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Nazara terminates deal with I3 Interactive to buy stake in Moonshine

EntrackrEntrackr · 2d ago
Nazara terminates deal with I3 Interactive to buy stake in Moonshine
Medial

Nazara terminates deal with I3 Interactive to buy stake in Moonshine Nazara Technologies Limited has called off its plan to acquire a minority stake in Moonshine Technology Private Limited, the parent company of online poker platform PokerBaazi, following the enactment of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025. In a stock exchange filing, Nazara said that it issued a termination notice to I3 Interactive on August 31, 2025. The company had earlier agreed to purchase 38,073 equity shares, representing 0.96% of Moonshine’s equity from I3 Interactive Inc. for about Rs 15.9 crore. However, with the new law prohibiting real-money online gaming, including poker, Nazara said the deal has triggered a “material adverse effect” under the terms of the Share Purchase Agreement (SPA). Following the introduction of the gaming bill, Nazara promptly suspended its real money gaming operations. Nazara had announced the acquisition of a 46.07% stake in Moonshine in September last year. Besides I3 Interactive Inc, Nazara had bought the shares from a number of sellers, which included PSM Group Limited, Bellerive Capital (BCP) 6 Limited, Shells and Shores Consultancy & Holdings LLP, and others. Although the listed gaming company has consistently clarified that it neither consolidates Moonshine’s financials nor has any revenue exposure to real-money gaming, the ban would effectively render its investment in PokerBaazi worthless. While leading gaming firms such as Dream11, Gameskraft, and MPL have opted not to contest the new law, the parent company of A23, Head Digital Works, has filed a constitutional petition in the Karnataka High Court to challenge it, prompting the court to issue notice to the central government.

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Nazara acquires 47.7% stake in PokerBaazi’s parent for $100 Mn

EntrackrEntrackr · 11m ago
Nazara acquires 47.7% stake in PokerBaazi’s parent for $100 Mn
Medial

Gaming firm Nazara has announced an investment of Rs 982 crore in PokerBaazi’s parent company, Moonshine Technology, to acquire a majority stake through a mix of secondary and primary share purchases. Nazara’s board has approved the acquisition of 18,96,674 equity shares of Moonshine from existing shareholders, including PSM Group, Bellerive Capital, and other individuals, via a secondary purchase, according to a disclosure sourced from the National Stock Exchange. The Mumbai-based company will acquire a 47.7% stake for a total consideration of Rs 832 crore ($100 million), which includes a secondary purchase of Rs 592 crore and a share swap valued at Rs 239 crore. As part of the deal, Nazara will also invest Rs 150 crore to purchase primary shares of Moonshine. This additional investment will make Nazara as the majority stakeholder in PokerBaazi. This deal represents one of the largest consolidations in the poker space, which is considered a skill-based gaming segment. PokerBaazi accounts for over 85% of Moonshine’s net revenue, while its fantasy sports platform, SportsBaazi, contributes 12%. As of May 2024, PokerBaazi reported approximately 340,000 monthly active users. Entrackr reached out to PokerBaazi and Nazara Games last month with a detailed questionnaire regarding the deal. At that time, PokerBaazi’s spokesperson dismissed the news as fake, while Nazara’s spokesperson referred to it as mere speculation. Nazara has been on an acquisition and investment spree since FY25, having acquired or invested in six startups over the past few months. Earlier this week, it acquired a 15.86% stake in e-sports startup Stan. Last month, it acquired UK-based Fusebox Games for $27.2 million in an all-cash transaction. Additionally, Nazara acquired Kiddopia’s developer Paper Boat Apps, secured IP rights for Ultimate Teen Patti, and took over assets of DeltiasGaming.

Nazara invests Rs 196 Cr in five firms including Funky Monkeys Play

EntrackrEntrackr · 9m ago
Nazara invests Rs 196 Cr in five firms including Funky Monkeys Play
Medial

Nazara Technologies Limited, India's premier listed gaming and esports company, has invested Rs 196 crores in four gaming companies. The company acquired a 60% stake in Funky Monkeys Play for Rs 43.7 crore. This investment in Funky Monkeys Play is aimed to expand Nazara’s footprints into physical entertainment. Nazara also invested Rs 4.2 crores in LearnTube.ai, an AI-driven educational platform with over 20 lakh users, to improve gamified learning experiences. The rest of the Rs 148 crore has been allocated to existing subsidiaries, including Nodwin Gaming, Sportskeeda, and Datawrkz at Rs 64 crore, Rs 69 crore and Rs 15 crore, respectively. “These initiatives align with our vision of creating a diversified global gaming and entertainment platform,” said Nitish Mittersain, CEO, Nazara. Nazara continues to dominate India's esports landscape with back to back acquisitions through main and subsidiaries. Recently, Nazara-backed NODWIN Gaming acquired a gaming agency Trinity Gaming for $2.8 million. In October, Nazara' subsidiary Datawrkz acquired a 100% stake in UK-based Space & Time. It also invested Rs 982 crore in PokerBaazi’s parent Moonshine Technology and acquired stakes in e-sports companies such as Stan, Fusebox Games, Kiddopia’s developer Paper Boat Apps, Ultimate Teen Patti, and DeltiasGaming. Last month, the Mumbai-based firm also raised Rs 855 crore (approximately $100 million) through a preferential issue. Nazara’s revenue from operations reported a modest growth of 7.4% Q-o-Q to Rs 319 crore in Q2 FY25 with profits increasing only 2.4% to Rs 21.75 crore in the same period. Before the market closed on Monday, the company’s shares were trading at Rs 1,012, with a total market capitalization of Rs 7,747 crore (approximately $922 million).

PokerBaazi parent crosses Rs 400 Cr revenue in FY24; profits grew 26%

EntrackrEntrackr · 8m ago
PokerBaazi parent crosses Rs 400 Cr revenue in FY24; profits grew 26%
Medial

Fintrackr All Stories PokerBaazi parent crosses Rs 400 Cr revenue in FY24; profits grew 26% Moonshine Technology, which operates PokerBaazi, SportsBaazi, and CardBazzi, demonstrated 55% growth in its operating revenue to Rs 415 crore in FY24 from Rs 268 crore in FY23. The platform fees/service transaction fees received from the users were the sole source of revenue for Moonshine. The firm also added Rs 9 crore mainly from the interest on bank deposits which tallied its overall income to Rs 424 crore in FY24, compared to Rs 273 crore in FY23. At the time of acquisition, Moonshine disclosed that PokerBaazi accounts for over 85% of its net revenue, while its fantasy sports platform, SportsBaazi, contributes 12%. Similar to other online gaming platforms, Moonshine spent 60% of its overall expenditure on advertising. This cost surged 83% to Rs 232 crore in FY24 from Rs 127 crore in FY23. Its employee benefits also grew 62% to Rs 89 crore in FY24. Its payment gateway, website/server, customer verification, and legal costs took the overall expenditure up by 55.6% to Rs 389 crore in FY24 from Rs 250 crore in FY23. The decent surge in scale and controlled expenditure helped Moonshine to increase its profits by 26.3% to Rs 24 crore in FY24, compared to Rs 19 crore in FY23. The company's ROCE and EBITDA margin stood at 20% and 10.1%, respectively, while its expense-to-earnings ratio was recorded at Rs 0.94. During FY24, Moonshine’s total current assets stood at Rs 236 crore with cash and bank balances of Rs 196 crore. Out of Rs 982 crore ($118 million), Nazara has already invested $100 million and acquired a 47.7% stake in the company through a combination of secondary and primary share purchases.

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