Evolution completes acquisition of slot developer Big Time Gaming
Live casino giants continue to snap up industry leading slot developers
iGaming megabrand Evolution has this week announced the completion of their acquisition of online slot developers Big Time Gaming.
On April 12th 2021 the two companies entered into an agreement that would see successful Australian company Big Time Gaming fall into the hands of Evolution for up to €450 million (£389.0m/$534.5m).
This is the second major iGaming acquisition Evolution have made in the last year, having purchased NetEnt for €1.8 billion euros in December 2020.
Who are Big Time Gaming and why were they on Evolution's radar?
Big Time Gaming is an immensely popular online slot development company formed in 2011, famed for creating the legendary Megaways mechanic.
After a string of fairly forgettable slots the team at Big Time Gaming put their heads together and came up with something truly spectacular... 2016 release Dragon Born Megaways became the very first Megaways slot, a game that featured an impressive 117,649 ways to win thanks to their patented reel modifier technology that changed the number of symbols on each reel on each and every single spin.
The game itself wasn't particularly amazing, but the technology and mechanics absolutely blew everyone's minds, the company knew they were onto a winner and began releasing more and more Megaways slots that were clearly hitting the right notes with players and operators alike. Eventually, the award-winning company began licensing out the mechanic and as a result, we've seen some of the biggest iGaming companies such as NetEnt, Big Time Gaming and Blueprint Gaming all release their own Megaways slots.
In an April statement from Big Time Gaming Chief Executive Officer Nik Robinson, he noted that both companies were ‘driven by innovation’ and even called the acquisition a ‘perfect match’.
Evolution going from strength to strength with their latest acquisition
Speaking on the historic acquisition Jens von Bahr, chairman of Evolution, said: “With the addition of Big Time Gaming to our portfolio of slot brands we strengthen our strategic position as the leading provider of digital casino games in the world.
“Big Time’s focus on innovation and creating unique playing experiences is a great fit with our culture and mindset at Evolution. We look forward to continuing our journey together.”
It's not yet known what will come out of the new partnership, but if Evolution's acquisition of NetEnt is anything to go by, we'd imagine that they'll somehow utilise the Megaways mechanic in their popular live casino games, much like they have done with NetEnt's greatest slot game Gonzo's Quest.