iGB Intelligence reports Affiliate-Monitor-2Q19-proof4 | Page 19

Part 4: M&A round-up Part 4: M&A round-up of M&A activity over the summer, W of M&A has slackened have a range of potential with deals involving Raketech, Net reasons. Clearly, the fact that the most voracious Gaming Europe and Better Collective, the general player Catena Media has effectively shut up trend towards less acquisitions than in the buyout shop on M&A pending the digestion of its 34 frenzy of 2017-18 remains the central case. acquisitions up to November last year is one Those seeking an answer for why the pace hile there has been some semblance Better Collective aside, the trend towards reason for the slackening of the pace of deals. The company itself has signalled that its fewer acquisitions has been matched by similarly lower levels of transaction prices. At the peak in buying spree has come to a temporary halt. 2017/18, buyouts closer to €10m were common; The quality over quantity strategy is in itself an now, Better Collective’s deals in the US aside, the admission of that and Hjalmar Ahlberg, analyst at money being splashed out is very much in the Kepler Cheuvreux in Stockholm, certainly thinks lower single-figure millions. that Catena has at least temporarily placed the Table 2: Acquisitions in the affiliate space May-September 2019 Date Acquirer Target Market focus Initial price May-19 Better Collective RotoGrinders US sports $21m Jun-19 Raketech CasinoFever.ca Canada Unkn Jun-19 Net Gaming Europe BettingGuide.se Sweden Unkn Jul-19 Net Gaming Europe BettingOnline.co.uk UK £1.6m Jul-19 Better Collective VegasInsider/ ScoresAndOdds US sports $20m Aug-19 Raketech Casumba Japan €2m Sep-19 Better Collective MyBettingSites UK £1.5m Source: Affiliate Monitor We recently scanned some acquisitions for a big affiliate to help them check if historical content was compliant in the territory the site was targeting, so it’s certainly on acquirers’ minds. Ian Sims, Rightlander iGaming Business • Affiliate Monitor • October 2019  16