Scientific Games to Acquire Sideplay Entertainment

Scientific Games (NASDAQ: SGMS) has announced that it is set to acquire the e-instant content studio Sideplay Entertainment. The company believes that it will speed up the international expansion of its iLottery business.

The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed; however, Scientific Games has said that if it goes through as expected, it will bring the entirety of Sideplay’s content catalog into the Scientific Games portfolio of iLottery games. Furthermore, Scientific Games explained that the addition of digital game server content distribution technology to its existing technological capabilities would improve the speed to market.

Sideplay was founded in 2003, and it has since launched more than 270 instant win games for lottery and gambling operators, and its games have been played more than 100 million times.

Sideplay’s highly-experienced digital game developers have a proven track record of delivering exceptional iLottery content to market quickly. We have already integrated Sideplay’s digital games into our iLottery platforms, and combining their unique approach to game development for Scientific Games’ more than 20 iLottery customers worldwide will accelerate our iLottery offerings for our customers and their players.

Pat McHughScientific Games Lottery Group Chief Executive

Steve Hickson, Sideplay’s founder and director, said that the company is “thrilled” to be joining Scientific Games. He said that the company has always aimed to be the best and believes that the acquisition “shows that we have in fact achieved that level of success.” He added, “We are excited to leverage Scientific Games’ global lottery footprint and create the future of iLottery together.”

The deal remains subject to regulatory approval, and it comes soon after Scientific Games completed the acquisition of Lightning Box, a gaming content studio, as part of its strategy to grow in digital markets. The terms of that deal were also kept secret, but Scientific Games said that the acquisition would support its plan to become a content-led sustainable growth business and boost its in-house studios.