Spin Master has been appointed as North American partner for Royal Jumbo's Stratego brand.

Royal Jumbo, part of The Netherlands-based toy group JumboDiset, announced last week that it would not renew its Stratego license agreement with Hasbro. The two had worked together for nearly 50 years. Hasbro will have the exclusive distribution rights of Stratego until the end of 2010. Spin Master will begin distribution on Jan. 1, 2011.

"We have great respect for and confidence in Spin Master's capabilities and firmly believe Spin Master to be the best partner to grow the Stratego brand in North America," says Arend Smits, chief operation officer of Royal Jumbo. "Spin Master is very determined to build a first-rate position in the games category and we believe they will succeed. There is a great strategic fit between our two companies and we look forward to our cooperation."