ZCG Announces Completion of Merger Creating Affinity Interactive
NEW YORK, July 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Z Capital Partners, L.L.C., the private equity arm of Z Capital Group, L.L.C. ("ZCG"), a leading privately-held asset manager, today announced the completion of the merger of its affiliated portfolio companies, Affinity Gaming ("Affinity"), a diversified national casino gaming operator, and Sports Information Group, LLC ("SIG"), a New York-based B2B and B2C global omnichannel sports, technology, digital, media and wagering business, creating Affinity Interactive (the "Company"). The transaction was previously announced on June 14, 2021.
Affinity Interactive has offerings in regional gaming and horse wagering, and is soon to launch social gaming, iGaming, and sports betting, reaching one million customers across the U.S. alone. With leading regional casinos in Nevada, Missouri and Iowa, and its advanced technology, digital and media platforms and online betting presence, the Company is positioned to capitalize on the continued momentum in sports betting and iGaming globally. Mary Beth Higgins, Chief Executive Officer of Affinity Gaming, and Itay Fisher, Chief Executive Officer of SIG, will continue to lead their respective business units. For more information, please visit www.affinityinteractive.com.
"We are pleased to complete this transaction, which establishes Affinity Interactive as a leader in today's gaming industry with a world class digital offering and significant growth opportunities," said James Zenni, Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of ZCG and Chairman of Affinity Interactive. "With the rapid expansion of online gaming in the U.S. and abroad, and the continued growth of the sports and online betting industry, Affinity Interactive will be positioned to accelerate its growth with acclaimed casino properties and best-in-class technology and proprietary sports data and intelligence available to nearly one million customers worldwide. We look forward to delivering on the many opportunities ahead as we leverage Affinity Interactive's offerings and become the premier gaming, digital and media platform."
About ZCG
ZCG is a leading New York City based, privately held, global investment firm with approximately $4.0 billion of assets under management across complementary private equity and credit businesses. ZCG has industry leading track records in private equity and credit for over twenty-five years. ZCG's investors are some of the largest and most sophisticated global institutional investors including pension funds, endowments, foundations, sovereign wealth funds, central banks, and insurance companies. For more information please visit www.zcg.com.
About Affinity Gaming
Affinity Gaming is wholly owned by ZCG affiliates and is a diversified casino gaming company headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Company's casino operations consist of eight regional casinos, five of which are located in Nevada, two in Missouri, and one in Iowa. The company has a total of 230,000 square footage of casino floor, more than 3,000 slot machines, 30 table games, 1,375 hotel rooms, 25 F&B outlets and a renowned entertainment venue. For more information about Affinity Gaming, please visit its website: www.affinitygaming.com
Affinity Gaming's parent, Affinity Gaming Holdings, also recently sponsored Gaming & Hospitality Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: "GHAC", "GHACU" and "GHACW") ("GHAC"), a blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. GHAC's initial public offering was $200 million. While GHAC may pursue acquisition opportunities in any industry or sector, it intends to primarily focus on the identification of an acquisition target within online gaming, sports betting, regional gaming, distributed gaming and gaming technology and equipment. For more information, please visit its website www.gamingandhospitality.net.
About Sports Information Group
Sports Information Group, LLC is wholly owned by ZCG affiliates and is a New York based global omnichannel, gaming, technology, media and digital information company dedicated to providing premium data driven content and in-depth information to the horse racing industry. The Company's flagship brand, Daily Racing Form is "America's Turf Authority since 1894" for horse racing enthusiasts, breeding and sporting and professionals throughout North America. Launched in 1894, Daily Racing Form is the only data provider in the U.S. dedicated solely to the coverage of a single sport. Its companion website, www.DRF.com is the most heavily-trafficked horseracing destination, providing players with the most extensive data coverage in horse racing, interactive past performances, proprietary handicapping tools, and access to DRF Bets™, one of America's fastest growing online and mobile wagering platform. Additionally, Daily Racing Form provides DRF Harness Eye, the data provider for standardbred racing since 1964, offering news, handicapping products, and online wagering functionality specifically for harness players. In 2012, Daily Racing Form introduced DRF Breeding, a business dedicated to serving the breeding industry, bringing expanded information and tools to horseplayer and breeding enthusiasts alike. DRF also offers DRF Sports, a sports statistics and content offering to sports betting enthusiasts. DRF Sports will be relaunching with new and expanded features prior to the 2021 NFL schedule. For more information, please visit www.DRF.com www.DRFbets.com and www.sports.drf.com
Forward Looking Statements
Portions of this press release may constitute forward-looking statements and assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "PSLRA"), Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including with respect to the GHAC's plans with respect to the target industry for a potential business combination. No assurance can be given that the GHAC will ultimately complete a business combination transaction. In addition, any such forward-looking statements are made within the "safe-harbor" protections of the PSLRA, should not be relied upon as representing Z Capital's, the Company's, or GHAC's views as of any subsequent date, and Z Capital, the Company, and GHAC are under no obligation to, and expressly disclaim any responsibility to, update or alter these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Such forward-looking statements are based on information available to Z Capital, the Company, and GHAC as of the date of this report and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, some beyond their control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by these forward-looking statements. Such risks include uncertainty surrounding certain events, including the following: (1) the Company may be adversely affected by economic, business, and/or competitive factors; (2) the ability to recognize benefits of the transaction; (3) risks that the transaction disrupts current plans and operations and the potential difficulties in employee retention as a result of the transaction; and (4) whether GHAC will ultimately complete a business combination transaction.
Security holders of Affinity or GHAC and other readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on any forward looking statements, which reflect ZCG's, Affinity's, SIG's, and GHAC's current beliefs and are based on information available to them as of the date a forward-looking statement is made.
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SOURCE Z Capital Group, L.L.C.