Optimove Acquires Smartico in iGaming CRM Consolidation Move — Both Brands Remain Independent

Optimove Buys Smartico — and Plans to Keep It as a Separate Competitor

Optimove, the player engagement and CRM platform behind the Positionless Marketing framework, has agreed to acquire Smartico — a bootstrapped iGaming CRM and gamification company — in what Optimove describes as a combination of the two leading CRM marketing platforms in the sector.

What Happened

The acquisition was announced April 6, 2026, with financial terms not disclosed. The deal is Optimove's fourth acquisition, following the purchase of PowerInbox's DynamicMail unit in 2018, data integration company Axonite in 2020, and no-code gamification platform Adact in 2025. Smartico, which was founded and bootstrapped without institutional funding, is known for pioneering gamification-led CRM mechanics — missions, challenges, leaderboards, and achievement systems layered over casino and sportsbook activity. A distinguishing feature of the deal structure is that both companies will retain full operational independence: Smartico keeps its own brand, leadership, and product roadmap, and both Optimove and Smartico will continue to compete directly in the iGaming CRM market.

Why It Matters

The decision to preserve Smartico as an independent competing entity is uncommon in B2B software M&A, where acquirers typically integrate or sunset the target over time. Optimove's stated rationale — that "competition drives better outcomes for operators" — reflects a philosophy that holding two distinct products appeals to a broader slice of the operator market than a single merged platform would. For operators, the deal effectively means both products now have greater backing and development resources, while remaining differentiated from each other. For the broader iGaming B2B market, it signals that the CRM and gamification segment is large and differentiated enough to support a multi-brand portfolio strategy under a single parent.

Industry Context

Optimove and Smartico serve overlapping but distinct operator segments: Optimove is positioned toward larger, enterprise-scale operators with complex multi-channel CRM requirements, while Smartico has been particularly strong with mid-market operators looking for gamification-heavy retention tooling. Keeping both brands active allows the combined entity to serve the full operator spectrum without forcing either product to compromise its positioning.