SiGMA Group acquires majority stake in iGaming Academy

SiGMA Group has acquired a majority stake in iGaming Academy for an undisclosed figure. iGaming Academy offers vocational and compliance training in over 25 jurisdictions to more than 60,000 gaming professionals yearly.

This acquisition is set to complement SiGMA Group's current portfolio by embedding various forms of industry education throughout the company's global event schedule and online network, SiGMA said in a statement.

SiGMA Group founder Eman Pulis said: “The acquisition comes at a perfect time for us. We’ve been working closely with iGaming Academy for many years now. I love what Jaime and the Conexus Group have built and look forward to supporting this growth with new initiatives and a wider offering of educational programs globally.

"The industry is crying out for more talent and regulatory insight, with new markets continuing to regulate. As a result, we want to be very active in this business.”

Robert Dowling, CEO of The Conexus Group, commented: “Conexus will remain actively involved in the iGaming Academy and our clients will continue to receive the outstanding training they expect from this brand.

"We are confident that this strategic acquisition by SiGMA will allow the iGaming Academy to expand and improve its services offering to better serve the evolving training needs of the iGaming industry.”

Following the acquisition, iGaming Academy is setting up an office in Cyprus to build its online offering and content development. In addition, its revenue streams will also be bolstered through new affiliate partner deals. More courses will also be made available in multiple languages, thus meeting the global demand for training.

iGaming Academy CEO Jaime Debono said: “This acquisition marks a major milestone for iGaming Academy – our mission has also been to educate the industry – both on key regulatory compliance topics as well as vocational training for existing and new markets.

"With the support of SiGMA Group, we will be able to accelerate this strategy through their global event calendar, enrich both training and event content and reach a much wider audience than ever before.”

iGaming Academy will continue to work with its current organizational structure, with Jaime Debono remaining as company CEO and continuing to work alongside his team. The deal will continue to see the management at iGaming Academy at the helm, with SiGMA’s corporate governance and marketing arm supporting the business.

“The acquisition of IGA is another important milestone for SiGMA’s vision. IGA’s extensive training library rounds up our offer of services for the igaming industry by allowing us to be at the forefront of educational and regulatory tools for the market. We have strong confidence in Jaime and his team and are thrilled about the next chapters,” added Vinicius Moraes de Carvalho, Investment Partner at Ikigai Ventures.