Scientific Games Boosts Content Momentum with ELK Studios

Scientific Games is boosting its production capacity by adding ELK Studios, which the former has acquired in a new deal. ELK Studios is operating out of Sweden, which gives it strong understanding of popular iGaming markets as the United States seeks to expand beyond interactive wagering.

Scientific has been on a roll with a number of high-profile acquisitions adding to its operational limits, including the purchase of Lightning Box, a slot developer, and Authentic Gaming, a respected live dealer games studio.

Through this acquisition, Scientific Games will take ELK Studios’ proprietary content and seek to scale it across key markets, including the United States and Canada. The products will probably be distributed across the European market as well. 

ELK Studios Chooses Its Own Direction 

However, Scientific Studios will not seek to impose too many restrictions on its new acquisition, adding that ELK Studios would be able to choose its own direction in researching, developing, and releasing new content. 

Scientific Games, however, will be able to help any future releases by leveraging its OpenGaming platform to further bolster ELK Studios’ reach and potentially strike home with new audiences. 

ELK Studios has crafted a series of leading games, including Katmandu and Cygnus, Wild Toro II, and developed the X-iter tool that makes it easy for players to explore gaming to their own taste and preferences. 

Scientific Games is looking to quickly scale up its product footprint and has been expending effort and resources to acquire content studios that can provide in-house games. 

On the Move for Original and Innovative Content

Overall, Scientific Gaming seeks to boost its capacity for building innovative and engaging iGaming content, and ELK’s track record dovetails with the company’s stated mission in key markets across the globe.

Scientific Games CEO Barry Cottle confirmed the importance of targeting the right developers to add more value to the company’s offer and strengthen its offering:

“Acquiring Elk Studios demonstrates once again our commitment to make targeted, value-enhancing investments designed to advance our cross-platform content capabilities.”

Scientific Games CEO Barry Cottle

Cottle spoke about OpenGaming, which will benefit from the addition of ELK’s products while becoming a springboard for the studio’s content in the United States and Canada. ELK Studios CEO Filip Säfbeck welcomed the news on an equally positive note.

“This deal is the fruit of many years of hard work by a team that is fully committed to crafting high-quality online gaming experiences. We see it as the perfect time to join the Scientific Games team, given that our ambitions to grow through innovation and into the U.S. and Canada are in total alignment.”

ELK Studios CEO Filip Säfbeck

Säfbeck praised OpenGaming as a tool that would take the studio’s games to the next level. The acquisition will provide ELK with the necessary momentum to bring its offer to a global audience, Säfbeck argues. 

Previously, Scientific Games agreed to divest its lottery business, accepting a bid from Canadian investment firm Brookfield to sell it for $6 billion. SG also became a part of the NCPG’s “Gift Responsibly” campaign.