Bally's cleared to set foot in Nevada after Gamesys acquisition

The Nevada Gaming Commission on Thursday voted unanimously to approve Bally’s Corp.'s request to amend its registration as a gaming company in the state, including its acquisition of UK online software development and gaming business Gamesys Group.

Bally’s had already found unanimous approval of its acquisition in a Nevada Gaming Control Board's meeting on October 13, as reported by Yogonet.

In Nevada, Bally’s is acquiring the Tropicana Las Vegas from Gaming and Leisure Properties, which is expected to close in early 2022. The Rhode Island-based company already operates 14 casinos, has sportsbooks in the United States with its Bet.Works subsidiary, and daily fantasy sports games through subsidiary Monkey Knife Fight.

With the merger with global online gaming developer Gamesys, completed earlier this month for over $2.7 billion, Bally's seeks to become an omnichannel gaming company. Bally’s Chief Financial Officer Steve Capp said Bally’s intends to use the Gamesys platform for online operations including sports betting, iCasino play, poker, bingo, daily fantasy sports and free-to-play games, as reported by Las Vegas-Review Journal.

Via a partnership with Sinclair Broadcast Group, Bally’s also has 19 regional sports networks. Using Gamesys as a B2B and B2C operation, the company may commercialize the platform for possible use by other operators, Capp said

As for structural changes, former Gamesys CEO Lee Fenton will now serve as Bally’s CEO. Former Bally’s CEO George Papanier is taking over as President of Retail for Bally’s land-based casino business, and former Gamesys Chief Operating Officer Robeson Reeves will serve as President of Interactive. Fenton, Reeves and Jim Ryan, a former Gamesys non-executive director, have been appointed to serve on Bally’s board of directors.