Bally’s Acquisition Streak Continues

A casino giant wants to swap chips for clicks.

Bally’s Casinos doubled down on its investment in sports betting with the acquisition of SportCaller. The gambling conglomerate will leverage the free-to-play sports game provider to launch its own games, and draw in gamers abroad and in U.S. states where sports betting is not currently legal. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“F2P products represent a core component of our interactive strategy to drive user acquisition to Bally’s ecosystem,” said Bally’s President and CEO George Papanier.

Already a major name in casinos, Bally’s is wagering hundreds of millions on getting its brand front and center with gamers and sports fans through TV and online channels.

• In November, Bally’s inked a deal with Sinclair Broadcast Group to rebrand its 21 regional Fox Sports networks under the Bally’s name. The $85 million agreement lasts a decade, with an optional five-year extension.
• That same month, Bally’s acquired sports betting platform Bet.Works for $125 million. Bet.Works operates in New Jersey, Iowa, Indiana, and Colorado.
• In January, Bally’s acquired daily fantasy sports operator Monkey Knife Fight for around $90 million. The deal came three months after MKF, which is live in 37 states, scored a partnership with the NFL and its players’ association.

The dominoes are falling quickly for sports betting in the U.S.

Twenty states and Washington D.C. already have legal sportsbooks up and running. Five other states have legalized sports betting but are still ironing out logistics before launch.