SciPlay acquires casual mobile games operator and developer Koukoi

SciPlay acquired a Finland-based developer and operator of casual mobile games Koukoi Games Oy. 

"The Koukoi team will take over the organic build of a new casual game concept, a key step in SciPlay's expansion in the casual genre and revenue diversification strategy to drive long-term growth and shareholder value," explained the company in a press release. The transaction closed effective July 2, and financial details of the transaction are not being disclosed.

Koukoi brings an experienced team that developed the title Om Nom Run, downloaded over 30 million times. Koukoi's casual mobile games are built on their proprietary technology platform that includes modular game feature components and real-time multiplayer engines that can be used across games. The combination of Koukoi's technology platform and SciPlay's data-driven "Engine" will be the foundation of SciPlay's drive to further expand in the $20B+ casual gaming genre.

Josh Wilson, Chief Executive Officer of SciPlay commented: "The strengths of the Koukoi team mesh perfectly with SciPlay's strengths and we're excited to welcome them to our Company. This is another step in the evolution of SciPlay as we continue to invest in future growth opportunities and build out our development pipeline. Together, we can build impactful evergreen games in the casual genre furthering our product and revenue diversification strategy."

This is SciPlay's third acquisition. The Company acquired Spice Rack and its bingo game Bingo Showdown in 2017, more than tripling the game's revenue. In addition, the company acquired Come2Play in 2020, which currently is in soft launch with Solitaire Pets Adventure. SciPlay will utilize the same model to bring Koukoi into its portfolio.

Antti Kananen, Chief Executive Officer of Koukoi stated: "Our studio was founded on our passion to make casual mash-up games that blend successful attributes of multiple genres, appealing to broad audiences through engaging gameplay and deep meta storylines. We are thrilled to be joining SciPlay to take our games to the next level by taking advantage of their product and analytical rigor, user acquisition expertise, and market scale."

The Koukoi Finland office joins existing SciPlay offices including Cedar Falls, Iowa, Austin, Texas, Tel Aviv, Israel, and Kyiv, Ukraine.

SciPlay said the transaction does not materially impact the company's liquidity position, which is over $400 million with no debt on the balance sheet.