Ongame deal with Bally still active
Gaming technology provider says poker agreement with Shuffle Master "no longer in effect" after collapse of its deal to acquire Swedish network, but could be revived.
Ongame’s memorandum of understanding with Bally Technologies remains valid despite the collapse of Shuffle Master’s deal to acquire the network, the Nevada-licensed company has confirmed.
Speaking to eGaming Review yesterday, Bally’s vice president of business development John Connelly (pictured) explained that “When we signed our MoU with Shuffle Master we also had Ongame sign it, so even if their deal fell through we could keep moving forward. The deal with Ongame is still in effect now.”
The memorandum of understanding was signed between Bally, Aristocrat, Shuffle Master and Ongame last month, shortly after Bally’s strategic alliance with Aristocrat which would see the two companies pool poker liquidity in a regulated US market.
Connelly confirmed that “Our MoU with Shuffle Master is no longer in effect now they have backed away from a poker perspective, but we are in discussions with regards to integrating their table games to the Bally platform and we will continue to have a relationship with them.
“We would be prepared to revive the MoU if Shuffle Master buys someone else in the poker space – there is already a good relationship between the two organisations,” he added.
As the igaming platform allows for the integration of more than one provider for poker and other verticals, the incorporation of any new poker software would not affect the Ongame deal.
Several months after agreeing to acquire the Swedish poker network for an initial 19.5m, the US-facing supplier pulled out of the deal on the basis of uncertainties regarding the US regulatory landscape as well as economic issues across Ongame’s European markets.
eGR has since learned that at least five companies are in talks to acquire Ongame, with social gaming operator Zynga understood to be the frontrunner at present.
Bally’s igaming platform, acquired from Chiligaming earlier this year, has already integrated Winamax’s poker software, used by Golden Nugget for its freeplay online poker offering, which went live last week.
“In Golden Nugget’s case they felt Winamax was the right choice for them for poker, with Winamax being a proven poker product and performing well in France, but we’re also in discussion with other poker suppliers as well as those affiliated with sports, bingo and casino games,” Connelly said.
He noted that a number of operators have expressed an interest in using Ongame poker software within the wider framework of the igaming platform, although he recognised that “Ongame will have to bring a great level of clarity for those customers in terms of what they will commit to going forward.”