German gaming giant Merkur Gaming has closed a deal to acquire White Hat Studios in order to boost its expansion in the United States.
The deal will allow the company, which belongs to the Gauselmann Group, to accelerate its growth in the United States, following the recent acquisition of Nevada-based casino games provider Gaming Arts.
The agreement, whose financial details have not been disclosed, includes only White Hat’s game development studio. It does not cover the B2B platform and white-label business, which will remain under current management.
In a statement, Merkur noted that its experience and resources will help White Hat boost its omnichannel offering.
The transaction is subject to standard regulatory approvals.
“This is an exciting time for those of us who are part of White Hat. This is the best possible decision to achieve our future growth ambitions and guarantee product innovation,” said Andy Whitworth, president of White Hat Studios.
“Working alongside Merkur’s experienced team will open up new opportunities for us in the sector and will allow us to enhance our capabilities to develop a top-tier omnichannel proposition,” he added.
For his part, Michael Gauselmann, chairman of Merkur’s Board of Directors, stated: “We made early progress in the online space in Europe through the acquisition of Blueprint in 2012. I am delighted with this latest development and I am confident that White Hat will be a great addition to the group.”
It’s worth recalling that Merkur acquired a stake in Blueprint Gaming in 2008 and took full control of the company in 2012. The deal marked an important step for the German firm, as it allowed it to expand beyond physical arcade machines and target the online gaming market.