Z Capital Partners, the private equity arm of Z Capital Group, has outlined plans to capitalize on the growth of igaming and sports betting across the US by merging Affinity Gaming and Sports Information Group to create Affinity Interactive.
The merger of Affinity Gaming’s properties in Nevada, Missouri and Iowa with Sports Information Group’s “technology, digital and media platforms” is expected to present a range of “significant growth opportunities”.
James Zenni, Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of ZCG and Chairman of Affinity Interactive, said: “This merger has been contemplated for quite some time, and with the expansion of online gaming in the U.S. and abroad, we look forward to bringing together these two highly complementary businesses and leveraging their combined strengths to create a significant gaming, digital and media platform with even greater growth opportunities globally as Affinity Interactive.
“Affinity’s acclaimed casino properties, coupled with SIG’s world-class technology and proprietary sports data and intelligence, will create a leading gaming platform available to nearly one million customers worldwide.
“We see significant growth in the sports and online betting industry, and we are confident that together these companies will be even better positioned to capitalize on the many opportunities ahead as Affinity Interactive.”
In addition, Z Capital Partners noted that the merger will include a range of casino and online gaming offerings, including social gaming, mobile gaming, iGaming and sports betting.
Mary Beth Higgins, Chief Executive Officer of Affinity Gaming, and Itay Fisher, Chief Executive Officer of SIG, will continue to lead their respective business units.
“This is an exciting day for our digital, data and betting customers as the combined company will offer an unparalleled online and in-person gaming experience to our ever-growing customer base,” said Fisher.
“This merger enables Affinity to leverage SIG’s leading technology and digital presence and accelerates its expansion into sports and iGaming. We are grateful to have ZCG’s continued vision, support, and operational expertise as we enter into this new chapter.”
In order to capitalize on the growth of sports betting, Affinity Interactive will leverage Sports Information Group’s Daily Racing Form brand – providing players with insight into horse racing, interactive past performances, handicapping tools and access to DRF Bets
“For more than 125 years, DRF has been at the forefront of the gaming industry, and today’s announcement of combining our offerings with Affinity’s casino properties and sports betting licenses, is yet another milestone in SIG’s iconic legacy,” Higgins added.
“This transaction will position us to continue our growth, and we look forward to working with Itay and the SIG team to further deliver the best sports betting offerings for the benefit of our combined customers.”