Gaming Giants Clash: How a £51 Million Deal Turned Into a Legal Nightmare

When Skywind Holdings decided to acquire In Touch Games for a hefty £51 million (roughly $69 million), they probably thought they were getting a solid addition to their gaming empire. Instead, what they got was a legal headache that’s still making waves in 2025, complete with allegations of fraud, mysterious “super-user codes,” and enough drama to rival any casino thriller.

The Players in This High-Stakes Game

To understand how we got here, let’s look at who’s actually involved in this mess. Skywind Group isn’t just some fly-by-night operation – they’ve been around since 2012 and have built quite the reputation as a global pioneer of cutting-edge games content and white label support and infrastructure. The company operates from six development centers worldwide with more than 250 staff members, making them a legitimate heavyweight in the iGaming space.

Their portfolio is pretty impressive too. They’ve got licenses from the heavy hitters including the UK Gambling Commission, Malta Gaming Authority, Gibraltar, Romania, Spain, and Alderney, with plans that were expanding into Colombia. With over 280 games in their catalog, including 12 branded titles, Skywind has positioned itself as a premium content provider that pushes creative boundaries in game development.

On the other side of this legal boxing match sits In Touch Games, a Birmingham-based tech company that carved out its own niche in the iGaming sector. Operating from offices in both Birmingham and Bucharest, ITG was known for designing, developing, and promoting all their games in-house, which gave them what they called full creative freedom to focus on what delivers value and what constitutes exceptional player experience. The company employed between 201-500 people and operated popular gaming sites including bonusboss.co.uk, cashmo.co.uk, mfortune.co.uk, and several others.

When the Deal Went Sideways

Here’s where things get interesting. The acquisition itself seemed straightforward enough on paper, but according to Skywind’s latest legal filing from May 9, 2025, there was apparently a lot more going on behind the scenes than anyone initially realized. This isn’t even Skywind’s first rodeo with ITG – they’ve been locked in legal battles since 2024, when Skywind first claimed they’d been tricked into what they now call a worthless acquisition.

The heart of Skywind’s current complaint centers around what they’re calling the “Super-User Code.” According to their legal team, ITG made a modification to their system on July 16, 2021, that created a particularly convenient feature for anyone looking to cover their tracks. When designated employees deleted customer document images, this code would automatically wipe out all records of activity associated with those images – basically creating a digital black hole where evidence used to exist.

But wait, it gets better. Skywind alleges this wasn’t just some coding oversight or convenience feature. They claim this “Super-User Code” was specifically designed to enable and hide improper and fraudulent conduct, particularly something they’re calling the “RSM Audit Fraud.” The timing here is crucial because this code modification happened well before the company’s acquisition, suggesting that if these allegations are true, ITG was potentially setting up systems to hide problematic activities from future buyers.

The Paper Trail That Wasn’t There

The story takes another twist with the involvement of Micolas Burton, ITG’s former corporate development manager. During the August 2021 bank holiday weekend, Burton was apparently brought in to review customer files ahead of an independent audit by RSM. What he found, according to Skywind’s claims, was a treasure trove of fake documents – forged bank statements, doctored payslips, and fabricated driving licenses that were clearly not authentic.

The smoking gun, if you believe Skywind’s version of events, showed up in the system logs. Between August 26 and September 10, 2021, there was a massive surge in image deletions with no corresponding upload and deletion entries elsewhere in the system. This pattern, they argue, shows the “Super User Code” in action, allowing people to delete evidence while erasing any trace that the deletions had occurred in the first place.

Burton’s role in this saga gets even more dramatic. On February 4, 2022, he submitted a whistleblower letter accusing ITG of fraud – only to retract it mere minutes later. According to Skywind’s claim, this sudden change of heart came after what they describe as a coercive meeting between Burton and ITG’s Simon Wilson at a coffee shop. The optics here aren’t great, and it certainly adds fuel to Skywind’s fire.

The Defense Fights Back

Of course, every story has two sides, and Simon Wilson and his team aren’t taking these allegations lying down. In their re-amended defense, Wilson categorically denies any fraudulent activity, whether it’s the so-called “RSM Audit Fraud” or anything else. He maintains he had zero knowledge of any data manipulation and insists that deleted images were simply routine cleanup of illegible or irrelevant customer documents. Perhaps most tellingly, Wilson claims he doesn’t even know what a “Super User” is – essentially arguing that Skywind is making a mountain out of a molehill over standard system administration features. His defense also challenges one of Skywind’s key assumptions: that passing the RSM audit was critical to ITG’s survival.

According to Wilson’s side of the story, Skywind’s representative allegedly told him during the sale process that he’d buy ITG for £53 million and could complete the deal in ten days without needing any guarantees or warranties. If true, this paints a very different picture of the acquisition – one where Skywind was so eager to buy that they skipped normal due diligence procedures.

As for the Burton whistleblower situation, the defense takes a direct approach: they point out that Burton retracted his letter the same day he sent it, and they firmly deny that Wilson made any physical threats during their coffee shop meeting.

A Company Already in Regulatory Hot Water

What makes this whole situation even more complicated is that In Touch Games wasn’t exactly a model citizen when it came to regulatory compliance. The company had been in trouble with the UK Gambling Commission multiple times before Skywind ever came into the picture.

In September 2023, ITG surrendered its Gambling Commission operating license after the regulator suspended it for suspected failures related to money laundering, fair and transparent terms and practices, and reporting key events. This wasn’t their first rodeo with regulators either – they’d been hit with a £6.1 million fine in February 2023 after an investigation identified failures to prevent money laundering and problem gambling.

The regulatory troubles go back even further. In 2019, ITG paid a £2.2 million settlement for regulatory failures, and in 2021, they received another £3.4 million fine along with a warning for additional failures. This pattern of regulatory issues raises questions about whether Skywind should have seen red flags during their due diligence process.

The license surrender meant ITG had to carry out an orderly closure of its websites and provide clear information to consumers about withdrawing their funds. The company moved from its original base at Fountain House in Halesowen to Great Charles Street in Birmingham and cut around 50 staff members after the Skywind takeover.

The Bigger Picture: iGaming’s Compliance Challenges

This legal battle highlights broader challenges in the iGaming industry, where rapid growth and technological innovation sometimes clash with regulatory requirements. The industry has seen increasing scrutiny from regulators worldwide, particularly around anti-money laundering measures and responsible gambling practices.

Skywind operates in a competitive landscape that includes major players like Playtech, Evolution Gaming, Pragmatic Play, and Play’n GO. These companies all face similar regulatory pressures while trying to maintain growth and innovation. The fact that Skywind has managed to maintain licenses across multiple jurisdictions suggests they’ve generally been more successful at navigating these compliance requirements than ITG.

The technical aspects of this case – particularly the alleged “Super-User Code” – also reflect the complex nature of modern gaming platforms. These systems need to handle massive amounts of customer data while maintaining audit trails for regulatory compliance. When companies allegedly design features that can circumvent these audit trails, it raises serious questions about the integrity of the entire system.

Technology and Trust in Digital Gaming

The allegations in this case touch on fundamental questions about trust and transparency in digital gaming platforms. Modern iGaming operations, including crypto-based iGaming, rely heavily on complex software systems to manage everything from customer verification to financial transactions. When these systems allegedly include features designed to hide activities from auditors, it undermines the entire regulatory framework that’s supposed to protect consumers.

The gaming industry has been working to build trust through various initiatives, including third-party testing and certification programs. Companies like Skywind have invested heavily in obtaining certifications in licensed markets including Sweden, Italy, Denmark, and Portugal, with planned expansions into Switzerland and Croatia. This regulatory compliance isn’t just about following rules – it’s about building the trust necessary for the industry to continue growing.

The ITG case serves as a cautionary tale about what can happen when companies potentially prioritize short-term gains over long-term compliance. If Skywind’s allegations prove true, it would represent a significant breach of the trust that regulators and consumers place in gaming operators.

Industry Evolution and Future Implications

The iGaming industry has evolved rapidly since companies like Skywind launched in 2012. What started as a relatively niche market has exploded into a global industry worth billions of dollars. This growth has attracted increased regulatory attention, with authorities worldwide implementing stricter requirements for licensing, compliance, and consumer protection.

Looking ahead, cases like this one could influence how acquisitions are structured in the gaming industry. Buyers may demand more extensive technical audits and longer warranty periods to protect against undisclosed compliance issues. The due diligence process might need to evolve to include deeper dives into system architectures and audit trail capabilities. The case also highlights the importance of whistleblower protections in the gaming industry. If Burton’s allegations about coercive meetings are true, it demonstrates how internal pressure can compromise the reporting of potential compliance violations. Stronger protections for industry insiders who report problems could help prevent similar situations in the future.

For the broader gaming ecosystem, this case reinforces the need for robust internal controls and transparent system architectures. As regulatory scrutiny continues to increase, companies that build compliance into their core systems from the beginning will likely have significant advantages over those that treat it as an afterthought.