DA V I D B A A Z O V I N T E R V I E W
TWO YEARS OF RAPID GROWTH
AMAYA MAKES ITS MARK
13 NOVEMBER
Sees revenues soar by 171% in Q3 results, a CA$2.51m (£1.53m) yearon-year increase. Rise attributed to increase in sales of its proprietary Mosino hospitality entertainment system, and the inclusion of Chartwell’s software licensing sales in the revenues. ?rst live dealer product designed exclusively for tablet devices. Games are based on a selection of Amaya’s popular slot games redesigned for mobile, including Bars & Bells, Dragon 8’s and Lost Temple, alongside a blackjack product and lottery games.
2011
8 APRIL
Amaya secures 5% stake in Canadian-founded Cryptologic. Baazov calls the deal a “signi?cant step” for Amaya in its strategy to accelerate growth in the regulated interactive gaming industry. Linked to a full takeover of the online casino and games manufacturer.
1 OCTOBER
Bwin.party announces it has agreed to sell its B2B poker network Ongame to Amaya for a total cash consideration of up to €25m.
2 OCTOBER
20 MARCH 13 DECEMBER
Has proposal to supply content for Loto-Québec accepted by the lottery operator’s subsidiary Société du Jeu Virtuel du Québec. Q4 results: Trebles revenues year-on-year from $6m to $18.4m with more than half of the total ($9.5m) coming in the fourth quarter. Records net earnings of CA$2.9m for the three months ending 31 December, a signi?cant improvement on its net loss of $591,000 in the previous quarter, but records loss of $1.9m for the full ?nancial year.
13 MAY
Amaya enters into an agreement with Chartwell to take over the business in a deal valued at CA$22.8m (£14.5m). Under the terms of the agreement, a whollyowned subsidiary of the Canadian solutions provider aims to acquire all existing common shares in its competitor.
16 DECEMBER
Agrees mobile development partnership with London-based supplier Zukido that will initially produce two HTML5 games, including Millionaires Club 2 for mobile and tablet devices and will also assist Amaya Interactive in integrating the games into other, third-party platforms.
Agrees terms in principle for an all-cash offer for Toronto-listed software developer Cryptologic. The US$2.50 a share offer would see the Chartwell owner obtain 52% of the company, which it values at $34.5m.
27 NOVEMBER
Announces ?rst deal involving Ongame agreeing to provide a freeplay poker offering for Connecticut-based Mohegan Sun Casino.
26 JULY
2 JUNE
Amaya aims to raise CA$10.23m (£6.42m) through the sale of 3.3m shares at CA$3.10 each in order to fund its acquisition of Chartwell.
2012
23 JANUARY
Signs three-year licensing agreement with a subsidiary of Australian solutions provider Aristocrat Leisure. The deal, organised through Chartwell Games sees a number of Aristocrat titles licensed for use online and on video lottery terminals (VLTs).
14 OCTOBER
Amaya launches BetKenya. com, the ?rst and only regulated egaming site to go live in Kenya. The Canadian company secures a licence to provide egaming services in the African country in March, and also has licences in Montenegro and the Dominican Republic. It buys Chartwell in a deal worth £14.5m in May, and has also been linked to a takeover of Cryptologic after purchasing a stake in the Toronto-listed company. Amaya president and CEO David Baazov said: “BetKenya will provide the Kenyan government with a new source of revenue and a new capability to oversee online gaming activities in the country, while still allowing its residents to enjoy a world-class gaming experience.”
Moves into the regulated Belgian market for the ?rst time through a licensing agreement with Circus Services SPRL, a subsidiary of Circus Groupe. Baazov describes the deal as “a very signi?cant signing for us”, allowing the company to “establish a great new relationship and market in Belgium with a respected operator to grow our business online and potentially offline”.
28 NOVEMBER
17 SEPTEMBER
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