Investment Firm

• EM

  EMMA Capital

  Prague, Czech Republic

  EMMA Capital is a Czech-based private investment holding founded in 2012 by Jiří Šmejc, a former shareholder of PPF Group. From its earliest days, the company established a strong footprint in the European gaming and lottery sector by leading a consortium that acquired a 33% stake in Greece’s OPAP. Over the following decade, EMMA Capital expanded its gaming portfolio to include stakes in Casinos Austria, Österreichische Lotterien, Italy’s LOTTOITALIA, and Croatia’s SuperSport, often partnering with KKCG Group. In 2022 it formed a joint venture with global gaming leader Entain (Entain CEE), into which it contributed SuperSport and later the Polish betting giant STS; EMMA currently holds a 22.5% interest in that venture. Beyond gaming, the group built a substantial energy business through Premier Energy Group (Romania and Moldova) and entered e‑commerce logistics (Box Now, Mailstep, Packeta), financial services comparison (RIXO.cz), and medical technology distribution (Urion, Diamedix). The group operates through a lean management structure with seven partners, all of whom hold minority stakes in the management company EMMA Capital. Its strategy centres on taking active, hands‑on roles in portfolio companies, driving operational improvements and long‑term value creation primarily in Central and Southeast European markets.

• 

  Blackstone

  345 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10154, USA

  Blackstone Inc. is the world's largest alternative asset manager, overseeing over $1.3 trillion in assets under management as of March 2026. Founded in 1985 by Peter G. Peterson and Stephen A. Schwarzman, the firm began as a mergers and acquisitions advisory boutique and has since expanded into private equity, real estate, credit, hedge fund solutions, infrastructure, growth equity, secondaries, and insurance solutions. Headquartered at 345 Park Avenue in New York City, Blackstone employs approximately 5,285 people and is publicly traded on the NYSE under the ticker BX. The firm serves both institutional and individual investors, leveraging its massive scale—including over 12,500 real estate assets and more than 250 portfolio companies—to invest in dynamic sectors positioned for long-term growth. Notable for its active ownership and operational improvement approach, Blackstone has also made significant investments in the iGaming and gambling sector, such as the acquisition of The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and stakes in casino operators and online gaming platforms.

• 

  Kings Park Capital

  London, United Kingdom

  Kings Park Capital (KPC) is a specialist private equity manager headquartered in London, founded in 2007 by Jason Katz. The firm focuses exclusively on the European leisure sector, investing in businesses such as hotels, travel, pubs, restaurants, health and wellness, visitor attractions, and gaming. KPC targets lower mid-market buyout and growth investments, deploying between £3 million and £15 million per transaction. The firm seeks companies with differentiated offerings, proven business models, and strong cash flow generation, partnering with management to accelerate growth. Since inception, Kings Park Capital has raised over £130 million in committed capital across three funds, with contributions from over 70 senior leisure sector participants. The firm's extensive industry network and over 100 years of combined sector experience enable it to provide strategic, operational, and M&A support to its portfolio companies.

• 

  Discerning Capital

  United States

  Discerning Capital is a US-based specialist investment firm providing growth capital and private credit to companies at the intersection of regulated gaming, sports, media, and technology. Founded by experienced institutional investors with deep domain expertise in wagering, the firm deploys long-term, focused capital into businesses reshaping the future of online gambling and its surrounding ecosystems. The firm operates two core strategies: Growth Equity, investing in proven, scaling companies, and House Advantage, a private credit strategy offering non-dilutive revolving credit lines of $5–25 million to online sportsbooks and casinos for user-acquisition financing. With a lean team of around 10–15 employees and a network of former operators and regulators as advisors, Discerning Capital has made notable investments in Picklebet, SlotCycle, Midnite, and Yaspa. The firm claims to review over 175 potential deals annually while making only a handful of investments, consistent with its focused, discerning ethos.