Latest News

Kindred Group plc – Trading Update for the Second Quarter 2020

Published

6 years ago

July 9, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Kindred estimates gross winning revenue for the second quarter of 2020 of about GBP 235 million (Q2-2019: GBP 226.2 million).

Even though cancelled sports events have affected the second quarter, solid growth in revenues from other products has partly compensated. Substantial growth has been delivered by Kindred’s cutting-edge technology, proprietary Racing platform as well as other events such as eSports, and other virtual sports alternatives (e.g. F1, FIFA events). Sports activities have gradually resumed during the latter part of the quarter. It is probable that Kindred and other online operators have received a temporary benefit from the fact that most offline betting outlets in many countries have been closed throughout the second quarter.

Underlying EBITDA for the second quarter of 2020 is estimated to be in the range GBP 48-53 million (Q2-2019: GBP 30.5 million). The main driver in the expected increase in EBITDA compared to the prior year is the cost reduction actions that Kindred prudently took in connection with marketing, content and other direct costs. While these actions have protected profitability in the short term, now when sports are returning to more normal activity levels, we expect the marketing cost model of the business to normalise as well. It is natural that reducing marketing and related costs produce a short-term profit benefit, but if sustained over a long period then these actions could damage the long-term competitive position of the business.

Betting duties for the second quarter are significantly below the level of the first quarter because the impact of sports cancellations was strongest in France, where tax rates are highest and other betting types are very limited.

Although Kindred has continued to use its strong cash flow to reduce the amount outstanding under the credit facility, the movements in exchange rates have generated a FX loss on the loan balance of GBP 5.1 million in the second quarter of 2020 out of which GBP 0.6 million was realised.

Active customers for the quarter amounted to 1.3 million which was a decrease of 11 per cent compared to the same quarter last year. The decrease was expected as many recreational/occasional players are motivated by sports events.

As communicated at the time of the Q1 report, Kindred’s management will continue to implement a number of operational efficiency initiatives throughout 2020.

The Interim report for the second quarter of 2020 will be published on 24 July 2020. The results presentation and Q&A session will be available through webcast as usual.

brand campaigns

Stake releases hot air balloon football match stunt at 10,000ft

Published

25 minutes ago

June 23, 2026

Wladimir P.

stake-releases-hot-air-balloon-football-match-stunt-at-10,000ft

Stake published a new campaign video on June 23 showing a small-sided football match played on a pitch suspended from a hot air balloon at 10,000ft.

The video features six extreme sports content creators—Nathan Roque, Alessio Papia, Nicolo Contrada, Yasmin Xavier, Sara Vidal, and Carol Chafauzer—playing on a 12m x 20m synthetic grass platform. Stake said the 3,000kg pitch was carried by balloon during a 60-minute flight, with participants later jumping from the platform using parachutes.

The activation sits within Stake’s “It’s All At Stake” brand platform, which the company launched ahead of this summer’s global football tournament. According to Stake, the campaign is being promoted across YouTube, Instagram and X.

Jarrod Febbraio, Director at Stake, said: “This summer sees one of the biggest cultural moments on the planet and simply showing up is no longer enough. Our ambition is to create campaigns that genuinely capture people’s attention, spark conversation and give fans something they haven’t seen before.

“At Stake, we are always looking for ways to push creative boundaries and challenge expectations around sports marketing. Whether it’s our It’s All At Stake campaign or staging a football match thousands of feet in the air, the objective is the same – creating entertainment that resonates with audiences and delivers memorable experiences around the moments they care most about.”

Stake also said the “It’s All At Stake” campaign has generated more than 200 million views across earned and social channels in the first week of the tournament.

The post Stake releases hot air balloon football match stunt at 10,000ft appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Game Aggregation

Infingame says tournaments and missions drive retention on sweepstakes platforms

Published

25 minutes ago

June 23, 2026

Wladimir P.

Infingame has published operational observations on what it says is driving player engagement on sweepstakes platforms, arguing that traditional online casino retention tactics don’t consistently translate to the sweepstakes model.

According to the aggregator, the strongest-performing sweepstakes products are built around progression-driven engagement, social-style competition, lightweight onboarding, and highly dynamic promotional systems. “Sweepstakes players behave very differently from traditional casino audiences,” said Jana Filagina, Head of Commercial at Infingame. “The expectation is much closer to entertainment platforms and gaming ecosystems than classic gambling products. Retention is driven by interaction quality, progression, and continuous engagement rather than purely transactional behavior.”

Infingame identified tournament ecosystems as a leading mechanic for repeat participation and session continuity, saying competitive formats outperform static reward campaigns by adding progression loops and achievement motivation. The company said operators using segmented tournament mechanics recorded higher repeat participation rates than those relying mainly on bonus-driven campaigns, and flagged “multiplier races, win races, and progression-based leaderboard systems” as particularly effective for mobile-first audiences due to short-session play patterns.

“Players want activity, not passive rewards,” Filagina said. “The strongest-performing sweepstakes platforms are creating environments where players continuously interact with missions, rankings, tournaments, and achievement systems rather than simply claiming bonuses.”

Infingame also highlighted mission-based challenge systems as a fast-growing retention lever, saying they encourage broader content exploration and higher daily return activity than standard promotional structures. Separately, the company pointed to infrastructure scalability as an operational priority, arguing that mobile-heavy, interaction-focused audiences make responsiveness and gameplay continuity central to engagement performance as operators scale across North America.

The post Infingame says tournaments and missions drive retention on sweepstakes platforms appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Latest News

SolutionsHub marks 10 years and plans more overseas offices

Published

25 minutes ago

June 23, 2026

Wladimir P.

solutionshub-marks-10-years-and-plans-more-overseas-offices

Isle of Man-based regulatory and licensing consultancy says it has opened in Ireland and will announce further locations.

SolutionsHub has marked its 10-year anniversary, highlighting international expansion plans from its Isle of Man base. Founder Lee Hills set up the regulatory and licensing consultancy on 23 June 2016, the day of the Brexit referendum.

The company said it has grown from a one-person operation into what it describes as “the largest regulatory and licensing consultancy on the Isle of Man,” supported by a team that includes former regulators, government officials and compliance specialists. SolutionsHub said it now supports “hundreds of businesses and organisations” across gaming, fintech and other regulated sectors, and has received “more than 55 industry awards, including three EGR awards.”

SolutionsHub said its international footprint has increased, with an office established in Ireland and further overseas offices set to be announced as part of its next stage of development. The company also said it is broadening its work into adjacent regulated industries as regulation and operational complexity evolve globally.

Hills said: “I did not begin with a detailed ten-year plan. I knew the type of business I wanted to create and the standards I wanted it to represent, but what SolutionsHub has become has been built by the people who joined the business and contributed their own knowledge, experience and commitment.

“We have never pursued growth simply for the sake of becoming bigger. We have focused on being consistent, investing in people with genuine regulatory and operational experience and making sure that growth does not come at the expense of the quality of our work.

“That has been a collective effort throughout the past ten years. Every person who has worked with us, supported the business or trusted us to advise them has played a part in reaching this point.

“The opportunity now is to take the same approach into new markets, strengthen our international presence and continue building the expertise our clients will need as regulation becomes increasingly complex.”

SolutionsHub COO Nick Wright added: “When I joined SolutionsHub, it was still a very young business, but the ambition and the standards behind it were already clear,” Wright said.

“What has followed has been a genuine team effort. We have brought together people with significant regulatory, operational and industry experience, and each of them has contributed to the business SolutionsHub is today.

“The company is larger, the team has grown and we now work across more markets, but the underlying principles have remained the same. We want to do the work properly, give clients practical support and build relationships that last.

“Reaching ten years gives us an opportunity to recognise everything the team has achieved together, while also looking ahead to what we can build next.”

The post SolutionsHub marks 10 years and plans more overseas offices appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.