American Gambling Awards Finalists: Dealmaker of the Year

The American Gambling Awards celebrate the outstanding work of the companies, organizations, executives and influencers working to responsibly grow the regulated online American casino and sports betting markets.

Leading up to the awards ceremony in November, Gambling.com is profiling the finalists.

Here are the finalists for Dealmaker of the Year.

Boyd Gaming Acquisition of Pala Interactive

Nevada-based Boyd Gaming Corp. announced in November 2022 that it had closed on the acquisition of Pala Interactive LLC and its subsidiaries for $170 million. Boyd President and CEO Keith Smith said this was an opportunity for the company to expand its online casino gaming business, complementing their established land-based operations.

Founded in 1975, Boyd operates 28 gaming entertainment properties in 10 states, as well managing a tribal casino in Northern California. Its Las Vegas properties include the iconic Fremont hotel-casino in downtown’s Glitter Gulch.

Pala Interactive is an online gaming tech company that provides proprietary real money and social gaming solutions on both a B2B and B2C basis in regulated markets in the U.S. and Canada.

Fanatics Acquisition of PointsBet U.S.

Fanatics called it a “pivotal moment” in the evolution of their sports betting business in the U.S. market – the acquisition of PointsBet U.S. operations in a $225 million dollar deal, approved by PointsBet shareholders in June.

PointsBet Chairman Brett Paton said the deal was going to position Fanatics to take a run at the the top operators in the U.S. market.

For Fanatics, the deal gave them access to more U.S. jurisdictions. They currently operate legally in 11 states for sports betting. Their CEO Michael Rubin said it’s the company’s ambition to become the largest sportsbook in the U.S. market by 2033.

MGM Resorts International Acquisition of LeoVegas

In May 2022, Nevada-based MGM Resorts International announced its expansion internationally with the acquisition of LeoVegas in an all-cash $604 million deal.

Building on the success of BetMGM in the U.S., MGM Resorts’ CEO and President Bill Hornbuckle said the acquisition of LeoVegas in Europe will allow the management teams from both companies to join forces and accelerate their global digital gaming growth.

Founded in 2011, LeoVegas, headquartered in Stockholm, has licenses in eight jurisdictions in the Nordic countries and the rest of Europe. LeoVegas Group CEO Gustaf Hagman told the media the deal was a major win for his company since it was tapping into the expertise of a premier gaming entertainment company to further leverage their strategic goals.