Latest News
LeoVegas AB Q3: Quarterly report 1 July– 30 September 2020
THIRD QUARTER 2020: 1 julY–30 september
- Revenue increased by 1% to EUR 88.9 m (88.2). Organic growth in local currencies was 2%.
- EBITDA was EUR 11.9 m (12.7), corresponding to an EBITDA margin of 13.4% (14.4%).
- The number of depositing customers was 438,691 (347,464), an increase of 26%.
- Earnings per share were EUR 0.04 (0.05) before and after dilution, while adjusted earnings per share were EUR 0.08 (0.09).
Events during the quarter
- GoGoCasino and Livecasino.com launched in Finland. An international launch of both brands is in progress.
- Operations in Sweden have been affected by the temporary restrictions that were introduced on 2 July as a result of Covid-19
- LeoVegas increased its ownership in the e-sports betting operator Pixel.bet to 85% from 51% previously.
- Operating profit for the quarter includes costs of EUR 0.5 m in organisational streamlining and optimisation measures. Yearly net savings from these measures is expected to total EUR 1.5 m starting next year.
Events after the end of the quarter
- Preliminary revenue in October amounted to EUR 33.0 m (26.0), representing growth of 27%.
- Royal Panda has relaunched in Finland on the Group’s proprietary technical platform.
- LeoVegas has launched Bingo as new product category.
- Ahead of the forthcoming regulation of the German market, effective 15 October a number of changes have been made that affect the customer offering. This had a slight negative impact on revenue in October. LeoVegas expects to receive nationwide licences for the German market once they are available.
COMMENT FROM GUSTAF HAGMAN – GROUP CEO
THIRD QUARTER 2020
Once again, we have shown our ability to quickly adapt to new, external circumstances, such as those related to the continuing pandemic and the constant regulatory changes in our various markets. During the third quarter we maintained a high pace of innovation and investment, which is strengthening our long-term position and growth prospects.
During the quarter our customer base again reached a new record level. The number of depositing customers grew 26% compared with the same period a year ago, which confirms the strong development of our business. This is partly attributable to the ongoing structural shift from land-based gaming to online, but above all to our focus on creating the best product and experience for our customers. We continue to optimise scalability and reduce complexity in the organisation. During the quarter, among other measures we realised synergies from previous acquisitions and instituted a clearer organisational and Group structure. This has led to a slight level of staff redundancy, and operating profit was charged with EUR 0.5 m for measures coupled to this. At the same time, we estimate that yearly net savings from these measures will amount to roughly EUR 1.5 m starting with next year. Our efficiency improvement work equips us for continued profitable growth and makes us – combined with greater diversification of the revenue base – more resilient to rapid fluctuations in individual markets.
MARKETS
We had a favourable development in most of our markets during the quarter, with our growing customer base as the main driver. Many markets had double-digit growth compared with the same period a year ago.
In Sweden we are seeing a troubling development in which the unlicensed market continues to grow unhindered. A growing number of operators without licences are actively targeting Swedish players, including those who have been barred by the self-exclusion tool Spelpaus. This has been confirmed by, among others, several organisations that provide help to people with a gambling problem. These organisations have noted that the majority of those seeking help are playing with the unlicensed operators. The problem is big and is shaking the foundation of the entire Swedish licence system. Quick and strong measures are now needed by Swedish politicians and authorities to ensure a well-functioning Swedish gaming market.
In Germany the federal states have agreed to introduce a licence system for gaming, which is expected to be implemented during the second half of 2021. We are looking forward with confidence to Europe’s largest market finally being regulated. Ahead of implementation of the licence system, it is expected that operators will carry out certain limitations in their respective customer offerings in advance. LeoVegas has already begun implementing such limitations, which will initially have a negative impact on revenue. Details on regulation of the German market are provided in the Legal update section in this report. LeoVegas today has a licence in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein and expects to receive nationwide licences once they are available. Germany generated approximately 17% of the Group’s total revenue during the third quarter.
technology and products
The quarter was intense for our technology and product organisation, with the completion of a number of major projects. For example, we implemented the German regulatory requirements on short notice and launched the GoGoCasino and Royal Panda brands in Finland on our proprietary platform. We also are seeing higher demand for broader entertainment games among our players and therefore recently launched our Bingo product.
comments on fourth quarter
Preliminary revenue for the month of October amounted to EUR 33.0 m (26.0), corresponding to annual growth of 27%. The changes introduced in the German market on 15 October have had a slightly negative impact on revenue.
With a positive start to the fourth quarter, a record-large customer base and many exciting initiatives I am looking forward to a strong end to the full year.
Presentation of the report – today at 09:00 CET
- To participate in the conference call, and thereby be able to ask questions, please call one of the following numbers: SE: +46 (0) 8 50 69 21 80, UK: +44 (0) 20 71 92 80 00, US: +1 63 15 10 74 95, Confirmation code: 2874453 or join at the web https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/budae7ar
Powered by WPeMatico
Latest News
Slotegrator’s review of the first half of 2024 in iGaming: results & trends
Since the beginning of 2024, content aggregator and solution provider Slotegrator has been analyzing case studies and conducting careful research. Why did the company choose this development path? What results have been achieved, and what can be expected in the future? It’s time to take a look at how 2024 is going — and maybe get a sneak peek at 2025.
Since the beginning of the year, Slotegrator has continued to actively present its new and updated solutions, like the company’s turnkey online casino platform and its key modules, including the KYC, BI, and Casino Builder modules, alongside many others. These modules are strategically designed to streamline online casino management, covering tasks like analyzing big data, assessing risks, and enhancing platform performance.
The modules have proven to be very effective, partially because they satisfy clients’ concrete needs. The primary sources of inspiration for these cutting-edge innovations are the company’s internal research and case studies of successful clients.
According to Slotegrator’s internal research, clients reported that the integration of these updates came at just the right time. Customers particularly valued the revamped player segmentation module, offering customization options and personalized marketing options, and a renewed anti-fraud module that utilizes a color-coded risk scale that allows operators to set risk levels.
“This feedback from our customers is a great foundation for Slotegrator’s future report on future iGaming trends in 2025. We’re constantly collecting and updating information on new technologies, game types, payment methods and player behavior, and honest feedback on the new features of upgrades helps us understand the direction of our future development,” comments Yana Khaidukova, managing director at Slotegrator.
Innovation is key to keeping up with the fast-paced iGaming industry. In 2024, the Slotegrator team is focused on enhancing product quality and publishing insightful case studies to better demonstrate the capabilities of its products. So far, Slotegrator has published multiple case studies analyzing its clients’ success. Here are the two latest examples:
- BetSloty’s global expansion strategy in the online gambling industry.
- Alanbase’s experience optimizing affiliate marketing.
When it comes to modern iGaming trends, many of them haven’t changed — we should expect to see more VR integration in esports, AI, blockchain, and cryptocurrency adoption. Also, mobile-first gameplay will be a new standard. The Slotegrator team has also noted an increasing emphasis on responsible gaming throughout the iGaming industry. Slotegrator keeps all of these in mind when entering attractive markets with new partners — especially those in Latin America and Asia.
What about licenses? Slotegrator recommends keeping up to date with licensing conditions. Among the most promising jurisdictions are:
- Kahnawake
- The Isle of Man.
- Anjouan
Faruk Aydin, Chief Revenue Officer of Revpanda, a Slotegrator’s media partner, adds to the list of trends some points about promotion on the iGaming industry: “Within the first half of 2024, we’ve seen that human-written content has made a great comeback, thanks to Google’s recent core update. It has started to remove AI-written shallow content across the entire SERPs, and the SEO community expects this trend to continue. Overall, we can say that the first half of the year strongly demonstrates Google’s effort to fill the SERPs with high-quality, engaging, local, and relevant content, avoiding fluff and providing the most useful resources to people.”
William Sarto, PR & Marketing specialist at CasinoRIX or CasinoRIX team, comments:
“In recent months, Google has undergone several significant changes due to a major update that started in March and ended in April. Then, at the beginning of May, they launched another big update. We’ve already seen many affiliate sites affected by this, particularly those that overused AI-generated content. AI has become mainstream, so it’s important to integrate it into processes based on thorough market analysis and real statistical data.
Moreover, there’s a clear trend towards creating projects that offer additional value for players and partners. It’s crucial to build a brand, not just a network of sites, and to add values into what you create while striving to meet customer needs. We fully agree with the earlier comments that in-depth analysis and staying in tune with trends will lead to success and growth. As we can see, all major and well-known projects are steadily growing with these updates.”
The post Slotegrator’s review of the first half of 2024 in iGaming: results & trends appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
NFTs and the future of fan engagement: How NFTs can boost engagement with sports brands
By: Evgeniy Babitsyn, Chief Marketing Officer, Bets.io
The sport industry finds itself amidst its own digital transformation journey with the introduction of new technologies, and at the forefront of this digital shift are NFTs – otherwise known as Non-Fungible Tokens.
NFTs can represent any kind of digital item, and in recent years have commonly been used for quirky collectibles and art work – but they now enter the sports arena in a unique way. The beauty of NFTs is the unique metadata and ownership information which is tracked via blockchain, making them a one-of-a-kind digital collectible that cannot be duplicated. As a result of their collectible nature, it’s only natural that NFTs caught the eyes of eager sports enthusiasts and die-hard fans.
In fact, according to Deloitte research, around 40% of Gen Z and millennial sports fans are at least somewhat familiar with the use of NFTs and fan tokens in sports.
But why is that? And how can they boost engagement?
NFTs are rapidly emerging as a powerful tool for sports brands in driving deeper fan engagement and unlocking new revenue streams. This is because sports fans are, by nature, competitive and eager to own exclusive content from their much loved players, teams and brands. They want to be part of the action.
By playing on this feeling, and reinforcing loyalty among fans in this way, sports brands have a huge opportunity to take their revenue streams to new heights and gain a competitive advantage over other brands.
Imagine an athlete releases a limited-edition NFT that represents the most iconic moment in their career, such as the winning shot or a record breaking performance. Fans who own that NFT can then access exclusive content related to that moment including behind-the-scenes footage or interviews.
There really is no limit to these tokens, and depending on the asset, they can be much sought after. As more and more sports fans embrace the digital tokens, sports brands are quickly learning that there is huge potential for fan engagement, if they continue to innovate with this technology.
Taking collectibles to the 21st Century
Sports memorabilia and collectibles have for centuries been a way for fans to feel more connected to their favourite teams and athletes. And now thanks to the advances of technology – more specifically, blockchain technology – fans can collect within the digital realm, gaining access to truly “own” unique digital items and experiences.
Beyond just digital art or collectibles, NFTs can also integrate the idea of gamification, exclusive content and experiences into their NFTs – allowing fans to engage more actively while unlocking new revenue opportunities.
The possibilities are endless, extending far beyond just digital collectibles. They can provide fans with access to exclusive digital or in-person experiences, events and merch as well. Think front row seats or the chance for a meet and greet post-game.
With this, NFTs provide an excellent way for brands to diversify their revenue streams by monetising their content and intellectual property strategically.
It really is win-win, fans can own a piece of their favourite team’s history while supporting their team financially. And sports brands can benefit from more loyal fans.
Transforming the fan experience
Engagement is everything to sports brands. After all, the fans are really the most important stakeholders in the end. And offering NFTs can be a powerful tool in fostering deeper engagement within fan communities. NFTs provide more innovative ways for fans to connect, prove their loyalty and gain recognition for their allegiance.
Let’s look at NBA Top Shot. NBA Top Shot is the perfect example of a blockchain-based platform that allows fans to own and collect officially licensed NBA collectibles digitally. The platform offers exclusive collectibles including videos of the biggest NBA moments and highlights.
And football teams are also following suit. Manchester City, PSG, FC Barcelona have all joined in on the NFT hype – offering their own NFT collections for keen supporters such as worn jerseys, trophies and more.
Sports Betting and NFTs
And when it comes to sports betting, NFTs take the iGaming experience to the next level. Fans can purchase NFTs that represent specific bets, such as the winner of a particular game or the performance of a specific player. These NFTs can then be traded or sold, just like other NFTs, providing a new level of flexibility and excitement for betting.
The use of NFTs in the sports industry is still in its early stages, but has already shown great potential. We can expect more applications to come in the world of sports – including at Bets.io. Watch this space.
Looking ahead, the future is incredibly promising for sports brands who leverage NFTs within their business operations. Those who embrace these new powerful ways to inspire fans and forge deeper relationships with their communities, will see their efforts translate into business value.
The post NFTs and the future of fan engagement: How NFTs can boost engagement with sports brands appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Gambling.com Group
Gambling.com Group Reports First Quarter 2024 Results
Gambling.com Group Limited (Nasdaq: GAMB) (“Gambling.com Group” or the “Company”), a fast-growing provider of digital marketing services for the global online gambling industry, today reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024. The Company also updated its 2024 revenue and Adjusted EBITDA guidance as detailed below.
“We are off to a great start to the year furthering our confidence in our ability to generate strong Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow growth this year and for years to come,” commented Charles Gillespie, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Gambling.com Group. “The investments we have made for years in our proprietary technology, website portfolio, and accretive acquisitions are driving consistent growth. As we continue to expand our industry leadership and influence across global online gambling markets and leverage the many growth drivers we have, we see a clear road ahead to generate substantially higher Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow.”
Elias Mark, Chief Financial Officer of Gambling.com Group added, “By growing year on year in every one of our geographic reporting markets, we delivered record Q1 revenue with top line growth of 9% despite the comparable period benefiting from significantly more new state launch activity.”
First Quarter 2024 and Recent Business Highlights
Delivered more than 107,000 new depositing customers (“NDCs”)
Strong initial contribution from North Carolina following launch on March 11th
Secured new $50 million credit facility with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association
Repurchased 329,490 shares for an average price of $9.10
Completed highly accretive acquisition of Freebets.com and related assets on April 1st
Board of Directors approved an additional $10 million for the Company’s ordinary shares repurchase program in May
First Quarter 2024 Results Compared to First Quarter 2023
Revenues rose 9% year-over-year to a first quarter record $29.2 million, reflecting growth across all geographic reporting markets. The Company delivered more than 107,000 NDCs to customers, an increase of 22%.
Gross profit increased 5% to $27.0 million, including a $1.2 million increase in cost of sales related to the Gannett and Independent partnerships.
Total operating expenses increased 9% to $19.1 million, reflecting increases in sales and marketing, technology and general and administrative expenses.
Net income attributable to shareholders and net income per share rose 11% to $7.3 million and $0.19, respectively. Adjusted net income of $7.6 million and adjusted net income per share of $0.20 were flat, reflecting fair value movement related to acquisitions in the comparative period.
Adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter of 2024 was $10.2 million, reflecting an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 35% as compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $10.7 million and Adjusted EBITDA margin of 40%, in the year-ago period. The Q1 2024 Adjusted EBITDA margin reflects higher costs of sales related to media partnerships.
Operating cash flow increased 24% to $8.8 million. Free Cash Flow increased 32% to $8.2 million reflecting positive working capital movements within operating cash flow and lower capital expenditures. The Company converted 28% of revenues and 81% of Adjusted EBITDA to Free Cash Flow in the first quarter of 2024.
2024 Outlook
Reflecting changes made in early May to how Google treats commercial content on high authority websites that, at present, diminishes the effectiveness of the Company’s media partnerships, Gambling.com Group today updated its 2024 full-year revenue and Adjusted EBITDA guidance. The Company now expects full year revenue of $118 to $122 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $40 million to $44 million. This compares to the initial guidance provided on March 21, 2024, for revenue of $129 million to $133 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $44 million to $48 million. The midpoint of the updated Adjusted EBITDA outlook of $42 million reflects expected year-over-year growth of 14%.
Charles Gillespie commented, “Even with these shifts in the digital landscape, the strength and resilience of our business will enable us to deliver strong year over year Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow growth. With less competition in the search engine results pages, our owned and operated assets are better positioned for the long term than ever before.”
The Company’s guidance assumes:
Following the launch of sports betting in North Carolina on March 11th, no additional North American markets come online over the balance of 2024
Apart from the acquisition of Freebets.com and related assets, no impact from any additional acquisitions in 2024
Full year cost of sales of approximately $4.8 million, of which $2.2 million was incurred in Q1
An average EUR/USD exchange rate of 1.09 throughout 2024
To access, please dial in approximately 10 minutes before the start of the call. An archived webcast of the conference call will also be available in the News & Events section of the Company’s website at gambling.com/corporate/investors/news-events. Information contained on the Company’s website is not incorporated into this press release.
-
Central Europe7 days ago
Playtech Expands iPoker Network into the Czech Republic in Partnership with Fortuna Entertainment Group
-
Latest News7 days ago
Week 19/2024 slot games releases
-
Latest News7 days ago
Week 19/2024 slot games releases
-
Canada7 days ago
IGT to Launch Cloud-based iLottery Solutions for Atlantic Lottery in Canada
-
Balkans7 days ago
REEVO Announces Strategic Partnership with Alphawin
-
Bragg Gaming Group7 days ago
Bragg Gaming Appoints Renowned iGaming Executive Neill Whyte as Chief Commercial Officer
-
Asia7 days ago
Stake.com enjoys major growth surge during IPL after adding Indian rupees
-
Compliance Updates7 days ago
Altenar celebrates Greek licence in landmark moment for business