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BETSSON AB (PUBL) INTERIM REPORT APRIL – JUNE 2022
All-time high revenue driven by sportsbook performance and growth in Latin America and the CEECA region
QUARTER APRIL – JUNE 2022
• Group revenue was EUR 186.3 (172.8) million, an increase of 8%. Organic increase of 13%.
• Casino revenue increased by 1%. Sportsbook revenue increased by 22% and the sportsbook margin was 8.3% (8.5%).
• EBITDA was EUR 39.3 (46.6) million, a decrease of 16%. The EBITDA margin was 21.1% (27.0%).
• Operating income (EBIT) was EUR 29.2 (37.8) million, a decrease of 23%. The EBIT margin was 15.7% (21.9%).
• Net income was EUR 28.6 (33.3) million, corresponding to EUR 0.21 (0.24) per share.
• Operating cash flow was EUR 37.8 (56.3) million.
• Net debt was EUR -19.8 (14.6) million.
• Active customers increased by 21% to 1,246,719 (1,027,635).
CEO COMMENT
“All-time high revenue driven by sportsbook performance and growth in Latin America and the CEECA region”
Betsson’s second quarter featured continued good growth with all-time high revenue and further investments to support our expansion. The Group’s organic growth was 13 percent, mainly driven by Latin America and the CEECA region (Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia), where we see long-term growth potential as these markets still have a low share of online gaming.
The sportsbook business showed a strong development in the quarter – gross turnover increased by 20 percent and the margin was 8.3 (8.5) percent – leading to all-time high revenue. Some of the football World Cup qualifiers in June ended in particularly favourable outcomes for Betsson and contributed positively to the margin in the quarter. Casino gross turnover also reached a new quarterly all-time high, while revenue came in at the second-best level ever.
Betsson’s strategy is based on diversified revenues from existing and new markets, and in June Betsson became majority owner of the local gaming operator Betbonanza in Nigeria. Since last year, the regulated market in Germany is marked by a low level of channelisation, due to extensive restrictions, high taxes, and an unclear licensing process. During the quarter, a decision was taken to only apply for one online casino license in Germany. On the sports side, Betsson continues to offer betting on horses through the Racebets brand and has a sportsbook license which is currently not operated.
The B2B initiatives continue according to plan, and discussions are currently being held with several potential sportsbook customers in both North America and other parts of the world. The Group’s ownership in the technology platform provider Strive, focused on North America, increased from 35 to 40 percent during the quarter. Strive provides a new, purpose-built and modern US iGaming platform, i.e. Player Account Management system (PAM), which supports Betsson’s US strategy.
Operating income (EBIT) amounted to 29.2 (37.8) MEUR, corresponding to an EBIT margin of 15.7 (21.9) percent. The cost increase compared to last year was driven by the general expansion while the change in geographic mix, with a higher revenue share from Latin America and no revenue from the Netherlands, led to a lower realised margin. We continue to invest in product and tech development to secure that we have a competitive product for all our markets. Our sportsbook offering was strengthened in motor sports, table tennis and esports, resulting in a significant increase in the number of live events offered for betting. In Sweden, a new native app was developed for the brand Jalla Casino, and our live casino offering was broadened in Italy. On top of the positive financial development in the second quarter, we also won six industry awards in different categories related to an attractive customer offering and a sustainable business model for gaming.
Betsson’s commitment to football continues. After eleven years of waiting, AC Milan once again were crowned Italian champions and we share the fans’ great joy in recapturing the scudetto. In May, the sponsorship with AC Milan was renewed, which means that Betsson now also becomes exclusive sponsor for the club in Latin America. The region is important for the club with millions of fans and the history of stars like Kaká and Ronaldinho. Further, similarly to last summer Betsson is a proud sponsor of Copa America Femenina 2022, which is the Latin American equivalent of the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 and takes place during July. The interest in women’s football is growing strongly and the previous championship had more than 20 million TV viewers.
In conclusion, we see that macro and geopolitical factors continue to dominate the world around us, with great uncertainty and concerns around war, inflation, higher interest rates and potentially a coming recession. Despite uncertain capital markets, we recently refinanced our bond until 2025, which gives us financial flexibility to continue investing in both organic growth and selective acquisitions. We continuously monitor the macroeconomic trends but also note that historically Betsson’s business has been relatively unaffected by the general business cycle. The first weeks of July are off to a good start and despite the macro factors, we are rather optimistic as we look ahead to the rest of 2022, which has many planned activities for Betsson, including market launches in Mexico and Ontario, as well as the football World Cup during the seasonally strongest fourth quarter.
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