EGR Power 50 2019: Ones to watch
Buzz Bingo
Buzz Bingo may have only launched its online arm in September 2018, but just nine months later it had already become a multi EGR-award-winning operator after scooping two prizes at the Marketing & Innovation Awards. The operator, which also has more than 100 clubs across Britain, is already one of the UK’s biggest online bingo brands and has won plaudits for the success of its omni-channel solution and marketing prowess.
Mandalorian Technologies
An operator which has seemingly come out of nowhere in recent months, Mandalorian Technologies has become one of the biggest players in Sweden since it began handing out licences when the market re-regulated. According to the latest figures, Mandalorian has recorded SEK238m in Sweden so far this year. Founded in 2018, the company operates brands such as No Account Casino, boasts industry veteran Mikael Pawlo as its chairman and claims to have “basically invented” the Pay&Play and no account casino experience. Strong contender to feature in next year’s rankings.
PointsBet
Spread betting operator PointsBet may well have its roots in the Australian market but it’s the company’s aggressive US expansion which has caught the industry’s attention the most. It currently has access to 10+ US states, aided by its recent deal with Penn National, and recently issued 16.66 million new shares for institutional investors to raise $84m for further marketing and acquisition, product development and US expansion.
Parimatch
Cyprus-based Parimatch isn’t exactly a new company – it was founded in 1994 – but it really appears to have hit its digital stride in the last few years under the stewardship of CEO Sergey Portnov. The operator claims to have an 11% share of the Commonwealth of Independent States region, with its biggest markets being Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Belarus. Parimatch was also recently nominated in three categories at the EGR Operator Awards 2019.
Argyll Entertainment
Shortlisted as a Rising Star at the EGR Operator Awards, Argyll Entertainment is the operator behind brands including RedZone, SportNation.bet and GiveMeBet. According to its website, Argyll
wants to offer customers “a new online gaming experience that surrounds the traditional online gambling product with a fun, authentic and engaging entertainment layer”. The company’s in-house developed Rewards product is a key part of this strategy in a bid to improve customer retention.
River iGaming
Online gaming operator River iGaming has been up and running since November 2017, when it completed the acquisition of Vegas Casino. In just two years, the company listed on the Norwegian Merkur Market, received a licence from the Malta Gaming Authority, and finalised two further acquisitions, including Gaming Realms’ consumer-facing business. The company’s H1 2019 financial report revealed revenue of €5.5m from its online gaming operations.