Canada
Rivalry Corp Reports Record Third Quarter 2023 Results, Reaffirms H1 2024 Profit Guidance
Company achieves record Q3 against reduced marketing spend and flattened Opex, highlighting operating leverage; strongest customer KPI’s on a year-to-date basis in Rivalry Corp’s history; positioned to accelerate growth with recently announced $14M capital infusion
- Betting handle of $105.7 million, up 50% year-over-year, while reducing marketing spend 13%.
- Revenue of $8.7 million, a 22% increase year-over-year.
- Gross profit of $4.0 million, up 90% year-over-year.
- Casino has grown to approximately half of the company’s betting handle in Q3, demonstrating ability to cross-sell next generation bettors and drive growth against unseasonably low viewership in select Q3 eSports events.
- Year-to-date customer KPI’s the strongest in company history: all-time high average handle per customer, average revenue per user and record low cost of customer acquisition.
- Year-to-date betting handle has increased 127%, revenue by 70% and gross profit up 175% over the first nine months of 2022. Achieved while reducing marketing spend, highlighting the inherent operating leverage in the business.
- Subsequent to the quarter end, Rivalry Corp completed a $14 million capital infusion that strengthens the balance sheet and provides the company with capital to pursue growth and profitability at the same time.
- Company re-affirms guidance, anticipates achieving profitability in H1 2024.
- Announces virtual investor day to be held on January 17, 2024.
Rivalry Corp (TSXV: RVLY) (OTCQX: RVLCF) (FSE: 9VK), the leading sportsbook and iGaming operator for Millennials and Gen Z, today announced its financial results for the three and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2023. All dollar figures are quoted in Canadian dollars.
“We are proud to have delivered a record third quarter while exercising discipline on costs amidst a challenging capital markets environment for growth companies,” the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer for Rivalry Corp, Steven Salz, said. “Now, with our recently announced capital infusion, we will be able to go back on the offensive, while still maintaining our path to profitability.
“Years of consistent performance, flattened Opex multiple quarters in a row, demonstrated triple-digit growth year-over-year across core metrics year-to-date with all-time high average handle per customer, average revenue per user and record low cost of customer acquisition over that same period gives me high conviction in Rivalry Corp’s future. It is this proven operating leverage, supported by an improving sportsbook margin profile resulting in more revenue per dollar wagered now fuelled by growth capital, that is creating a significant opportunity set for Rivalry Corp. It is that combination which gives us confidence to reaffirm our first half 2024 profitability guidance.”
Third Quarter 2023 Highlights:
- Betting handle for Q3 2023 was $105.7 million, an increase of $35.4 million or 50% from $70.3 million in Q3 2022.
- Revenue was $8.7 million in Q3 2023, a record result for a third quarter, representing an increase of $1.6 million or 22% from $7.1 million of revenue in Q3 2022.
- Gross profit was $4.0 million in Q3 2023, an increase of $1.9 million or 90% from $2.1 million of gross profit in Q3 2022.
- The casino segment generated approximately half of total betting handle ($50.4 million). Recent casino product launches including a custom-branded slots category, a new original game Cash & Dash and the release of Casino.exe on our iOS mobile app in Ontario set the stage for continued growth and increased player wallet share.
- Modest decline in operating expenses sequentially continues the trend of effective cost management while still maintaining significant year-over-year growth rates at the company.
- Net loss was $5.6 million for Q3 2023, a 6% reduction from the net loss of $6.0 million in Q3 2022 and 12% decrease sequentially.
- Rivalry Corp launched an industry-first same-game parlay product for eSports within the quarter, supporting an improved sportsbook product mix and contributing to an enhanced margin profile.
- The company had $7.4 million of cash and no debt as at September 30, 2023.
- On November 15, 2023, Rivalry Corp strengthened its balance sheet with the announcement of a private placement offering of $14 million principal amount senior secured convertible debentures to scale several strategic verticals across marketing, product development and geographic expansion.
Year-to-Date 2023 Highlights:
- Betting handle for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2023 was $338.1 million, an increase of $189.2 million or 127% from $148.9 million in the comparable period of 2022 while marketing spend decreased by 8%.
- Revenue was $29.2 million in the first nine months of 2023, representing an increase of $12.0 million or 70% from $17.2 million of revenue the previous year.
- Gross profit was $13.2 million in the first nine months of 2023, an increase of $8.4 million or 175% from $4.8 million of gross profit a year earlier.
- Net loss of $15.2 million in the nine-month period ended September 30, 2023, a reduction of $3.6 million compared to a net loss of $18.8 million over the same period in 2022.
Investor Day:
Rivalry Corp is pleased to announce a virtual investor day to be held at 10:00am EST on January 17, 2024. The company will discuss its outlook for 2024, growth initiatives, upcoming product innovations and insights into the Gen Z consumer. More details will be revealed in the coming weeks.
Investor Conference Call:
Management will host a conference call at 10:00am EST on Wednesday, November 29, 2023 to discuss the company’s third quarter 2023 financial results.
- Dial-in: 888-886-7786 (toll free) or (+1) 416-764-8658 (local or international calls).
- Webcast: A live webcast can be accessed from the Events section of the company’s website at www. RivalryCorp .com. A replay of the webcast will be archived on the company’s website for one year.
Rivalry Corp’s financial statements and management discussion and analysis for the period ended September 30, 2023 are available on SEDAR+ at www. SedarPlus.ca and on the company’s website at www. RivalryCorp .com.
Stock Options:
The company also announces that it has approved a grant of stock options, pursuant to the terms of the company’s equity incentive plan, to an investor relations service provider. A total of 44,444 stock options have been awarded to such investor relations service provider. The stock options will be exercisable at an exercise price equal to the closing price of the subordinate voting shares on the TSX Venture Exchange two trading days following the issuance of this press release, for a period of five years from the date of the grant. The stock options vest in equal quarterly instalments over a period of twelve months, commencing on the three-month anniversary of the date of the grant.
Canada
Suspected Digital Fraud Coming from Canada Up Nearly 11% Since H1 2023, Reveals New TransUnion Analysis
In the first half (H1) of 2024, Canada saw a significant increase in suspected Digital Fraud attempts, with nearly 5.74% of all attempted digital transactions where the consumer was located in Canada involving suspected Digital Fraud, revealed a new TransUnion® (NYSE: TRU) analysis. This is nearly an 11% year-over-year (YoY) rate increase from H1 2023, and TransUnion also documented an 11% increase in the volume of suspected Digital Fraud from Canada during this period, despite a less than a one percent (0.7%) YoY increase in the volume of transactions.
According to a recent TransUnion survey,1 more than half (54%) of Canadians said they were recently targeted by email, phone call or text message fraud attempts. Phishing was the most common scheme type (45%), followed by smishing (42%) and vishing (39%).
The increasing use of digital transactions, combined with rising suspected Digital Fraud attempts are also impacting businesses as they potentially face revenue losses and increased operational costs due to fraud. According to a TransUnion business survey for the H2 2024 Update to the State of Omnichannel Fraud report, 200 Canadian business leaders said their companies lost approximately 6% of equivalent revenue – representing $78 billion – over the past year due to fraud. The most prominent causes of fraud loss cited by them were:
- Scam/Authorized fraud (31%): Dishonest scheme intended to trick a person into giving up something of value (e.g., account access, money, information)
- Account takeover (19%): Unauthorized individuals taking over someone’s online account (e.g., bank, social media, email) without their permission
- Synthetic identity fraud (18%): Use of a combination of personal information to fabricate a person or entity to commit a dishonest act for financial or personal gain
TransUnion also found that suspected Digital Fraud attempts – where the consumer was transacting in Canada and targeted businesses globally – increased on average by 10.5% YoY in H1 2024 compared to H1 2023 and impacted all industries.
Top Three Industries Globally with Highest Rate of Suspected Digital Fraud Attempts Coming from Canada in H1 2024
- Gambling (online sports betting, poker, etc.) – 9.6%
- Retail – 9.2%
- Government – 7.7%
Top Three Industries Globally with Highest YoY Increase (H1 2024 vs H1 2023) in the Rate of Suspected Digital Fraud Attempts Coming from Canada
- Logistics – 172.9%
- Gambling – 79.3%
- Video gaming – 67.8%
“Protecting customers and their businesses from fraud is essential to enabling safe and tailored consumer experiences. These findings reveal that despite the good-faith efforts that are being undertaken by companies to identify and prevent fraud to date, fraudsters continue to evolve and it’s vital that fraud prevention methods keep up with the changing times,” said Patrick Boudreau, head of identity management and fraud solutions at TransUnion Canada.
“Businesses that aren’t already doing so should ensure that they are taking advantage of fraud prevention technologies such as identity verification, IP intelligence, device reputation and synthetic identity detection as critical components of their fraud prevention programs,” he added.
CPL first to benefit from CA$300,000 education fund commitment by IBIA’s regulated sports betting operators
Canadian Premier League (CPL) soccer teams have successfully completed a sports betting integrity player education program. Designed by the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) using its 3R’s training model, the program has utilised a combination of dedicated in-person training and online resources, with sessions delivered by the Professional Footballers’ Association Canada (PFA Canada) through its Protecting the Integrity of the Game workshops.
In total, nearly 200 players have been trained by the IBIA/PFA Canada partnership at all eight CPL teams through the program, which started in Ontario and finished in Alberta, also covering teams in Nova Scotia, Manitoba and British Colombia. It concludes the first part of a two-year player education agreement between IBIA and PFA Canada.
Marco Carducci, Cavalry FC & President of PFA Canada, said: “The IBIA sports betting integrity training, in partnership with PFA Canada, was an incredibly beneficial experience for our players. Effective and easy-to-understand, it made clear what professional athletes need to know about sports betting integrity and how to report attempted corruption. We are grateful for IBIA’s support to help safeguard the integrity of the game and to protect and educate our players.”
In addition to highlighting the potential threats from sports betting related match-fixing, the program educated players on rules and sanctions, the scale and accuracy of technology enabled sports integrity monitoring, and how to report criminals and corrupters using the red button app.
Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA said: “We take our responsibility to protect regulated sports betting markets, sports and athletes seriously. Decades of experience has shown that a combination of efficient regulation, education and collaboration are essential to safeguarding the sports integrity ecosystem. We are delighted that the PFA Canada education program has been so successful and look forward to year two of the project.”
Dan Kruk, Executive Director, PFA Canada, said: “Through our work with IBIA, nearly 200 Canadian Premier League players attended PFA Canada’s Protecting the Integrity of the Game workshop this season. As a result, stakeholders can be confident our members know their obligations regarding gambling and match-fixing in their sport, how to recognize an approach to fix a match, and crucially, their duty to report any person attempting to manipulate a match.”
The program is the first to be delivered from a CA$300,000 three-year fund – invested by IBIA and its members bet365, Betway and FanDuel – from which Canadian sports and athletes can receive free face-to-face integrity education designed to protect Canadian sports from the potential threat of match manipulation and corruption.
CasinoCanada, the number one gambling guide for players in Canada, is thrilled to announce its new partnership with RoyalGame, a brand under the umbrella of Gloss Partners.
This collaboration marks an exciting step in CasinoCanada’s mission to provide its audience with the most comprehensive and up-to-date information on top gaming experiences.
The partnership agreement will grant RoyalGame premium visibility across high-traffic sections of CasinoCanada’s website, which has been a trusted source for Canadian players for over 20 years.
RoyalGame presents itself as a revolutionary vision of a modern online casino that perfectly matches casual gaming with a betting experience through the joyful king on his around-the-world adventure and visits legendary casinos and gambling palaces across the globe. This brand is full of a captivating narrative and gaming mechanics that add extra fun and increase engagement rate. Users play casino games and collect special in-game points that can be redeemed to unlock various locations and acquire bonuses, cash, and daily rewards.
GlossPartners offers competitive rates of up to 60% commission. Our plans provide various options, including Revenue Share, CPA, and hybrid deals.
As Gloss Partners claims, they aim for partnerships where each affiliate benefits and thrives, so they assign dedicated Affiliate Managers to our partners, guiding them through every step. Prioritization of transparency and detailed statistics to allow affiliates and players to monitor everything, high conversion and retention rates, flexible commission plans, and tailored offers are designed to meet the high-demanded audience and everyone`s specific needs.
“We are glad to meet our new partner RoyalGame, and looking forward to bringing the maximum of use and value to our community,” – said Aleksandra Drigo, Sales Director at CasinoCanada. “This partnership perfectly reflects our dedication to highlighting the best in the gaming industry while offering our audience valuable insights and chances to experience top-notch gaming. We hope for a productive and long-term partnership!”
“Partnering with CasinoCanada is an excellent opportunity for us. We are full of hopes this collaboration will enhance the visibility of our brand and offer Canadian players premium access to the best conditions in gambling,” – said Alex Simonov, Head of Affiliates a Gloss Partners.
The partnership is now live, featuring RoyalGame reviews and exclusive offers on the CasinoCanada website. This collaboration is set to deliver even more thrilling updates, exclusive content, and personalized promotions for the Canadian gambling community.
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