Seattle casual game-maker Big Fish Games acquired in $885 million deal

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Anthony Bolante

Pictured is Big Fish Games headquarters at 333 Elliott Ave. W. in Seattle. The company announced it was being acquired by Churchill Downs, a Kentucky company, for $885 million on Nov. 12.

Sarah Aitchison

Staff Writer- Puget Sound Business Journal

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Bring on the mint juleps: The company that hosts the Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs Inc., will acquire Seattle's Big Fish Games for $885 million, the companies announced Wednesday.

The deal is the second time a Seattle-based casual game company has been acquired by a gambling company. Las Vegas casino company IGT acquired Double Down Interactive in January 2012.

Publicly traded Churchill Downs (Nasdaq: CHDN) is perhaps best known for its famous horse racing venue, where the Kentucky Derby is held annually. Goldman Sachs is the company's financial adviser.

The deal has been approved by both companies, and will be official after a few loose ends are tied up.

"We are extremely proud of the company we have built over the last 12 years," said Big Fish Founder and chief executive officer, Paul Thelen, in a press release. "We believe Big Fish is now positioned to become an even greater force in the casual, mid-core and social casino mobility and online games industry. Churchill Downs is a great cultural fit for us and we are thrilled to be joining the Churchill Downs family."

Big Fish's casino game is the top-grossing mobile casino app, the company claims.

Churchill Downs owns several racetracks and off-track betting facilities throughout the United States. This is the company's first Washington acquisition. The company also owns online betting company TwinSpires.com, which it acquired in 2010.

Thelen founded Big Fish in 2002 and has distributed more than 2.5 billion games to people in 150 countries.

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