Industry News

From strength to strength, Ivo Doroteia, CEO of Sportingtech, looks at the growing prominence of Portugal’s betting market

Published

4 years ago

November 30, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Ivo Doroteia, CEO of Sportingtech, looks at the growing prominence of Portugal’s betting market and the country’s prospects for becoming an established presence in Europe

The Portuguese market is one that has often operated in the shadow of its neighbor, Spain. With good reason: a much larger country, it possesses a player base that dwarfs Portugal’s and has always historically been further ahead in terms of regulating online gambling.

Prospects for a narrowing of the gap between the two came following the introduction of a regulated online framework in 2015, though optimism for positive change in Portugal was initially met with skepticism in equal measure. The naysayers were inevitably proved wrong; today, market growth is clear to see, with several high-profile operators performing well in the region, even in comparison to other, much larger European countries.

European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

From my perspective, this was expected – Portugal’s land-based industry has always been robust, with bricks-and-mortar casinos consistently displaying good numbers for the likes of lottery and bingo, and the renaissance of sports betting is just another string to the market’s bow.

These past 18 months have seen a dramatic shift in fortunes for the Portuguese market – figures from Q4 2020 onwards show strong growth for gambling in the country, with sports betting leading the charge. The growth can be attributed to a number of factors, including Covid-induced lockdowns benefiting the shift from land-based to online and a changing of fiscal policies in 2020 removing the higher rates of tax for betting and gaming.

Whatever the cause, it is clear today that the presence of top-tier industry players now makes Portugal an extremely attractive proposition indeed, and no one is better positioned to take advantage of this fact than Sportingtech, with its extensive knowledge of the market and varied range of leading sports betting platforms.

Portugal is a country with sports at its heart, and now it has an effective means to bet on it. Questions have been raised about the long-term viability of this growth, some suggesting that a post-lockdown world will revert to type, with land-based betting once again taking precedent.

I disagree with this sentiment – the ingredients for sustained success are very much present in Portugal and I see no reason to suggest that this market will be anything other than a bastion for sports betting on the worldwide stage. The difficult battle, acquisition, has already been won – retention is now the market’s key directive. Sportingtech’s Quantum platform is expertly placed to assist in this – Quantum Power, for instance, is designed to improve and boost both player acquisition and retention and is a fully localized product, featuring open APIs for full integration and customization.

The sharp increase in numbers will level out in time, but this is to be expected. What the market must do to future-proof the progress it has made is provide stability with robust and scalable platforms. This, combined with high-quality content and good UI/UX, will provide a workable framework for a continuation of current trends. This would, in turn, attract even more tier-one operators who, once established with a tried-and-true platform like Quantum, could fuel the second wave of growth.

Online gambling in Portugal has now established itself, and emphatically so. While proceeding with caution, the market must take constructive steps to solidify its position as a potential cornerstone of the European industry. Putting faith in the platforms that have already proved they are worthy of fuelling growth, such as Quantum, is one such step. The stage is set for this market to truly make its mark on the betting industry: underestimate it at your peril.

Industry News

FDJ UNITED Confirms Strong Half-Year Progress and Maintains 2025 Guidance

Published

16 hours ago

August 1, 2025

Niji Narayan

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

FDJ UNITED, a leader in lottery, betting and gaming in Europe, announced its results for the first half of 2025.

• First-half revenue of €1867m: up +31% compared with H1 2024 reported and down -2% on a restated basis

• Buoyant performance by the French lottery and retail sports betting BU with revenue of €1290m, up +4% on a restated basis

• Lottery revenue rose by +6% to €1065m. This performance can be attributed to the whole range of games and all distribution channels, particularly digital, which rose by +16% to €160m

• Point-of-sale sports betting revenue fell by -6% to €225m. This change reflects unfavourable sports results for the operator, despite stakes boosted by an attractive football offering (+4%)

• Online betting and gaming BU2 revenue of €466m, down -12% on a restated basis

• This change reflects a very unfavourable 2024 comparison base, due in particular to the Euro football tournament, as well as tax and regulatory impacts in 2025, particularly in the Netherlands and the UK. Excluding these two markets, revenue would be up 5% thanks to the performance of other countries, including France

• Second-quarter revenue came to €235m, up +2% compared with the first quarter of 2025

• Recurring EBITDA of €441m, representing a margin of 23.6%, or 24.4% excluding the cost of the employee share ownership plan (€14m)

• Adjusted net income of €222m

• This reflects the impact of the financing of the Kindred acquisition on the financial result and the one-off tax contribution on the profits of large French companies

• 2025 objectives reiterated: stable revenue versus 2024 pro forma, with a recurring EBITDA margin of over 24%

• Successful employee share ownership plan bringing the share of capital held by employees to 4.6%

• Taken up by more than half of employees and largely oversubscribed

“2025 stands as a transition year for FDJ UNITED, with the integration of Kindred well on track. In this context, our first-half performance is in line with the expected full-year trajectory. Besides, we are pleased by the success of the employee share ownership plan launched by the Group, reflecting our long tradition of sharing FDJ UNITED’s value creation with all stakeholders,” Stéphane Pallez, Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer of FDJ UNITED.

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Industry News

EGT Launches Linked United Platform

Published

2 days ago

July 31, 2025

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

EGT has launched Linked United, an innovative platform aiming to redefine profitability and immersion in gaming establishments in Spain. This product marks a significant milestone in the company’s strategy to enhance the performance of bingo and gambling halls across one of the most important European markets.

Linked United enables the seamless interconnection of numerous products at a single station, thus creating a more dynamic and engaging entertainment network. The platform enables operators to integrate popular titles from EGT’s portfolio, such as Bell Link Plus, Gods & Kings Link and Sands Princess, along with exciting new offerings. The company plans to include all releases launched on the local market from now on in Linked United.

A key differentiator of the platform is its innovative shared Grand Jackpot system: a single, progressive level, involving all interconnected games within a group. This way, players’ chances of hitting enormous winnings increase manifold, which generates unparalleled vibrancy in the gaming hall.

Along with enriching the gaming journey, the product also contributes to increasing operational efficiency through space optimization, allowing a greater variety of games to be offered in a smaller area. Linked United also stands out with its impressive flexibility in terms of installation, as it enables venues to adjust the game mix based on performance and tailor it to the specific preferences of their customers.

Linked United brings a number of advantages for operators. First, it increases perceived value for players thanks to the wider diversity of game offerings and the irresistible appeal of the unified GRAND Jackpot, which results in enhancing the overall experience and building loyalty. Second, this leads to extended playing sessions, as more dynamic and connected entertainment encourages players to prolong their visits. Third, it allows for maximum leveraging of existing hardware investment, as Linked United integrates with current infrastructure, which optimizes costs while extending equipment lifespan. Finally, operators benefit from significant cost savings by proposing more games per station and utilizing space efficiently.

Diego Scotti, Sales Director of EGT Spain, said: “We are at a turning point in our market strategy. With Linked United, we are not just connecting games; we are opening the doors to an ecosystem of unlimited possibilities. It’s a strategic response to our operators’ demand for solutions that not only captivate their clients but also maximize their return on investment in a tangible way.”

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FanDuel Sports Network

Main Street Sports Group Appoints Jim Keller as EVP of Advertising and Sponsorship Sales

Published

3 days ago

July 30, 2025

GamingAmericas.com

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Main Street Sports Group, owner of FanDuel Sports Network, announced the appointment of Jim Keller as Executive Vice President of Advertising and Sponsorship Sales. In this new role, Keller will lead the entire ad sales portfolio for FanDuel Sports Network, overseeing linear, digital, and programmatic efforts. He will report directly to Eric Ratchman, Chief Revenue Officer of Main Street Sports Group.

Keller brings more than two decades of experience driving innovation, operational excellence, and revenue growth across every layer of the media ecosystem, from national networks to digital-first platforms. Most recently serving as Chief Revenue Officer at Fuse Media, Keller previously held executive roles at Warner Bros. Discovery, Hulu, and NBC Universal, leading cross-platform sales teams through industry-shifting transformations and high-growth phases. His background includes oversight of digital, streaming, mobile, addressable, and data-driven advertising, as well as advanced monetization strategies across premium content portfolios spanning sports, entertainment, and news.

“Jim is a proven leader with an exceptional track record across linear, streaming, and digital platforms. As FanDuel Sports Network redefines what local sports media can be – more dynamic, more engaging, and more impactful – Jim’s leadership will be key in creating smarter advertising experiences that deliver real value to our brand partners and local fans alike,” said Eric Ratchman, Chief Revenue Officer of Main Street Sports Group.

“There’s nothing more powerful than the connection a fan has with their local team, and FanDuel Sports Network is building a platform that truly honors that connection. From my earliest days as a sports seller at NBC Sports, to leading some of the industry’s most innovative ad strategies, I’ve always believed that the strongest media experiences are rooted in content and community. FanDuel Sports Network’s focus on building relevant, local, multiplatform fan experiences is exactly what the industry and advertisers need right now, and I couldn’t be more excited to help drive the next phase of growth,” said Keller.

Keller’s deep expertise in building modern ad operations, forging high-impact partnerships, and unlocking value across multiplatform products will be instrumental as FanDuel Sports Network continues to evolve into the future of local sports media. Main Street Sports Group’s continued transformation is rooted in reimagining local sports coverage, not just distributing games, but uniting the brands, features, and experiences fans want, tailored to each market.

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