Industry News
NetEnt Releases Interim Report for January–March 2020
Casino content developer NetEnt has released its interim report for January–March 2020.
NetEnt reported a 23.9% year-on-year increase in revenue during the first quarter. Revenue for the three months through to 31 March 2020 totalled SEK518.0m, up from SEK418m in the corresponding period last year.
NetEnt slot games were responsible for 90% of all gaming revenue during Q1, compared to 10% from table games. Meanwhile, the UK was its single biggest market, contributing 19% to total revenue, ahead of the Nordic region on 18%.
Comments by Therese Hillman, Group CEO:
“The pandemic outbreak of covid-19 has put the world in an exceptional situation, leaving nobody unaffected. The health and safety of our employees has the highest priority in the NetEnt Group, while we continue to work hard to secure a good development for the Company both in the shorter and longer term. It is difficult to predict the effects of the covid 19-situation on the economy in general and our sector in particular, but we believe that the underlying trend of digitalization in gaming will continue and offer growth opportunities for NetEnt in the future. So far, the financial performance of our business has not been negatively affected by the outbreak of covid-19.
Revenues for the first quarter of the year amounted to SEK 518 (418) million, supported by a strong finish in March and a weaker Swedish krona. On a proforma basis (including Red Tiger in the previous year’s figures), the Group’s total gaming revenues increased by 12 percent in euro compared to the same period in 2019. Most of the growth came from the US and the UK, while developments in Sweden and Norway continued to be negative. Locally regulated markets accounted for 50 percent of Group gaming revenus in the quarter. The largest locally regulated markets for the Group were UK (19 percent of gaming revenues), Italy (8 percent) and USA (7 percent). Sweden accounted for only 6 percent of gaming revenues, which is significantly lower than before the re-regulation of the Swedish market.
To further strengthen competitiveness and increase efficiency, we implemented organizational changes and initiated a full integration with Red Tiger during the quarter. The changes lead to a reduction in the workforce by approximately 120 employees, mainly in Stockholm, and are expected to result in cost savings of SEK 150 million starting in the second half of 2020. This means that we are increasing our estimate of potential synergies from the acquisition to around SEK 250 million annually, including revenue synergies.
Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) amounted to SEK 229 (196) million in the quarter, corresponding to a margin of 44.2 (47.0) procent. Earnings were negatively affected by SEK 26 million of restructuring costs related to the integration with Red Tiger.
Red Tiger keeps performing above our expectations with its award-winning games and the expansion to new markets continues. During the quarter, Red Tiger games were launched with customers on the regulated markets in Italy and Slovakia, and with large operators like Svenska Spel in Sweden and Sky in the UK.
Within Live Casino we continue our efforts to strengthen the product. For instance, we increased the number of tables in our studio on Malta and upgraded the user interface for mobile gaming in the quarter. We have had new record levels in the number of players every month since December and we see increasing interest for the product by operators and players.
A strong product pipeline, new regulated market entries and the Live Casino opportunity for NetEnt – combined with Red Tiger’s expansion – puts us in a good position to continue delivering profitable growth in 2020.”
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Gaming Corps
Gaming Corps launches Instant Blitz scratchcard-style game vertical
Gaming Corps, the Sweden-based publicly listed game developer, has launched Instant Blitz, a new scratchcard-inspired product vertical. The first title, also called Instant Blitz, is now live.
Instant Blitz plays across four rounds on a 3×6 active grid, where clusters of three or more matching symbols pay prizes that are added to a central Prize Pot. The grid can expand up to 6×6 via Lightning symbols, while Wheel symbols trigger a bonus with guaranteed rewards ranging from 5x to 1,000x the stake.
Other feature symbols include Multiplier, which doubles the total Prize Pot win, and Extra Rounds, which adds two additional rounds.
Alexandros Mavroudis, Product Owner at Gaming Corps, said: “Instant Blitz is an exciting launch for us because it introduces a new way of thinking about scratchcard-style content. We wanted to create something that keeps the immediacy players expect from the format but adds more structure and points of anticipation within a single session. The result is a game that feels fast and accessible on the surface but has far more going on underneath.”
Gaming Corps said the release supports low entry stakes, with bets starting from as little as 5p, positioning Instant Blitz as an option for operators looking to add lower-stake instant win content alongside other formats.
The post Gaming Corps launches Instant Blitz scratchcard-style game vertical appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
casino suppliers
Eeze promotes Aarti Carl, Kurt Vella and Shaun Cini in leadership reshuffle
Eeze has promoted three executives into senior leadership roles as the casino supplier scales its operations and reorganises key functions.
Aarti Carl has been appointed Chief People Officer to lead a newly repositioned People Function. Eeze said the function was previously HR and has been redefined to reflect a focus on culture, employee experience and organisational development.
Kurt Vella has been named Chief Legal Officer, responsible for overseeing Eeze’s global legal and compliance strategy.
Shaun Cini has been promoted to Vice President of Finance. Eeze said Cini will continue supporting strategic decision-making.
Lai Fatt Chiang, Chief Executive Officer at Eeze, said: “These appointments reflect both the strength of our internal talent and our commitment to building a leadership team that can support our continued growth.
“Aarti, Kurt, and Shaun have each made a significant impact on the business, and I am confident they will continue to play a key role in shaping our future.”
The post Eeze promotes Aarti Carl, Kurt Vella and Shaun Cini in leadership reshuffle appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Industry News
QTech Games names Iryna Alabuhina Head of Commercial for Europe
Former Hub88 senior account manager joins as QTech targets expanded European operator partnerships.
QTech Games has appointed Iryna Alabuhina as Head of Commercial – Europe, tasking her with expanding the company’s commercial footprint across the region.
Alabuhina joins from Hub88, where she served as Senior Account Manager working with operators across multiple international markets. Before that, she held business development and platform-management roles at SOFTSWISS, and later joined Evolution, where she focused on managing CIS clients and platforms.
QTech Games CEO Philip Doftvik said: “We’re delighted to have secured Iryna’s broad expertise and sharp sales skills for this dedicated commercial-lead role at QTech, as we continue to strengthen and scale up our influence across Europe. Aside from her fantastic experience, Iryna is a great cultural fit with QTech and a person with the right mindset that will help us grow even faster.
“We’re thrilled with Iryna’s fast start as a team player and leader, especially as QTech crosses the threshold of our next growth cycle, consolidating our incumbent position as the dominant aggregator for emerging markets.”
Alabuhina said: “I’m excited to join QTech Games as Head of Commercial for Europe, focusing on strengthening existing partnerships and driving new business growth. QTech is an aggregator renowned for its team morale and collaborative ethos, not to mention some defining points of delineation in the aggregation space – whether that’s its raft of tech-led product developments, rapid-fire integrations, simple invoicing structure, or offset pricing. I was also struck by QTech’s unique commercial model, rich portfolio and enterprising mindset.
“I’m now looking forward to broadening our horizons and partner-base still further, as I head up a talented commercial team for Europe, assembling the best online games and taking them to market across some territories of great potential.”
QTech Games is the top game aggregator for developing markets and a vital industry leader in game exploration. Its remarkable selection of continually updated content is highlighted by 200+ suppliers, more than 5,000 casino games, and over 1,000 live tables – and still growing! Consequently, this is integrated with a continuously growing international presence, exclusive gaming tools and services, and cutting-edge AI technology to enhance its partners’ offerings and improve their customer experience.
The post QTech Games names Iryna Alabuhina Head of Commercial for Europe appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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