Sega Sammy becomes new owner of Stakelogic: acquisition officially completed
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2 May 2025 •
Reading time: 3 minutes It’s finally official: the Japanese company has become the new owner of Stakelogic. Sega Sammy is the holding company formed from the merger of Sega Corporation and Sammy Corporation, both of which had already made their mark in the gaming industry. Still, it wasn’t a straightforward process. At one point, Sega Sammy even attempted to terminate the deal in court.
But on April 28, 2025, Stakelogic (known for both live casino and slot machines) officially became part of Sega Sammy. Both Sega Sammy and Stakelogic have confirmed the deal on their official websites.
Delay in completing acquisition
This deal of 130 million dollars was first announced in July 2024. In addition to this amount, an earn-out payment was also part of the agreement which is a common feature in acquisitions. An earn-out payment is a deferred payment upon acquisition where part of the purchase price is dependent on the future performance of the acquired company.
This is based on agreed-upon goals (such as revenue or profit) within a specific time frame, which motivates the seller and helps the buyer share risks. It is a way to reduce risks for both parties.
The completion was delayed for some time and in April 2025, Sega Sammy decided to take legal action to cancel the agreement. According to them, Stakelogic had failed to meet their contractual obligations and alleged that they may have violated online gambling regulations in Japan and Turkey.
Court firmly rejects request for dissolution
Sega Sammy’s request was decisively rejected by the Amsterdam court. According to the court, contractual termination was out of the question and the risks of criminal prosecution for Stakelogic were considered negligible. As a result, the acquisition had to proceed inevitably.
Executives highlight strategic potential
Stephan van den Oetelaar, CEO of Stakelogic:
“Joining forces with Sega Sammy Creation opens a new chapter for our organization. We have always believed that our studio could reach even greater heights, and the incredible synergy between our teams is already generating new ideas that operators and players around the world will benefit from.”
Koichi Fukazawa, Senior Executive Vice President and Group CFO of Sega Sammy, adds this:
“Stakelogic’s boundless drive for innovation aligns perfectly with our long-term strategy to deliver world-class entertainment experiences. Together, we will leverage our shared technology, talent and market expertise to create value that neither company could have achieved alone.”
Both parties continue to see positive prospects and opportunities for further business innovation.
Remarkable fact: No accountant at Stakelogic
It is noteworthy that Stakelogic could not hire an accountant in 2023, while it was legally required from that year. This information can be derived from the annual figures. For example, several accounting firms indicated that they did not have sufficient capacity. And for some offices, the fact that Stakelogic is active in the online casino sector was an additional hurdle which complicated the hiring of an accountant.
When news about the upcoming acquisition emerged towards the end of the year, it became clear that audit control would fall under the responsibility of the accountant of the acquiring company. Therefore, the previously involved firms no longer saw added value regarding initiating the process. Eventually, the acquisition itself resolved this matter.