Latest News

Betsson Ab Interim Report April – June 2020

Published

6 years ago

July 22, 2020

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Group revenue was SEK 1,532.8 (1,277.7) million, an increase of 20% with an organic increase of 12%.
Casino revenue increased by 40%. Sportsbook revenue decreased by 34% and the sportsbook margin was 6.9% (7.8%).
Operating income (EBIT) was SEK 217.7 (196.9) million.
The EBIT margin was 14.2% (15.4%).
Operating cash flow was 343.9 (390.6) million.
SIGNIFICANT EVENTS AND OUTLOOK

Acquisition of GiG’s B2C vertical completed.
New market entries into Colorado (USA) and Kenya.
The AGM in June resolved on dividend paid to shareholders in July of SEK 2.88 per share, corresponding to SEK 393.6 million.
The daily average revenue in the third quarter 2020 until 16 July was 35% (23% organic) higher than the average daily revenue of the full third quarter 2019.

CEO COMMENT

“I am proud that Betsson has delivered all-time high revenues under the most challenging conditions.”

“The second quarter was strong and followed the positive trend from the start of the year despite market challenges during this extraordinary period. The global pandemic had immediate effect on the Company from March onwards. We responded quickly and decisively to make changes in the offer, and I am particularly pleased to see the strong performance in casino. Sports betting revenues continued to be impacted in the second quarter by the pandemic as expected, however benefited from the progressive return of football and other sporting events at the end of the quarter. Our business has remained financially robust and resilient to this impact, being both diversified and flexible.

Our key focus areas remain the health and safety of both our employees and the societies in which we operate. Early on, we proactively took actions to enable both a safe and effective working environment for the whole Group and to ensure delivery of products and services to customers with uninterrupted quality.

From March to date, we have seen many changes in habits of how people work, interact, shop and enjoy entertainment, many enabled by advancements in technology and the use of digital devices. We believe the ongoing transition from offline to online has been further accelerated as a consequence of the global lockdowns. This will benefit the strategic direction of our business both short and long term.

In the quarter, we continued executing our strategic priorities, pushing through projects in accordance with the strategic plan. Betsson successfully completed the acquisition of the B2C operation from GiG and remotely onboarded approximately 60 new colleagues. We signed an agreement with Dostal Alley Casino in Colorado to enter the high-potential US market. Initially, we will start with B2C sports betting in the state of Colorado, with the ambition to sell our proprietary sportsbook to B2B customers in the future. In this quarter, we have also taken the first steps into Kenya by partnering with local partners. After the quarter, we have taken further steps to strengthen our position in South America where Betsson has expanded its presence in the only regulated market by acquiring 70% of the Colombian based operator Colbet. This deal will give us access to the Colombian market for online sport betting and casino.

The majority of our employees have been working from home and in the true `One Betsson’ spirit, we have all continued striving towards creating the best user experiences. This has been delivered through the full dedication of the teams, enabled by the quality of both our technical infrastructure and digital content. I am enormously proud of and thankful to all our people for their continued hard work and commitment to keeping the business momentum.

During this pandemic, governments have been modelling a range of scenarios of potential impact, several governments took immediate temporary actions on our industry such as either suspending gambling both offline and online or implementing restrictions on marketing. In the beginning of the third quarter, when most countries had removed Corona-related restrictions, Sweden sadly enough implemented restrictions on online casino, without empirical evidence. This measure will unfortunately push even more consumers to play outside of the Swedish regulation.

The immediate outlook is naturally uncertain, however Betsson is in good shape and we are in it for the long term. Our proprietary technology is a strategic advantage, our diversification in markets, verticals and brands makes us resilient to market fluctuations and our financials are rock solid. This makes me optimistic about the prospects for Betsson.”

eSports

Esports Foundation names Faker Game Ambassador for EWC and ENC through 2028

Published

3 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

esports-foundation-names-faker-game-ambassador-for-ewc-and-enc-through-2028

Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok joins Cristiano Ronaldo and Magnus Carlsen in the Esports Foundation’s Ambassador Program.

The Esports Foundation (EF) has appointed Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok as a Game Ambassador for the Esports World Cup (EWC) and Esports Nations Cup (ENC) through 2028, the organization said on July 15, 2026 in a statement issued from Riyadh and Paris.

EF said Faker joins Cristiano Ronaldo, listed as the Foundation’s Global Ambassador, and Magnus Carlsen as part of the Esports Foundation Ambassador Program. The Foundation said Faker will represent “the perspective of esports players” across its international events, athlete initiatives, media engagements and leadership forums.

“You can’t talk about esports without mentioning Faker. He is the defining athlete of competitive gaming: a champion whose excellence, discipline and longevity have inspired an entire generation,” said Ralf Reichert, Chief Executive Officer of the Esports Foundation. “As our Game Ambassador, Faker represents something fundamental to the Ambassador Program: esports creates its own global sporting icons. Across EWC, ENC and NGSC, he will help ensure that the players who built this sport have a voice in shaping where it goes next.”

Faker said: “Competition has shaped my life, and I am proud to join the Esports Foundation as Game Ambassador. I want to continue competing for the biggest titles with T1 while representing the players and fans who have helped esports grow worldwide. Through the Esports World Cup, Esports Nations Cup and the Foundation’s wider platforms, I hope to inspire the next generation to pursue excellence, remain resilient and believe in how far competitive gaming can take them. There is still much more to achieve.”

EF highlighted Faker’s competitive record, describing him as a six-time League of Legends World Champion, EWC 2024 winner, two-time MSI champion and ten-time domestic champion with T1. The Foundation also said Faker became the first esports athlete to receive the Blue Dragon Medal in 2026, describing it as the Republic of Korea’s highest sporting honor awarded by President Lee Jae-myung.

The post Esports Foundation names Faker Game Ambassador for EWC and ENC through 2028 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Brand Partnerships

Midnite signs as Middlesbrough FC principal partner for 2026/27 season

Published

10 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

midnite-signs-as-middlesbrough-fc-principal-partner-for-2026/27-season

Midnite has agreed a partnership with Middlesbrough FC that will see the UK bookmaker become the club’s principal partner and front-of-shirt sponsor for the 2026/27 campaign, which Middlesbrough describes as its landmark 150th season.

The companies announced the deal alongside a fan activation at Riverside Stadium on Thursday, July 9, branded “This Season’s On Us”. The initiative offered supporters prizes including 2026/27 season tickets, 2026/27 shirts, match tickets, or a £25 club shop voucher, with fans required to answer Middlesbrough trivia and complete a football challenge.

Middlesbrough former players Craig Hignett and David Wheater attended the event, and, according to the company, took bonus attempts on behalf of participants who missed out.

Andrew Mook, Midnite’s Head of Brand Marketing, said:

“Middlesbrough have a storied history and we’re delighted to announce this partnership during such a monumental year with the club celebrating their 150th anniversary.

“It was great to see so many Middlesbrough fans at the “This Season’s On Us” activation, we hope they enjoyed taking part and meeting club legends, with David Wheater hitting top bins on several occasions and allowing fans to win big with season tickets.

“We can’t wait to get to Riverside Stadium in August to kick-off a new season and we’re excited to say that we have plenty of new and captivating campaigns planned.”

Lee Fryett, Middlesbrough FC Chief Commercial Officer, added:

“We’re delighted to welcome Midnite as our new Principal Partner.

“We’re looking forward to working closely with Midnite to develop engaging campaigns, content and unique experiences that bring our fans even closer to the club.

“We’re confident this partnership will provide real value for our supporters while supporting our ambitions both on and off the pitch.”

The post Midnite signs as Middlesbrough FC principal partner for 2026/27 season appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AGCO

ThrillTech secures AGCO supplier licence for Ontario launch

Published

10 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

thrilltech-secures-agco-supplier-licence-for-ontario-launch

ThrillTech has been awarded a Gaming-Related Supplier licence by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), clearing the company to launch in Ontario’s regulated market.

The licence allows ThrillTech to deploy its opt-in side bet jackpots technology with regulated online casino, sports betting and lottery operators across the province.

Benjamin Bradtke, Co-Founder of ThrillTech, said: “Securing our AGCO licence is a major step in our mission to transform how jackpots are delivered at scale across regulated markets. This latest certification is testament to our robust technology and trusted compliance frameworks, allowing us to continue our global growth trajectory. We are thrilled to bring our proven, compliant jackpot technology to Ontario, empowering locally licensed operators to uplift revenue without cannibalising existing spend.”

The company said its “ThrillPots” mechanics sit as an independent, player-funded side bet and do not alter the underlying game’s return-to-player mathematics.

ThrillTech said the Ontario approval enables its existing multinational partners that also operate in the province to launch its side bet jackpots locally, while it also holds talks with potential new operator partners. The company lists its regulated footprint as including the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands, Romania, Malta, Gibraltar, Brazil and Peru.

The post ThrillTech secures AGCO supplier licence for Ontario launch appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.