Scientific Games Taps Sideplay to Boost Lottery Game Offer

Scientific Games is acquiring Sideplay Entertainment now pending regulatory approval as the company seeks to boost its iLottery products worldwide. 

SG Makes a Move on Sideplay for More Digital Lottery Games 

Scientific Games continues to build up its portfolio of iLottery options with the company now confirming the acquisition of Sideplay Entertainment. Sideplay is known for its eInstant content studio, which will now be joining SG, pending regulatory approval.

SG hopes that the combination of the two companies’ assets should lead to a tremendous boost of its own clout in the vertical. Sideplay’s strength lies in its digital games and content distribution technology that will now supplement Scientific Games’ existing iLottery platforms. The move is expected to lead to further growth and better overall player engagement.

While Sideplay’s focus lies on the UK National Lottery, the company will now have access to new opportunities in North America, which is Scientific Games’ primary stomping ground since 2014. SG supplies 20 clients globally with various iLottery solutions already, and it can benefit from Sideplay’s expertise in large-scale handling lotteries similar to the UK one. 

Not in a Rush to Divest 

Even though Scientific Games announced plans to divest from its lottery and sports businesses at the end of June, the company still seems keen on acquiring important assets that can help it extract greater value from current operations.

SG is presently the exclusive distributor of Loto-Québec and the Pennsylvania Lottery. Scientific Games extended its partnership with the Canadian province earlier this year. 

The company has confirmed that the present move is designed to expand its expertise and market reach in the digital lottery segment. Commenting on developments, SG lottery group chief executive Pat McHugh praised the move:

“We’re excited to welcome Steve Hickson and the entire Sideplay team to Scientific Games Lottery Group to help us advance our strategy as a growth company delivering the best retail and digital content, platforms, and game category services that maximize proceeds for our lottery customers.”

-SG Lottery Group Chief Executive Pat McHugh

McHugh commended Sideplay on the company’s established track record with digital games and added that their portfolio would be integrated successfully with Scientific Games’ customers worldwide to offer an even better overall offer.

Sideplay director and founder Steve Hickson expressed the same sentiment, arguing that the company was thrilled to be joining Scientific Games Lottery Group and benefit from the group’s global footprint, helping the companies build the future of iLottery as a single entity. 

Sideplay has a distinct footprint in the iLottery business. It has authored over 270 instant win games, and it has clocked in over 100 million plays on its products.