Social casino gaming firm DoubleDown Interactive eyes $100m US IPO

South Korean social casino game developer and publisher DoubleDown Interactive is seeking to get listed on the tech-heavy Nasdaq bourse in the United States, according to its prospectus Wednesday.

For its initial public offering, the Seoul-based company plans to issue 400,000 new common shares. Also up for subscriptions will be 360,000 existing shares, or 19.4 percent stake as of current, owned by STIC Investment.

DoubleDown Interactive said the book building process to confirm the offered price for the proposed IPO has yet to be complete, but a US filing showed that it seeks to raise up to $100 million. The equities are evidenced by American depositary receipts issued by Citibank.

The IPO proceeds will be used to mobilize ammunition for DoubleDown Interactive’s strategic mergers and acquisitions and allow the financial investor to cash out its investment, parent company DoubleU Games said in a Korean filing.

DoubleU Games, which currently owns 80.6 percent stake in the firm, expects to seek a proper valuation in the US -- DoubleDown Interactive’s key market -- and raise its brand awareness in the global social casino market through a Nasdaq listing, DoubleU Games also said.

This comes as the financial investor’s effort to turn its convertible bonds into common shares is underway. Once the conversion plan is complete, STIC Investment will hold 32.3 percent stake before the IPO.

DoubleDown Interactive offers four games -- DoubleDown Casino, DoubleDown Fort Knox, DoubleDown Classic and Ellen’s Road to Riches. It has a US office in Seattle. Its net income in 2019 came to $36.3 million, up 44.6 percent from a year prior.

DoubleDown Interactive has been under the control of DoubleU Games since June 2017, when the Korean company acquired the firm for $825.6 million from International Game Technology.

By Son Ji-hyoung (consnow@heraldcorp.com)