Projected by some analysts to grow to $94 billion over the next few years, this could be the most exciting opportunity on the market for early investors. And there's at least one company quickly making a name for itself ahead of the growing wave of investment.

FansUnite (FANS.CN)  (FUNFF.PK) is a sports and entertainment company that has been active in the gaming industry since 2014, going public on the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") earlier this year.

They're only getting started, according to their announced plans. For years, many other companies have catapulted their growth, becoming multi-million and even billion-dollar companies, through the proven strategy of mergers and acquisitions.

This strategy found another success story earlier this year with the $3.3 billion merger between DraftKings and sportsbook technology company, SBTech. Since then, DraftKings has seen its shares jump up 149%. Now, FansUnite is planning on following a similar path.

Earlier this year, they acquired McBookie, an established bookmaker from the U.K. with approximately 10,000 active users and $100 million wagered over the last 3 years. Now, with the esports industry pulling in $1.1 billion in 2019, up over 26% year over year and growing fast, FansUnite decided they didn't want to wait any longer to get in on eSports.

The industry growth is one reason why their signed merger agreement with another superstar in this booming industry, Askott Entertainment, is such an exciting development.Together, FansUnite and Askott will have 4 unique gambling platforms that have handled over $350 million in wagers and boast a combined 300,000 users.

Here are 5 reasons you'll want to keep a close eye on this emerge trend:

1 - Booming Market Opportunity

The global online gambling market expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 11.5% over the next 7 years, there's an incredible opportunity building for quality companies in the online gambling market. Even in the midst of the pandemic, with casinos and small businesses around the world being shuttered, the online industry posted incredible numbers.

The 4 U.S. states with legal online poker sites - New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware, and Pennsylvania - reported record numbers in the month of March. New Jersey alone took in $3.6 million in revenue, up over 90% from 2019.

2 - An Experienced Leadership Team

With the team of all-stars FansUnite has at the helm, they've proven they have both the smarts and the experience to drive growth over the coming months. Their CEO and CFO are both chartered public accountants, and their COO is an attorney well-versed in the art of international mergers and acquisitions. Their CEO was even named one of Canada's top 150 Entrepreneurs, but their C-suite aren't the only ones with impressive credentials onboard.

Because they've recently brought on board members with decades of online gaming industry experience, including executive roles at companies such as PaddyPower Betfair.

FansUnite (FANS.CN)  (FUNFF.PK) has already grown their business in both North America and Europe but given the experience and connections their team brings to the table, it's safe to say they have much bigger plans for the future.

3 - Using A Tried-And-True Growth Strategy

With a few multi-billion-dollar companies sitting on top of the online gambling space, it can be a challenge for smaller players to grab market share while building slowly. Which is why many sportsbook companies have used mergers and acquisitions to strategically grow and capture a bigger piece of this predicted $94 Billion pie.

This proven strategy has helped several major players leverage other companies' relationships and business contracts to spread their platform like wildfire. Plus, it's a smart move in leveraging licenses to do business in different states and even different countries, opening up a growing user base and bringing the platform worldwide.

It's a tried-and-true growth strategy that has helped vault some of the biggest names in the industry to the top, and they're still following it to a T.

For example, Brookfield Business Partners (BBU) ,a top-notch business acquisition firm with a tremendous focus on success and the creation of shareholder value, has made major waves in the industry with its M&A strategy. The company's experienced leadership has led to incredible deals over the years, including a profitable partnership with Great Canadian Gaming.

The partnership with Great Canadian Gaming Corp. (GCGMF) allowed the pair to purchase an array of gaming assets in the Greater Toronto Area at a price of C$170. Together, the two companies aim to improve the value of these assets as well as bolster the customer experience with new offerings and expansions of acquired properties.

Even media giants like Fox Corporation (FOXA) are jumping on board. It's betting platform, Fox Bet works with Fox Sports, FanDuel, and Flutter Entertainment to provide avid sports fans with a novel way to bet in states which have legalized sports betting. Lachlan Murdoch, CEO of Fox Corporation, noted, "Our FOX Bet partnership is off to a great start, and teaming up with Flutter and FanDuel will allow us to build on that strength and jointly capture the significant market potential ahead of us."

FansUnite (FANS.CN)  (FUNFF.PK) is planning to follow a similar path, already acquiring Scotland-based McBookie earlier in March. As FansUnite continues down this road, they're aiming to become a major force both inside and outside North America.

4 - Multiple Streams of Income

FansUnite (FANS.CN)  (FUNFF.PK) has used mergers and acquisitions to grow their brand across North America and Europe, but they're also using multiple platforms to bring in revenue from around the world. While most companies are only bringing in revenue from the customers on their own website, FansUnite has found another way to leverage their assets.

Not only is FansUnite getting ready to launch their own website to generate revenue from their users, they're also looking to sell their software to other sportsbooks, which would bring in revenue from users on third party sites as well.

By providing their online gambling software to other sportsbooks, they can gain valuable revenue from the three-pronged approach of an upfront onboarding charge, as well as a monthly fee and a percentage of the cut for all house wagers each month.

Their unique platform addresses a major transparency issue for most regulators and saves bookkeepers money in the process, so it's probably a no-brainer for many online gambling sites to partner up with FansUnite.

5 - Expanding to New Verticals

FansUnite has made it clear they're aimed at becoming a huge player in the projected  $94 Billion online gambling industry, but they're not stopping there. With the merger with Askott Entertainment, they're also gaining an established partner in the esports industry.

The esports trend has gained a lot of steam in recent years, and it appears to have reached a tipping point. Both U.S. and international tech giants are getting on board.

Take AT&T (T), for instance. Its

acquisition of Time Warner Inc has launched the telecoms giant squarely into the esports arena. That $85-billion mega merger brought things like ELeague and Rooster Teeth into the AT&T fold. ELeague is part of Turner Sports, a subsidiary of AT&T's WarnerMedia, which televises its major events.

Nintendo even has a partnership with Eleague to broadcast The Nintendo World Championships on CBS, and Eleague hosts a lineup of other popular competitive games including Rocket League, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Street Fighter V, and Overwatch.

On the other side of the world,