Canada
DraftKings Reports Third Quarter Results and Raises 2020 Revenue Guidance
Reports Third Quarter Revenue of $133 million; Increases 2020 Pro Forma Revenue Guidance to $540 million to $560 million; Introduces 2021 Revenue Guidance of $750 million to $850 million
Boston, MA – November 13, 2020— DraftKings Inc. (Nasdaq: DKNG) (“DraftKings” or the “Company”) today reported its financial results for the third quarter of 2020. For the three months ended September 30, 2020, DraftKings reported revenue of $133 million, an increase of 98% compared to $67 million during the same period in 2019. After giving pro forma effect to the business combination with SBTech (Global) Limited and Diamond Eagle Acquisition Corp., as if it had occurred on January 1, 2019, revenue grew 42% compared to the three months ended September 30, 2019.
“The resumption of major sports such as the NBA, MLB and the NHL in the third quarter, as well as the start of the NFL season, generated tremendous customer engagement,” said Jason Robins, DraftKings’ co-founder, CEO and Chairman of the Board. “In addition to our year-over-year pro forma revenue growth of 42%, DraftKings recorded an increase in monthly unique payers of 64% to over 1 million, demonstrating the effectiveness of our data-driven sales and marketing approach. Our product offerings and scalable platform provide a distinctive and personalized experience for customers across the ten states where we operate mobile sports betting today, and we look forward to entering additional jurisdictions at the earliest opportunity.”
Return of Major Sports and Unique Sports Calendar Drive Growth and Attractive Customer Acquisition Opportunities
- Monthly Unique Payers (“MUPs”) for our B2C segment increased by 64% compared to the third quarter of 2019. On average, more than a million monthly unique paying customers engaged with DraftKings each month during the third quarter. This improvement reflected continued growth of our core DFS product spurred by on-going product innovation, strong engagement from existing Sportsbook and iGaming players, and expansion of our player base in several new states.
- Average Revenue Per Monthly Unique Payer (“ARPMUP”) for our B2C segment was $34 due to limited sports activity in July and atypical hold rates from NFL wagering through the third week of the season, which was partially offset by increased engagement with our iGaming product offering.
- GAAP sales and marketing expense increased to $203 million in the three months ended September 30, 2020. The increase over the third quarter of 2019 was primarily due to being live in seven more states, including Illinois, for Week 1 of the NFL season this year versus Week 1 of 2019. DraftKings experienced strong returns on its marketing spend due in part to pent-up demand, the unique sports calendar, and the stay-at-home nature of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Increasing 2020 Revenue Guidance and Introducing 2021 Revenue Guidance
- DraftKings is raising its fiscal year 2020 pro forma revenue guidance from a range of $500 to $540 million to a range of $540 to $560 million, which equates to year-over-year pro forma revenue growth of 25% to 30% in 2020, despite COVID-19’s impact on the major sports calendar. This guidance assumes that all announced sports calendars are maintained through the end of the year and that we continue to operate in states in which we are live today.
- DraftKings is also introducing 2021 revenue guidance of $750 million to $850 million, which equates to 45% year-over-year growth based on the mid-points of the Company’s 2020 pro forma revenue guidance range and the Company’s 2021 revenue guidance range. This range is based on the same assumptions used for the Company’s 2020 guidance, in particular that all professional and college sports calendars that have been announced come to fruition, including the commencement of their 2020 to 2021 seasons, and that we continue to operate in states in which we are live today.
- Detailed financial data and other information is available in DraftKings’ Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, being filed today with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as in a slide presentation that can be accessed through the “Investors” section of the Company’s website at investors.draftkings.com.
DraftKings Grows Its Nation-Leading Mobile Sports Betting Footprint
During the third quarter, DraftKings launched mobile sports betting in Illinois and iGaming in West Virginia.
- As a result of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s suspension of the in-person registration requirement, DraftKings was able to effectively acquire new Illinois customers to the platform as well as cross-sell from its existing product offerings. Illinois has quickly become the Company’s fastest-growing state as well as one of its largest states in terms of handle.
- Following its successful launch in Tennessee, DraftKings is now live with mobile sports betting in 10 states, which is more than any other company in the industry. These 10 states together represent 20% of the U.S. population, a position that DraftKings has achieved just two and a half years after the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992.
- The Company continues to work with state officials on regulations and licensing in Michigan for sports betting and iGaming and in Virginia for sports betting and expects to launch in these states at the earliest practicable opportunity. Michigan and Virginia together account for 6% of the U.S. population and have already legalized these offerings.
- Maryland (with 67% voter approval), South Dakota (with 58% voter approval) and 55 of 64 parishes in Louisiana (representing approximately 97% of the state’s population) recently passed referendums in favor of sports betting. These states together account for 3.5% of the U.S. population.
- In addition, Ontario’s government recently presented its annual budget, which included language that would modify the long-standing statutory internet gaming framework in order to allow private operators to join the province in offering sports betting and iGaming products. Ontario’s population would make it the fifth largest U.S. state by population. DraftKings has offered its DFS product in Canada since 2012.
Commercial and Strategic Agreements
DraftKings announced several advantageous commercial and strategic agreements in the quarter that are expected to provide the Company with access to unique and valuable content, intellectual property and marketing assets, including:
- an expansion of a multi-year content and marketing relationship with the PGA TOUR to become the first Official Betting Operator of the PGA TOUR.
- an exclusive multi-year extension to remain the Official Daily Fantasy Sports Partner of Major League Baseball.
- an exclusive multi-year deal with the Chicago Cubs, making DraftKings the Official Sports Betting Operator and Official Daily Fantasy Partner of the Cubs, including a plan to pursue a first-of-its-kind sportsbook at Wrigley Field.
- a multi-year agreement with ESPN to collaborate in a variety of areas including becoming a co-exclusive sportsbook link-out provider and exclusive daily fantasy sports link-out provider.
- an exclusive, multi-year agreement with the New York Giants, making DraftKings the official sports betting, gaming & casino and daily fantasy partner of the team.
- an agreement with the Colorado Rockies to be named both the franchise’s Official Daily Sports Partner and the franchise’s first Official Sports Betting Partner.
Product and Technology
DraftKings unveiled several technology enhancements and new product features during the third quarter:
- launched standalone casino app in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, offering users a more holistic product suite and dynamic gaming experience in a DraftKings-created casino app.
- launched Best Ball, a new season-long DFS game variant, featuring snake drafts. The streamlined draft format enables the Company to engage with customers long before the traditional pre-NFL period. DraftKings will launch Best Ball versions for fantasy basketball and hockey in the near future.
- introduced several new DraftKings-created games for online casino, including new versions of blackjack, roulette and baccarat.
- made various improvements to the mobile and online Sportsbook to further differentiate the customer experience including the addition of dark mode and shifting of main navigation (online) to the left rail.
Environmental-Social-Governance Initiatives
DraftKings had several notable ESG-related highlights during the quarter, including:
- strengthened our corporate governance foundation by appointing two new Board members, Jocelyn Moore and Valerie Mosley. The two directors each bring unique skills, experiences and ideas, and will play an important role in shaping the future of DraftKings and helping us achieve our long-term goals.
- welcomed Michael Jordan as a special advisor to the Board. Jordan will provide strategic and creative input to the Board on brand strategy, product development, inclusion, equity and belonging, marketing activities and other key initiatives.
- donated all of the Company’s daily fantasy sports revenue from the NBA and WNBA games on August 28 and 29, totaling approximately $340,000, to organizations promoting racial justice.
- announced Election Day as an official DraftKings company holiday; employees at all DraftKings offices worldwide will now receive their respective election day as a holiday.
- raised $20,000 through charity DFS contests in support of the Company’s Tech for Heroes initiative, which provides recent and returning veterans and their spouses with free, high-tech skills training in areas like front end web development and cybersecurity.
Webcast and Conference Call Details
DraftKings will host a conference call and audio webcast today at 8:30 a.m. EDT, during which management will discuss the Company’s third quarter results and provide commentary on business performance. A question and answer session will follow the prepared remarks.
The conference call may be accessed by dialing (833) 644-0686 for domestic callers or (918) 922-6762 for international callers. Once connected with the operator, please provide the conference ID of 2644858.
A live audio webcast of the earnings conference call may be accessed on the Company’s website at investors.draftkings.com, along with a copy of this press release, the Company’s Form 10-Q filing, and a slide presentation. The audio webcast and accompanying presentation will be available on the Company’s investor relations website until 11:59 p.m. EDT on December 14, 2020.
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Canada
ComeOn Group adds sportsbook to its offering in Ontario
ComeOn Group announced a significant milestone in its sportsbook expansion journey with the addition of sportsbook to their offering in Ontario following the successful acquisition of the required permits. This addition represents a strategic advancement in the Groups sportsbook growth trajectory where they are set to double its sportsbook business in the coming years.
ComeOn Group is one of 51 active operators in Ontario. The Ontario market has experienced robust growth since its launch, reaching C$6.7 billion in revenue in 2023.* By 2029, the market is forecasted to grow by a total of 29%, with 2024 expected to close with a 20% increase.
ComeOn keeps investing in its sportsbook business acceleration that is powered by its proprietary sportsbook platform and in-house risk management and trading team. As a multi product vertical operator, ComeOn is striving to give its customer base a safe and exciting entertainment destination and this approach is now expanded to their Ontario audience.
Juergen Reutter, Chief Executive Officer at ComeOn Group, said: “We are very excited about the opportunities this new milestone opens up for us. As a casino-led operator it represents a key part of our sportsbook strategy to double our business in the coming years. Like in any of our other markets, we are striving for a differentiated sportsbook entertainment experience that is powered by our in-house technology. Our goal is to deliver top-tier entertainment to our players while fostering safe and innovative gaming experiences.”
*Source – H2GC H2 Ontario Data 25.10.2024 (excl. Lottery)
BCLC
INTRALOT Announces New Project with the British Columbia Lottery Corporation for Online Lottery Platform
INTRALOT S.A. has announced the undertaking of a new project between the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC), the sole lottery operator for the Government of British Columbia in Canada, and INTRALOT Inc., its US subsidiary, for the provision of an online lottery platform. The project also includes the digitalization of the existing land-based network.
The solution will be based on the Player X platform, part of the Lotos X ecosystem, and adds to the company’s overall partnership with BCLC, which has been extended until 2028.
INTRALOT is a leading player in a changing world of gaming. With significant experience in looking forward and anticipating emerging trends, the company provides future-proof solutions to regulated lottery and gaming operators around the world.
Canada
IAGR announces Toronto as host city for 2025 conference
Hot on the heels of its most attended conference in history, the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) is excited to announce that its 2025 conference will take place in Toronto, Canada, from October 20 to 23, 2025.
The event will be held in partnership with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) at the Westin Harbour Castle, offering stunning waterfront views and a premier, downtown Toronto location.
‘Fresh off the success of our Rome conference, we’re thrilled to continue the momentum with next year’s event in Toronto,’ said Ben Haden, IAGR President.
‘The IAGR 2025 conference promises to be another unparalleled opportunity for our global community to come together, collaborate and shape the future of gaming regulation. We’re looking forward to working with AGCO to bring it all together.’
AGCO CEO and Registrar Dr. Karin Schnarr, added, ‘We’re excited to welcome IAGR and its members to Toronto. This partnership provides a great opportunity to share Ontario’s innovative regulatory practices and foster meaningful discussions that drive positive change in the industry.’
Stay tuned for registration details early next year.
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