Slot machine giant Bally Technologies announced Thursday it would pay up to $100 million to acquire a social gaming company. Bally said it would purchase Dragonplay, an Israel-based social gaming business, which is considered one of the industry’s top 10 grossing social game developers with 700,000 active daily users and 3 million monthly users. Bally will pay $51 million in cash and up to $49 million over the next 18 months. The transaction is expected to close next month. The deal puts Bally, a traditional slot machine manufacturer, into the growing social gaming market, joining rival International Game Technology and…

iGaming Business – Gambling industry entertainment provider Amaya Gaming Group has denied that it is looking to acquire another company following a sharp increase in its share price. According to the Financial Post Canadian newspaper, Amaya shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange jumped 5% on Monday afternoon amid speculation that the Quebec-based firm was considering acquiring another company. The firm moved to quell speculation by issuing a statement that read: “In response to trading activity that may stem from market rumours that have come to the company’s attention regarding a potential strategic acquisition, Amaya stated today that… [it] regularly evaluates…