Bally’s business development VP John Connelly said his company was “excited” by Optimal’s integrated gaming and payment possibilities, while Optimal CEO Joel Leonoff said the deal marked the latest move in the company’s “ongoing strategy to build a complete solution” that will enable operators to “bridge the land-based with online worlds.” Bally’s nascent iGaming Platform has already inked free-play online deals with American Casino & Entertainment Properties (ACEP), the Golden Nugget casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City as well as the Mohegan Sun casinos in Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
Prior to passage in 2006 of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), Optimal’s former incarnation Neovia Financial helped many a US-based online gambler fund their betting accounts under their Neteller brand. In 2007, Neovia’s owners paid the US Department of Justice $136m to settle charges of money laundering on behalf of online gambling companies. In 2011, Neovia paid $50m to acquire Optimal Payments, whose name was moved to the top of the letterhead a few months later. Neteller continues to exist outside the US, having recently signed on as sponsor of the Italian Poker Tour.