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Betsson Group Publishes its Results for Q4 and FY 2024
Betsson Group has published its results for Q4 and FY 2024.
Highlights for the Quarter October – December 2024
• Group revenue was EUR 306.8 (251.9) million, an increase of 22%. Organic increase of 48%.
• Casino revenue increased by 17%. Sportsbook revenue increased by 36% and the sportsbook margin was 9.8% (6.2%).
• EBITDA was EUR 86.4 (71.9) million, an increase of 20%. The EBITDA margin was 28.2% (28.6%).
• Operating income (EBIT) was EUR 70.2 (57.0) million, an increase of 23%. The EBIT margin was 22.9% (22.6%).
• Net income was EUR 53.1 (43.3) million and earnings per share was EUR 0.38 (0.30).
• Operating cash flow was EUR 84.6 (47.6) million.
• Net debt was EUR -139.8 (-59.6) million.
• Active customers amounted to 1.3 (1.3) million.
Highlights for the Period January – December 2024
• Group revenue was EUR 1106.6 (948.2) million, an increase of 17%. Organic increase of 41%.
• EBITDA was EUR 316.0 (262.7) million, an increase of 20%. The EBITDA margin was 28.6% (27.7%).
• Operating income (EBIT) was EUR 256.7 (210.5) million, an increase of 22%. The EBIT margin was 23.2% (22.2%).
• Net income was EUR 183.7 (173.0) million and earnings per share was EUR 1.32 (1.29).
• Operating cash flow was EUR 272.9 (230.4) million.
• The Board of Directors proposes an ordinary dividend of EUR 0.657 (0.645) per share, and a special dividend of EUR 0.10 per share.
CEO Comment
“Strong finish to the best year ever for Betsson — we continue to strengthen our position as one of the global leaders in gaming and betting.
“As we put 2024 behind us, we can conclude that it was the best year ever for Betsson, where we continued to strengthen our position as one of the global leaders in gaming and betting. The year was characterized by high growth, strengthened profitability and strategic investments in line with our long-term goals and our vision to offer the best gaming experience in the industry.
“Our investments in the Latin America and Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia (CEECA) regions continue to be a key driver of the Group’s growth, and we have successfully built a strong position in several key markets using our expertise in online gaming and our proprietary technology platform and sportsbook. Our commitment to sports and marketing through strategic sponsorships has also played an important role in strengthening Betsson’s brand and engaging our players globally.
“Our investments to strengthen the product offering and increase brand awareness contributed to the excellent results for the year. For the full year 2024 we passed one billion euros in revenue for the first time, which was 17 percent higher than the previous year. At the same time, the EBIT margin strengthened to over 23 percent thanks to our scalable business model and continued cost control. The cash flows of the business and the robust balance sheet enable us to keep paying attractive dividends to our shareholders while we continue investing in future growth. For 2024, the Board has proposed an increased ordinary dividend of 0.657 euros per share, and a special dividend of 0.10 euros per share.
“During the fourth quarter we saw sustained high customer activity in both casino and sports betting. New records were set across the board on a Group level – customer deposits, gaming turnover, revenue and EBIT were the highest ever in a single quarter. Revenue increased by 22 percent and hence passed 300 million euros for the first time in a single quarter. At the same time, EBIT increased by 23 percent compared to the corresponding period in the previous year.
“I would like to thank our employees for their dedication and hard work, which have been instrumental in our continued growth over the past year. We have a fantastic team that continues to deliver exceptional results, and their passion and expertise, combined with our strong corporate culture, position us well for the future.
“We continue to forge new paths and act as pioneers in everything we do and look forward to continuing our growth journey in 2025. Geographic expansion and diversification remain key words for us, and we have a full pipeline of activities to support continued growth. With disciplined capital allocation, promising strategic initiatives and our commitment to strengthening the customer experience, we are confident that we can continue to create long-term value for our shareholders and customers.”
The post Betsson Group Publishes its Results for Q4 and FY 2024 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Editor’s Take
Why this matters: “Emotion recognition” usually raises immediate red flags regarding privacy and GDPR. However, Gotcha’s differentiator—processing micro-expressions in real-time without storing biometric data—could be the key to unlocking this tech for regulated markets. The potential use cases in iGaming are massive: from detecting distress for Responsible Gambling interventions (e.g., stopping a tilt) to identifying “tells” or stress indicators in potential fraud/bonus abuse scenarios.
The Full Story
SCCG Management, the global advisory firm led by Stephen Crystal, has announced a strategic partnership with Gotcha, a technology company specializing in real-time emotional intelligence and behavioral analysis.
The deal will see SCCG spearheading Gotcha’s go-to-market strategy, introducing its proprietary “Emotion AI” platform to a network of over 100 client partners across the sportsbook, iGaming, and digital entertainment sectors.
How It Works: The Science of Micro-Expressions Gotcha’s platform utilizes advanced behavioral science to analyze facial micro-expressions—involuntary muscle movements that reveal genuine emotions—in real-time. By detecting these subconscious signals, the software enables operators to look past what a user says or clicks and understand how they actually feel.
The technology targets critical operational areas including:
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Customer Experience: Measuring genuine engagement levels.
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Fraud Detection: Identifying behavioral stress markers associated with deceit.
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Employee Performance: Evaluating service quality in support or VIP management roles.
The Privacy “Firewall” Crucially for the highly regulated gaming industry, Gotcha has designed its system with a “privacy-first” architecture. The technology delivers instantaneous emotional insights without retaining or storing biometric data. This “no-storage” approach is designed to keep operators compliant with stringent global data protection standards (such as GDPR), solving one of the biggest hurdles for biometric adoption in Europe and North America.
Management Commentary Stephen Crystal, Founder and CEO of SCCG Management, highlighted the regulatory fit of the tech:
“Emotion-driven insights represent a powerful next step in how gaming and digital platforms understand trust, engagement, and user experience. Gotcha has developed a scientifically grounded, privacy-first technology that aligns well with the needs of regulated gaming markets… We’re excited to support their expansion.”
The partnership signals a broader industry trend toward AI-driven behavioral intelligence, moving beyond simple transactional data to deeper, psychological metrics for decision-making.
The post SCCG Bets on ‘Emotion AI’: New Tech Can Read Player Faces for Trust & Fraud appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
SCCG Management, a leading advisory firm in the global gaming industry, today announced a strategic partnership with Gotcha, a pioneering emotion recognition technology company specializing in real-time emotional intelligence and behavioral analysis.
Through this partnership, SCCG will support Gotcha’s go-to-market strategy and business development efforts across gaming, digital entertainment, and adjacent technology-driven sectors. Gotcha’s proprietary platform leverages advanced behavioral science and facial micro-expression analysis to detect subconscious emotional signals in real time, enabling organizations to gain deeper, unbiased insights into customer behavior, trust, and engagement.
Designed with privacy and compliance in mind, Gotcha’s technology delivers instant emotional insight without retaining or storing biometric data. This approach allows operators and enterprises to enhance customer experience measurement, employee performance evaluation, fraud detection, and service quality while maintaining alignment with global data protection standards. The platform has already demonstrated success across multiple industries, including retail, public services, healthcare, and gaming.
SCCG’s role in the partnership includes sales support, strategic introductions, and go-to-market execution, leveraging its global network of more than 100 client partners across sportsbook operators, iGaming platforms, content studios, sports leagues, data providers, and B2B technology vendors. By integrating Gotcha into SCCG’s advisory and business development ecosystem, the partnership aims to accelerate adoption of emotion recognition solutions within regulated gaming environments and other high-interaction digital platforms.
“Emotion-driven insights represent a powerful next step in how gaming and digital platforms understand trust, engagement, and user experience,” said Stephen Crystal, Founder and CEO of SCCG Management. “Gotcha has developed a scientifically grounded, privacy-first technology that aligns well with the needs of regulated gaming markets and enterprise operators. We’re excited to support their expansion and introduce this capability to our global partner network.”
The partnership reflects a broader industry shift toward AI-driven behavioral intelligence designed to improve transparency, engagement, and operational decision-making without compromising privacy, ethics, or regulatory compliance.
The post Gotcha Joins SCCG Network: Using Micro-Expressions to Measure Player Engagement appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
AI Casino Recommender
Meridianbet Doubles Down on Belgium: New Casino License Unlocks €455m Market Segment
Editor’s Take
Why this matters: This is a classic “Cross-Sell” play. Meridianbet has already spent seven years building a sports betting database in Belgium. By securing this B+ license, they can now monetize those same users with higher-margin casino products (slots, table games) without needing to acquire new traffic from scratch. With the Belgian casino sector growing at 20% year-over-year, this is a significant revenue unlock for the GMGI portfolio.
The Full Story
Meridianbet, the sports betting and gaming operator owned by Golden Matrix Group Inc. (NASDAQ: GMGI), has successfully expanded its regulatory footprint in Europe by securing a B+ online gaming license in Belgium.
The new license (B+ 4016) authorizes the company to launch a comprehensive online casino platform—featuring slots, table games, and automated live games—starting in January 2026. This move significantly broadens the operator’s capabilities in the country, complementing its existing sports betting operations which have been active in the Belgian market for seven years.
Targeting the Largest Market Segment The strategic rationale behind the license is clear: Casino is now the dominant force in Belgian gambling. According to the Belgian Gaming Commission, the online casino vertical generated €455 million in Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) in 2023, representing a 20.2% year-over-year increase.
By entering this vertical, Meridianbet gains access to the largest and fastest-growing segment of a market that generated a total of €944.6 million last year.
Tech-First Entry Meridianbet plans to deploy its proprietary AI Casino Recommender technology for the Belgian launch. This system analyzes player behavior and preferences in real-time to deliver personalized game suggestions, a crucial differentiator in a highly concentrated market where just ten operators account for 94% of all online wagers.
Regulatory Context Belgium is known for having one of Europe’s strictest regulatory frameworks, characterized by rigorous compliance standards and player protection protocols. Securing this license validates Meridianbet’s operational standards and deepens its foothold in a “mature” market that is notoriously difficult for new entrants to penetrate.
The post Meridianbet Doubles Down on Belgium: New Casino License Unlocks €455m Market Segment appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
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