As is the case with most industries, acquisitions of online casinos seems to be a regular occurrence. One of the latest has seen Moneta Communications acquire Catena Media’s UK and Australian businesses for £5.2 million.
Established as a leading sports betting affiliate in the UK, Catena Media is a well renowned company. They have a great reputation in the industry for delivering players that are of extremely high quality. Not just that, they do so at a cost effective rate and that’s always to be appreciated.
Although some of their business comes from the sports betting section of the gambling industry, they also focus on the online casinos in the UK. Catena Media provides companies with “attractive and informed content.” They also give “attractive and informed consent” as well as “insight and offers” that perform an important task. Namely, to connect those who are interested in casino games such as poker and blackjack with platform operators.
The CEO of Catena Media is Michael Daly. He’s “delighted” that the company has signed the deal with Moneta. He believes that they are “well placed to build on the success” that their UK and Australian sports and casino brands have achieved. With this deal in place, they will have “the scope and support they need to develop and grow.”
Equally delighted with the deal is the CEO of Moneta, Christopher Russel. His company is “very happy” to acquire what they feel are “established and successful brands.” The hope is that they will be able to carry on the success that has been achieved in the past.
Why sell the UK and Australian assets to Moneta? As well as looking to make acquisitions to grow a business, there is also the important decision on which markets to focus attention on. The decision to sell their UK assets isn’t because the online casino industry in the UK is struggling, far from it said an expert of Casino Gambler, UK casinos guide.
Catena Media is the latest company looking to spend more attention on the North American market. There are several owners of UK gambling companies who are also looking across the Atlantic and seeing increased business opportunities. The online casino industry in the US is continually expanding so there are plenty of chances to open up businesses there.
Leading companies such as bet365, Flutter Entertainment and Entain have done just that but continue to pay great attention to maintaining success in the UK gambling industry. Others such as Catena Media take a different approach. They decide that to focus on America, selling their UK interests is the way forward as that will provide valuable revenue.
Another of their sites that has been sold is AskGamblers. That gives plenty of information and reviews about digital casinos and has been sold to Gaming Innovation Group..
Now it’s time for Moneta to take the assets that have been acquired from Catena Media and develop them further. The gambling industry is a highly competitive one but there are many options available to create a business that makes increasing amounts of revenue.
There is increased regulation of the casino industry on the horizon though. The current gambling laws in the UK came into force before the internet changed the way in which we gamble.
Late April saw the publication of the UK Government’s White Paper on gambling reform. Companies such as Moneta will need to pay close attention to what the document contains. Proposals include setting a reduced stake limit for games played at online casinos. A compulsory levy is also being proposed and stricter affordability checks.
While some of these proposals could well affect profits, they aren’t expected to become law in the short term. With a General Election on the horizon, that may also delay implementation of the proposals. Some of the proposals are not being entirely welcomed by gamblers and would the Tory government wish to upset voters ahead of a General Election they are likely to struggle to win.
The fact remains though that the casino industry is one that has a rosy future. The advances made in mobile technology have transformed the way we gamble as much as the arrival of the internet. Players can now download apps from online casinos so they can try their luck on their favourite slot games, try to win at blackjack and hopefully see their lucky numbers win at roulette.
It is still therefore an industry that is worth making investments into. The hope for Moneta is that their acquisition, which also covers sports betting, will be one that can be successful for them. They have certainly acquired a business that has had a great deal of success in the past and is strongly respected. That’s always a good sign for a good and profitable future.
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