There have been several headline-making M&A developments in the gaming industry in 2026 involving some of the biggest names in land-based and online gaming, including:
- Fertitta Entertainment reaching a $17.6bn deal to take Caesars Entertainment private
- Underdog’s agreed $1.3bn acquisition by British company IG Group
- MGM Resorts International’s review of a reported $18bn takeover bid from People Inc.
- Evolution abandoning its planned acquisition of Galaxy Gaming
But what else is happening in the world of gaming mergers, acquisitions, investments, and partnerships? Here, we round up some of the news you might have missed.
This page will be updated regularly as new information emerges.
bet365 launches in Washington, D.C.
bet365 now offers online sports betting in Washington, D.C., and does so as an official partner of three major pro sports teams in the U.S capital.
The British operator began taking bets across D.C. on Tuesday, Sept. 8. The District is the company’s 19th American market, adding to the 18 states in which it already offers betting. It most recently entered West Virginia, rolling out sports betting and online casino in that state in late August.
“Bringing bet365 to our nation’s capital expands our reach in the U.S. and establishes our presence in one of the country’s most dynamic sports markets,” said the company’s Head of Development Trip Stoddard.
NFL re-ups FanDuel, DraftKings as official partners alongside Fanatics deal
The NFL is headed into the new season with a trio of official sports betting partners, with one new name among them.
After SBC Americas reported that the league teamed up with Fanatics Betting and Gaming for a non-exclusive partnership, the NFL announced on Thursday, Aug. 27, that it has re-signed two of its previous official sportsbooks: DraftKings and FanDuel.
DraftKings and FanDuel both have been an official sports betting partner of the league since 2021. Their previous agreements expired after the 2025 season, but they have both now signed new terms.
Franatics has also become an official online casino marketing partner of the league.
You can find more on the latest on the NFL Sportsbook partnerships here.
VICI Properties working with Caesars on Vegas NBA project
Okay, this one perhaps doesn’t technically fit the bill of M&A, but in noteworthy comments made on a VICI Properties earnings call on July 30, executive John Payne revealed that the biggest casino real estate investment trust in the U.S. is working with its major partner Caesars on a proposal for a potential Las Vegas NBA arena.
The NBA board voted in March to explore expanding the league into the Vegas or the Seattle markets. VICI was formed in 2017 as a spin-off from Caesars during the company’s bankruptcy process, and now VICI owns the real estate of eight casinos operated by Caesars on the Vegas strip, and has similar arrangements with Caesars and other operators across the U.S.
“We own, in conjunction with our partner Caesars, 50 acres of land behind Paris, Horseshoe, Planet Hollywood, and we are developing a plan with Caesars … to house the arena that could be built for the new NBA team,” VICI President and Chief Operating Officer Payne told analysts.
Multiple investment groups have expressed an interest in a Vegas NBA project, including one collaboration between Vegas Golden Knights owner Bill Foley and MGM Resorts.
ProphetX closes $35m fundraising round
One of several sports betting operators now focused on prediction markets, ProphetX closed a $35m fundraising round that it said will help to accelerate its product development, increase its liquidity across markets, and scale up its B2B platform and partnerships.
The round was led by Parlay Capital and Data Point Capital, with participation from the likes of:
- Connexa Capital
- FDJ Ventures
- Greenwave Ventures
- Impellent Ventures
- The Operating Group
- Sharp Alpha Advisors
ProphetX describes itself as “America’s first federally regulated sports-native prediction market” after it received its CFTC registration as a designated contract market (DCM) in June.
“On the heels of ProphetX’s recent nationwide launch and CFTC approval to operate as America’s first federally regulated sports-native prediction market, this raise gives us the fuel to meet the surging demand from both consumers and institutions to participate in this new asset class,” said CEO and Co-Founder Dean Sisun. “Prediction markets are now a permanent fixture of the American financial landscape, and ProphetX intends to lead them.”
Churchill Downs plans to sell off 9 regional casinos
Churchill Downs CEO Bill Carstanjen said on a July 30 earnings call that the company plans to sell nine regional casinos either one by one or in small groups.
The company had already indicated that it intends to divest casinos in several states, including notable venues such as:
- Hard Rock Casino in Iowa
- Oxford Casino in Maine
- Ocean Downs in Maryland
- Del Lago in New York
- Presque Isle in Pennsylvania
Carstanjen said on the earnings call that, based on market response, the company now believes that selling them “individually or in small groups” will maximize value for shareholders, compared to a potential block sale of all the venues. He did not suggest when such deals might start being announced.
“We’ve announced the sale of these assets and that’s what the team has been tasked with working on,” the CEO added. “And there aren’t any nuances around it like just selling the real estate. We’re not interested in doing that.
Brick-and-mortar casino acquisitions in New Jersey and Louisiana
Meanwhile, multiple land-based casino deals have closed in the last few days.
Bally’s Corporation finalized a $30m acquisition to buy Sam’s Town Shreveport in Louisiana from Boyd Gaming, which had operated the property since 2004. The venue, which is located next to Bally’s existing Shreveport Casino & Hotel, will be rebranded under Bally’s name.
“Today’s closing marks an important milestone for Bally’s as we continue to expand our presence in key regional markets and invest in destinations with strong long-term potential,” said Chairman Soo Kim. “Louisiana is an important market for our company, and we are excited about the opportunities ahead.”
Over in New Jersey, MotorCity Casino Detroit owner Illitch Gaming closed the purchase of the remaining 50% ownership of Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, although the deal still needs regulatory approval as of the time of writing.
“Ocean Casino Resort has become an exceptional destination through the dedication of our talented colleagues, sustained investment in the property, and a commitment to the guest experience,” said Illitch Gaming CEO John Policicchio. “Atlantic City remains one of the country’s most important gaming and hospitality markets and achieving full ownership of Ocean represents an important milestone.”
Gambling.com rebrands as Grandstand
Goodbye Gambling.com Group, hello Grandstand.
The company has rebranded its corporate name as it continues to pivot away from its core roots as a gambling affiliate business amid ongoing headwinds in that sector. The company announced flat first-quarter revenue and laid off around 25% of its workforce earlier this year.
The Gambling.com flagship website will continue to operate under the same domain as a consumer comparison site, but the corporate name and Nasdaq ticker (now GRSD) have changed to reflect the new identity. Grandstand will serve as the name and brand that encompasses the group’s wider collection of businesses, which also includes:
- Casinos.com
- OddsJam
- OpticOdds
- RotoWire
The rebranding comes after the company promoted Chief Operating Officer Kevin McCrystle to CEO, with former chief executive Charles Gillespie transitioning to become Executive Chairman of the Board.
Bragg looks to horse racing with Drayton International purchase
iGaming content and technology supplier Bragg Gaming Group has expanded significantly in North and Latin America over the last couple of years. Now, it has its eyes on new verticals including horse racing.
The company completed the acquisition of Drayton International in late July, a B2B firm that offers proprietary games and has equity stakes in several game development studios. It also owns three distribution and tech platforms, including Advance Deposit Wagering (ADW) specialist Arc Gaming.
Bragg said that the acquisition positions it to expand its presence in regulated sports betting and horse racing markets and facilitates its entry into the ADW regulated online wagering model used in horse racing, which Bragg described as a fast-growing segment of the U.S. gaming market. The Drayton deal comes after Bragg’s CEO said in March, upon the announcement of new executive hires, that it intends to expand into the world of prediction markets.
