Playtech agreement with Caliplay approved in Mexico

Playtech has received antitrust approval for its revised strategic agreement with the online gambling operator.

Mexico.- Playtech expects its revised deal with Grupo Caliente’s online gambling subsidiary Caliplay in Mexico to come into effect on March 31 after it received antitrust approval. The green light to move ahead with a revised agreement will end a long-running dispute over unpaid fees. 

The dispute involved differing interpretations of Caliplay’s option to charge additional service fees from its strategic agreement with Playtech on the Caliente.MX joint venture. Caliplay had taken legal action to annul its relationship with Playtech but in September, the two companies agreed to the terms of a new deal.

Under the agreement, Caliplay will recommence payment of disputed software and services fees to Playtech. The deal will see Playtech take on a 30.8 per cent share in Caliplay’s US-incorporated holding company, Caliente Interactive. The two parties will enter into a revised eight-year B2B software licence and services agreement.

The deal was announced around the same time that Playtech confirmed that Flutter would buy its Italian-facing B2C business Snaitech for €2.3bn. Flutter has acquired 100 per cent of the business, expanding its presence in Italy, where it has owned lottery operator Sisal since 2021. For Playtech, the deal cements its decision to focus on B2B operations.