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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BGaming
CasinoCanada launches free social slot tournament
CasinoCanada.com launches a new social tournament system built around free-to-enter slot competitions, combining daily, weekly, and monthly events with leaderboards, bonus prizes, and exclusive merchandise.
The tournaments are powered entirely by BGaming slots, marking the first industry collaboration between an affiliate brand and BGaming focused specifically on social tournament engagement.
Participation in all tournaments is free for registered users of legal gambling age.
Players compete across rotating tournaments featuring a changing lineup of BGaming titles, including hit titles Aztec Magic Bonanza, Bonanza Billion, and Elvis Frog, among others.
Prizes include various bonuses and free spins from CasinoCanada partner casinos.
Selected special tournaments also feature exclusive BGaming merchandise prizes.
Tournament performance is reflected in public leaderboards, adding a competitive and community-driven layer to the CasinoCanada experience.
While social slot tournaments have become increasingly common in iGaming, many existing formats are built around the same providers and similar tournament structures.
CasinoCanada’s approach focuses on free participation, rotating BGaming content, partner casino bonus rewards, merchandise prizes, and recurring competition.
Eugene Ravdin, Head of PR at CasinoCanada, said: “The affiliate industry is moving beyond static review pages and traditional bonus listings. Community features, recurring engagement formats, and social competition are becoming increasingly important for long-term audience retention.
“Our goal is to create something more interactive and community-driven while also giving more visibility to BGaming’s slot portfolio through a format that players can engage with on a daily basis.”
Kate Puteiko, CMO at BGaming, said: “Players and the community have always been the beating heart of everything we do here at BGaming.
Online play no longer has to be a solitary activity, and tournaments like this are an excellent way to connect players and enhance everyone’s experience.
CasinoCanada shares this vision, and this collaboration is a natural extension of that.
We are excited to see our games front and centre of these tournaments and for players to begin creating memorable moments competing with them.”
CasinoCanada plans to introduce additional community features in the future, including gamification systems and forum functionality designed to expand user interaction around the tournament ecosystem.
The tournaments are now live at: https://casinocanada.com/tournaments/
The post CasinoCanada launches free social slot tournament appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Betnova
Delasport Accelerates Canadian Growth
Delasport continues to strengthen its position in the Canadian regulated market, now powering three live brands in Ontario while preparing for further expansion into Alberta as the province moves toward opening its regulated online gaming market.
Delasport’s technology is currently live in Ontario with TitanPlay.ca, Maverick Games, and Betnova.ca. The company provides a combination of full turnkey platform solutions of Casino, Sport, Player Account Management and Managed Services as well as its high-performance Sportsbook iFrame technology. This enables operators to launch quickly while delivering a premium user experience tailored to the Canadian audience.
With Ontario continuing to establish itself as one of North America’s most competitive regulated markets, Delasport’s growing local presence reflects the company’s long-term commitment to Canada and its confidence in the market’s continued evolution.
“Ontario is a strategically important market for us, and it has already proven to be a strong success story. Seeing multiple brands successfully operating on our technology and services demonstrates the strength of our platform in acquiring and retaining players in Ontario. We’re excited to continue this momentum as we prepare for Alberta,” said Oren Cohen Shwartz, CEO of Delasport.
As part of its next phase of Canadian growth, Delasport has officially applied for Alberta’s upcoming B2B licensing framework and is already preparing to go live with a partner operator once the market opens.
The company’s Canadian momentum is further supported by its mobile-first approach. TitanPlay’s iOS application is already available on the Apple App Store for users in Ontario, delivering a seamless casino and sportsbook experience powered by Delasport technology.
Delasport’s platform in Canada includes a wide range of personalization and engagement tools designed to enhance user retention and entertainment value.
The company has continued to position itself as one of the industry’s leading providers in regulated markets worldwide, with a strong focus on scalable technology, localization, compliance, and player-centric innovation.
The post Delasport Accelerates Canadian Growth appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Canada
Responsible Gambling Council Urges Financial Institutions to Strengthen Protections Against Gambling Harm
The Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) has urged Canada’s financial sector to take a proactive role in mitigating gambling-related financial harm. A new whitepaper released highlights how banks and credit unions are uniquely positioned to protect the financial well-being of their customers.
The whitepaper, Opportunities for Impact: The Role of Financial Institutions in Mitigating Gambling-Related Harm, argues that financial institutions have a unique duty of care. Financial institutions have direct access to gambling transaction data that reveals early warning signs of financial vulnerability. These indicators include rapidly shrinking savings and an increased reliance on overdrafts or credit.
“The rapid expansion of regulated gambling in Canada requires an evolved response from our financial systems. By adopting tools already proven in other jurisdictions, Canadian banks can become leaders in protecting customer financial health,” said Tracy Parker, SVP, Accreditation, Advisory & Insights at RGC.
Jurisdictions like the UK and Australia have already recognized the powerful role financial institutions play. Banks such as Monzo and Starling in the UK were the first to offer voluntary gambling blocks to their customers. Similarly, the National Australia Bank provides dedicated support pages and links to financial counseling.
RGC recommends that Canadian financial institutions implement several key strategies:
• Improving the accuracy of Merchant Category Codes to better track gambling spend.
• Offering voluntary transaction blocks and self-defined monthly spend limits.
• Providing targeted messaging and support resources within digital banking platforms.
Beyond retail banking, RGC highlights the importance of commercial relationships. Financial institutions can influence industry practices by setting high harm prevention expectations for gambling operators. Integrating these considerations into due diligence processes helps mitigate reputational and regulatory risks.
The post Responsible Gambling Council Urges Financial Institutions to Strengthen Protections Against Gambling Harm appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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