FlowPlay Social Gaming Developer Acquired by Wind Creek Hospitality

Posted on: December 28, 2021, 09:58h. 

Last updated on: December 28, 2021, 10:16h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

Social gaming developer FlowPlay Inc. has been fully acquired by Wind Creek Hospitality, the gaming unit of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians in Alabama.

FlowPlay social gaming Wind Creek
A screenshot of the free-to-play Casino World game from FlowPlay is pictured. FlowPlay has agreed to be acquired by Wind Creek Hospitality, the gaming unit of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians in Alabama. (Image: FlowPlay Inc.)

The Seattle-based social gaming company is responsible for such popular mobile offerings as Vegas World, Casino World, 7 Seas Casino, and Live Game Night Poker. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Poarch Tribal Chair Stephanie Bryan said in a release that the acquisition will allow the tribe’s gaming group to “build opportunities and economic development in new ways.” She added that the deal provides for continued growth.

FlowPlay was founded in 2006. The company does not currently offer real money gaming. Instead, its mobile apps offer free-to-play gaming that comes with in-app purchases and social components.

FlowPlay’s innovative games are unique compared with other social gaming competitors. In Casino World, for instance, players do not just play slot machines and table games for fun, but can additionally construct luxury hotel resorts and surrounding complexes not unlike the life simulation Sims franchises.

Wind Creek Bullish

Wind Creek Hospitality owns and operates three Class II Wind Creek casinos in Alabama and four commercial casinos in Pennsylvania, Nevada, Aruba, and Curacao. Wind Creek is additionally venturing to Illinois after being awarded the commercial gaming license for Chicago’s South Suburbs earlier this month.

In 2018, the Alabama tribe, the only federally recognized Native American group in the state, agreed to pay $1.3 billion to Las Vegas Sands to acquire Sands Bethlehem in Pennsylvania. The acquisition, completed in July of 2019, came at a most unfortunate time, as COVID-19 struck just months later.

The Poarch Creek Indians, however, are optimistic about the US gaming industry post-pandemic. The Chicago casino development, and now the FlowPlay takeover, confirm the company’s long-term positive outlook.

We are excited to bring FlowPlay and its talented game studio team into our expanding portfolio of companies and look forward to the work we can accomplish together,” said Jay Dorris, president and CEO of Wind Creek Hospitality.

FlowPlay was previously a publicly traded corporation. But the outstanding shares were bought back by the company in late 2020. FlowPlay founder and CEO Derrick Morton said the share buyback was not related to the Wind Creek purchase.

“We did the buyback after an exhaustive effort to find a buyer in 2020 came to an end with no takers,” Morton explained to GeekWire this week. “Wind Creek got in touch with us over the summer with an interesting take on our business and a way forward to grow the company even bigger.”

iGaming Market

Wind Creek Hospitality is currently engaged in one real money internet gaming market. In Pennsylvania, the company’s brick-and-mortar Wind Creek Bethlehem offers online casino games. Wind Creek’s iGaming site is powered by Betfred.

Real money online casino gambling is currently only legal in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, West Virginia, Michigan, and Connecticut. Nevada permits real money internet poker, but not interactive slots and table games.