TLDR
- Visualize Group has completed its purchase of eCOGRA, a UK-based testing and compliance provider for the regulated iGaming sector.
- The deal brings eCOGRA under the same owner as BMM Testlabs, which Visualize bought in March.
- The combined platform now holds licenses or accreditations in more than 800 jurisdictions.
- The deal was announced June 30 and closed after regulatory approvals. Financial terms were not disclosed.
- Leaders from BMM and eCOGRA will attend G2E in Las Vegas this week.
The Visualize Group has completed its acquisition of eCOGRA, a United Kingdom-based company that tests and certifies products for the regulated iGaming sector. The deal adds eCOGRA to a gaming compliance platform that already includes BMM Testlabs.
Visualize is a private investment firm. It bought BMM Testlabs in March. BMM specializes in product compliance testing for the gaming industry.
The eCOGRA deal was first announced on June 30. It closed after the companies received the required regulatory approvals and clearances. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
What the Deal Covers
Visualize said its testing, inspection, certification, and compliance platform now holds licenses or accreditations in more than 800 jurisdictions. The company said this includes nearly every place in the world where gaming is legal and regulated.
The group said adding eCOGRA helps it support gaming suppliers entering newly regulated markets from the start. Its services include product testing, inspections, certifications, and other compliance work.
eCOGRA focuses on regulated online gaming. BMM Testlabs provides product compliance testing for the wider gaming industry.
The two companies are now under the same owner. Each will keep its expertise in its own area.
Visualize said the expanded platform is meant to help suppliers handle regulatory rules as legal gaming markets develop. The group said its licenses and accreditations will support its services wherever regulated gaming is allowed.
What Company Leaders Said
BMM Testlabs CEO Martin Storm said the two companies share a goal. He said both work to help players, operators, and regulators trust the gaming industry.
Storm said the combination gives the companies more chances to invest in technology and capacity. He added that it lets them share best practices in a complex regulatory environment.
eCOGRA CEO Will Shuckburgh said the company has spent more than 20 years helping players trust the games they play. He said it has also helped operators meet high compliance standards.
eCOGRA was founded in 2003. Shuckburgh said the deal gives the company more scale and resources as regulated gaming grows into new markets.
He said eCOGRA plans to invest in its people, technology, and capacity. He added that it will keep the standards its accreditation partners and customers expect.
C. Melvin Ike, founder and managing partner of Visualize, called the deal an important step in the firm’s plan. He said Visualize aims to build a long-term business in regulated gaming.
Ike said the platform covers both online and land-based gaming. He said Storm and Shuckburgh bring experience that fits well together, along with a shared focus on reliable services that regulators and operators depend on.
Leaders from BMM and eCOGRA will attend the Global Gaming Expo, known as G2E, in Las Vegas this week. The trade show will be one of the first joint appearances for the two companies.
