKS365 Malta Holdings, the operator behind the successful PlanetWin brand, is a prominent player in Italy’s online and land-based gambling sectors. The company’s success makes it a prime acquisition target for Playtech, which has been actively involved in the region through its subsidiary, Snaitech. An SKS365 acquisition should be a significant strategic win, solidifying Playtech’s Italian operations.

Playtech released an official statement confirming it had begun preliminary acquisition talks. The company was adamant that it had not progressed beyond initial negotiations, adding that a future deal remained uncertain. However, Snaitech’s consistently strong performance highlights the Italian market’s significant untapped potential, giving Playtech a heavy incentive to pursue an acquisition.

There can be no certainty that Playtech will be successful in the process nor that any transaction regarding the potential acquisition of SKS will be agreed.

Playtech statement

This potential acquisition aligns with Playtech’s broader expansion plans, which include a minority equity ownership stake in Hard Rock Digital (HRD). Investing in the Italian market should provide significant long-term benefits for the operator, capitalizing on lucrative opportunities and streamlining its regional operations to create new synergies. 

The Other Competitors Also Have Distinct Advantages

Despite Playtech’s swift actions, two other high-profile operators have also expressed interest in a potential SKS365 acquisition. Flutter Entertainment, the parent company of well-known brands like Paddy Power and Betfair, has not officially confirmed its bid. However, industry insiders suggest it has also engaged in discussions, potentially giving Playtech a run for its money.

Lottomatica, another leading player in the Italian gambling market, is reportedly considering a bid for SKS365 Malta Holdings. Last year, Lottomatica acquired Betflag, an Italian online sports betting and casino operator, for €310.0 million ($328.26 million), consolidating its position in the Italian market. Another high-profile purchase would further elevate its status, cementing it as a regional leader.

As these discussions progress, it remains to be seen which company will ultimately secure the acquisition and cement its foothold in Italy’s thriving gambling industry. All three potential buyers possess distinct advantages, meaning SKS365 could play them against each other to secure a superior deal. Regardless of the victor, an acquisition would significantly impact the Italian gambling market, elevating the winner above the competition.

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NCAA President Charlie Baker raised some eyebrows when hinting that the association may get into the sports betting space to explore potential new revenue streams.

Entering the Sports Betting Space

Speaking at an event titled “The Future of College Sport” hosted in Washington, DC by the University of Arizona and its president, Robert C. Robbins, Baker hinted about plans to generate new income, including some controversial options such as monetizing sports betting partnerships, reported Forbes.

“We have a major opportunity to get into the sports betting space,” Baker said and went on to elaborate that this means entering a market comprising “anybody who has a phone” and can wager “from any place they want,” with “two-thirds to almost three-quarters of all people between the ages of 18 and 22 (currently) betting on sports.”

Hearing the new NCAA president speak about sports betting opportunities as potential revenue streams for college sports raised eyebrows in the room but Baker softened the blow by adding that the NCAA will come up with a program to address the issue of putting student-athletes in a very difficult position “if there are lots of kids on campus betting on college sports and betting on the teams on their campus.”

Ethical Issues Around Athletes

Baker also shared his expectation that the NCAA will “get everybody to endorse around (this program) helping them develop the tools and techniques (those involved with the issue are) going to need to deal with this stuff.”

And while he would not go into details about his strategy anytime soon, Baker hinted that other NCAA sports beginning with women’s basketball, and then women’s softball, baseball, volleyball, and other sports, will gradually be put “out to bid” individually.

“We dramatically underperform across a whole bunch of other revenue-raising opportunities,” Baker added, adamant that “those items are going to get a lot of attention … over the course of … the next four to six months.”

Baker failed to recognize the ethical quandary the NCAA creates for its athletes by not permitting them to “opt out” of having their performance data aggregated and sold to media and gambling companies as part of a leveraged package product.

On the contrary, he believes that athlete data is the main driving force behind growth in media and gambling contracts, pointing to professional sports and their union contracts as proof that athlete data should remain inseparable from the NCAA product, and it would not be him the leader who would ask the athletes about who should be able to access and sell their data or not.

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