12 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026 Continued on page 28 We also recently agreed to combine Allwyn and Greek gaming champion, OPAP, in which we already hold a majority stake. This marks a major milestone in the evolution of both companies and, once completed, will result in a public market listing for Allwyn, unlocking access to equity capital markets to fuel our future growth. Allwyn is on a super ambitious track of acquisitions, especially in the online gaming space and sports betting. How do acquisitions support Allwyn’s strategy and growth? Can you talk about IWG, Prize Picks, Novibet, OPAP etc.? What is the split between organic and inorganic growth? R. Chvátal: In the simplest terms, we want to be modernising lotteries organically through increased digitalisation, creating our own content, powered by our own technology, while being present in the most cutting-edge areas of innovation in the gaming space. We have a huge wealth of talent and skill within our existing business to do this. Our inorganic growth supports this strategy through acquisitions in areas we are less well-established, and all our acquisitions are subject to rigorous due diligence from our investment team to ensure that deals are highly complementary and a good strategic fit for the business. IWG is a best-in-class e-instants content provider, with IWG supplying nearly all US states that offer e-Instants. This year it was awarded ‘Lottery Supplier of the Year’ at the 2025 EGR Awards. Novibet has its own, hugely impressive tech stack – and we’re hopeful that that transaction will be completed early in the new year. Fantasy Sports operator PrizePicks, of course, is a completely new avenue for the business, and a unique opportunity to enter the strategically important sports and entertainment industry in the U.S., which is a market we’re very focused on. With OPAP comes the opportunity to be a listed business, a natural next step in our growth journey, combining institutional strength in one of the fastestgrowing gaming markets with an international proposition that we hope OPAP’s minority shareholders will find compelling. These acquisitions increase Allwyn’s exposure to fast-growing and opportunityrich markets – to the benefit of players and communities alike. They support our vision to become the world’s leading gaming entertainment company, building on our strong foundation as a leading multi-national lottery operator. What is the benefit to acquiring majority ownership as opposed to just buying the products and services from third-party suppliers? R. Chvátal: We do have minority interests in several companies, for example Betano and NextLotto, so our investments overall consist of a mix. But there are a few benefits to majority ownership – including a greater say in the direction of those businesses and, in some instances, the ability to harness technology and content across the Allwyn group, driving synergies and improving performance for the benefit of all our customers. We look at each investment on a case-by-case basis – in the instance of PrizePicks, once completed, that will remain a fully independent business within the Allwyn group. What are your plans for the U.S. going forward? What other geographies are you excited about? R. Chvátal: As a European-headquartered and founded business, Europe has always been our home and its markets are wellregulated and established. But the U.S. brings significant scale and opportunity. With an active user base of millions of monthly players, rapidly-growing revenues and high margins, as well as a presence in more than 45 U.S. jurisdictions, our acquisition of PrizePicks gives Allwyn a nearnational presence and markedly increases our footprint there. We’ve been in the U.S. since 2023, through our acquisition of Camelot and, therefore, the Illinois Lottery. Acquiring PrizePicks will give us another foothold and allow us to be present in the world’s largest gaming market in a different category which is extremely dynamic and fast growing. That’s hugely exciting. The DFS space is extremely dynamic and fast-growing. We need to be investing in those new, innovative spaces to ensure we are catering to the consumers of tomorrow and exceeding their expectations. What is your brand strategy? For instance, why are you moving from the established brands over to the Allwyn brand in the Czech Republic and Greece? How do the Formula 1 and McLaren sponsorships contribute to that? R. Chvátal: The partnerships between Allwyn, McLaren and Formula 1 bring together brands underpinned by innovation and high performance and are a natural next step in our brand evolution. This particular kind of brand partnership is a first for a lottery operator, but a move which demonstrates the extent of our international ambitions and which is driving increased awareness among a diverse community of millions of highly engaged fans. Rebranding Sazka and OPAP also fits into this. These are heritage brands with great affection and history in their markets, but by making the strategic choice to adopt the Allwyn name, we’re bringing newness, innovation and a sense of being part of something more international. And there are notable synergies and economies of scale that come from further deployment of the Allwyn brand. In turn, these enhance the value and logic of significant brand investments such as the McLaren and Formula 1 sponsorships. Allwyn’s mission statement puts responsible gaming and CSR front and center. What can we as an industry do to elicit more support from shapers of public policy as they decide who should be licensed to operate, and the standards that commercial operators should be also held accountable to? How can we continue to build strong relationships with regulators? R. Chvátal: First and foremost, we want to be a trusted partner of governments and regulators everywhere we operate. We work closely with government and regulatory partners to support the fight against illegal gambling and prevent harm. CSR and responsible gaming are central to our objectives – from the way we protect players through safer game design and increased use of technology to detect and intervene in problematic behaviour, to ensuring we operate in a way that is socially responsible across the board. One of the best ways to do this is to show what the industry is already doing as well as what we at Allwyn are doing, whether that’s through Between 2019 and 2024, the share of gross gaming revenue coming from digital leapt from 4% to 39% across the group.
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