Central Europe
SAZKA Group Q3 and 9M Results and Update on Current Trading
SAZKA Group a.s. announces its financial results for the three months to 30 September 2020 and provides an update on recent developments and current trading.
Q3 2020 Financial highlights
- Consolidated gross gaming revenue increased by 66% year-on-year to €769 million. Excluding CASAG1, GGR increased by 1% year-on-year.
- Consolidated Operating EBITDA2 increased by 37% year-on-year to €197 million. Excluding CASAG, Operating EBITDA increased by 6%.
- Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA, which excludes certain one-off items, increased by 32% year-on-year to €207 million.
- Consolidated profit after tax decreased by 33% year-on-year to €48 million, impacted by a €54 million restructuring provision at CASAG. Excluding CASAG, profit after tax increased by 3% year-on-year.
9M 2020 Financial highlights
- Consolidated gross gaming revenue increased by 4% year-on-year to €1,421 million. Excluding CASAG, GGR decreased by 18% year-on-year due to the impact of COVID in the second quarter.
- Consolidated Operating EBITDA decreased by 15% year-on-year to €364 million. Excluding CASAG, Operating EBITDA decreased by 26% year-on-year.
- Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA, which excludes certain one-off items, also decreased by 15% year-on-year to €375 million.
- Consolidated profit after tax from continuing operations decreased by 58% year-on-year to €90 million. Excluding CASAG, profit after tax decreased by 50%.
Pro-rata LTM Q3 2020 highlights3
- Pro-rata LTM Adjusted EBITDA was €379 million.
- Pro-rata net debt / Adjusted EBITDA was 3.2x and Pro-rata priority net debt / Adjusted EBITDA was 0.5x at 30 September 2020.
Key strategic initiatives
- In July, the Supervisory Board of CASAG approved a plan to optimise the cost structure of the casino business in Austria. This plan is underway and expected to achieve c.€45 million of annual cost savings by FY22.
- In July and November, OPAP acquired additional interests in Stoiximan Group’s Greek and Cypriot business (“SMGC”), the leading online gaming business in Greece. OPAP now holds an 84.5% interest in SMGC.
- In November, KKCG and SAZKA Group announced that funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, one of the world’s leading investors in gaming, will invest €500 million in a newly formed holding company which will become the owner of SAZKA Group at a valuation of €4.2 billion.
Trading update
- Restrictions which had impacted some of our land-based businesses (in particular, in Greece, Italy and our casinos in Austria and internationally) in H1 were lifted at the end of Q2, and sales of these businesses recovered well in Q3.
- Our land-based businesses in the Czech Republic and Austria, which were not materially impacted by restrictions in H1, have continued to perform well.
- Online sales, which increased significantly during the period most impacted by COVID, have generally remained at these higher levels.
- Since late October/early November, there has been a second wave of COVID restrictions, having some impact on our businesses.
- The vast majority of the land-based POS of our businesses in the Czech Republic, Austria and Italy remain open and continue to sell our products.
- The majority of the POS in these locations are located in shops and other outlets which provide essential products and services which therefore remain open. These include tobacconists, supermarkets and petrol stations.
- Our land-based business in Greece and Cyprus as well as our casinos have been more affected by the current lockdown and are currently closed.
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Central Europe
Oddin.gg Wins the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Central Europe for the Second Year in a Row
Reading Time: 2 minutes
For the second consecutive year, Czech-based esports technology company Oddin.gg has taken the top spot in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Central Europe, underscoring the company’s sustained momentum and highlighting the global demand for an innovative and high-performing esports betting infrastructure.
The Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Central Europe program recognizes the region’s fastest-growing technology companies across sectors including fintech, software, communications, environmental tech, hardware, healthcare, media and entertainment. Rankings are based on percentage revenue growth.
Commenting on the win, CEO and Co-Founder Vlastimil Venclík shared: “Being recognized by the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 for the second year in a row is an honor. It reflects not only our growth, but the trust our partners place in us and the hard work of our team. Esports is evolving quickly, and we’re committed to delivering reliable, high-performing infrastructure that helps operators succeed, now and in the years ahead.”
Founded in 2018, Oddin.gg is dedicated to elevating the excitement of digital esports competitions and equipping sportsbook operators with reliable solutions that maximize engagement, betting activity and profitability.
Vlastimil Venclik credits the company’s growth to its industry expertise, its focus on the betting vertical, and its forward-thinking, customer-first product strategy.
“Our team blends former professional players with data scientists and engineers. That mix gives us the deep esports knowledge and technical capability needed to solve real challenges for operators and deliver measurable results, while also reducing their exposure to risk.”
Oddin.gg stands apart by offering a unified, end-to-end ecosystem for esports betting, allowing operators to work with a single vendor for odds feeds, risk management, widgets, BetBuilder, iFrame and 24/7 eSimulators while also producing and managing everything in-house. This integrated approach is a core pillar of Realms Group, where Oddin.gg leads the effort to shape how audiences experience live digital entertainment.
“We’re expanding in two major directions. First, by building faster, smarter, more interactive products that deepen engagement for fans and bettors. Second, by growing geographically, supported by recent certifications in Brazil as well as earlier approvals in the United States and Canada. This makes us one of the most secure and trusted providers in the market,” Venclik said.
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BC.GAME
BC.GAME Wins “Best Crypto Casino” at SiGMA Central Europe Awards 2025
Reading Time: < 1 minute
Global crypto entertainment brand BC.GAME has been named “Best Crypto Casino 2025” at the SiGMA Central Europe B2C Awards, held this year in Rome. The result has been published via SiGMA’s official channels and industry media, with BC.GAME listed among the winners in the cryptocasino operator category.
As part of the SiGMA Central Europe 2025 event in early November, the B2C Awards focused on operators that have shown notable performance in online entertainment and sports betting over the past year. The “Best CryptoCasino 2025” category is specifically dedicated to platforms built around crypto assets as a core feature of their offering.
According to award-related communications and public review sources, BC.GAME’s recognition is linked to its integration of crypto payments, multi-vertical product line-up and ongoing development in Web3-oriented use cases. Several third-party reviews have highlighted BC.GAME as a representative example of a platform that supports multiple cryptocurrencies, combines casino and sports content, and designs features with on-chain users in mind.
BC.GAME noted that the award serves as a form of interim feedback on the platform’s long-term commitment to the crypto segment. The company plans to continue improving the user experience around crypto payments, cross-device product performance and content operations, while expanding sports and esports-related partnerships in markets where such activities are permitted by local regulation.
As a crypto-native operator, BC.GAME incorporates mechanisms such as provably fair verification into its product design and combines these with a native token and promotional structures to deliver an integrated casino and sports experience for crypto community users. With continued nominations and awards within the SiGMA framework and other international programmes, BC.GAME is increasingly regarded as a long-term player in the crypto entertainment vertical.
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ADMIRAL Pay
NOVOMATIC Italia Showcases Innovation and Responsible Growth at SiGMA 2025
Reading Time: 3 minutes
NOVOMATIC Italia played a key role at SiGMA Central Europe 2025, one of the leading international events for the gaming and digital technology industry, which was held in Rome from November 4 to 6. The Group showcased ADMIRAL Pay, the payment institution authorised by the Bank of Italy, and Quigioco, its online gaming brand, presenting an integrated and sustainable vision for the future of payments and digital entertainment.
The synergy between the Quigioco gaming platform and ADMIRAL Pay was at the heart of NOVOMATIC Italia’s presence at SiGMA Central Europe 2025 was. This integrated solution offers legal gaming operators a concrete response to the ongoing transformation of the market, particularly in terms of regulatory compliance.
The combined structure of Quigioco and ADMIRAL Pay ensures fully compliant financial flow management by providing operators with technologically advanced tools that are aligned with the latest Italian legislative requirements. This infrastructure represents an integrated payment system and a complete digital ecosystem that is designed to support operators in an increasingly regulated and competitive market. The model is complemented by B2C solutions, including APay E-Wallet and APay Card, which interface seamlessly with the B2B architecture to expand additional growth opportunities.
Driving the market with technology and security
The collaboration between ADMIRAL Pay and Quigioco marks a key milestone for the Italian market: by adopting integrated digital payment systems, online gaming platforms can now deliver increasingly personalized and secure experiences to their users.
ADMIRAL Pay technology enables rapid conversion between cash and digital currency, ensuring instant and secure transactions that meet the highest international standards. For PVRs (Punti Vendita Ricarica: venues authorised to sell recharges for online gaming) and operators, this means access to an advanced payment tool that simplifies operations and guarantees efficiency, even during peak periods.
Meeting new regulatory and market demands
The digital payments and gaming sector in Italy is now subject to increasingly stringent regulatory standards that are designed to ensure maximum security, traceability and transparency. The integration of Quigioco and ADMIRAL Pay fully meets these requirements, offering a unique solution that strengthens compliance while enhancing the customer experience. By managing financial flows in a compliant manner, operators can reduce risks and provide players with immediate and secure access to their funds. This model translates into trust and long-term loyalty, creating value across the entire supply chain.
Responsibility and leadership: the pillars of the future
SiGMA Central Europe 2025 was also an opportunity to highlight NOVOMATIC’s commitment to promoting responsible gaming and continuous product innovation. The target is to maintain industry leadership by investing in technologies that not only enhance the user experience but also ensure maximum player protection and operator transparency.
“Our goal is to extend the success and expertise that have always defined NOVOMATIC Italia in the land-based sector into the digital world. We want to offer operators and players an integrated ecosystem that combines technology, security, and innovation, reaffirming our Group’s leadership in online gaming,” said Markus Buechele, CEO of NOVOMATIC Italia.
This strategic vision was recognized when NOVOMATIC Italia received the “B2B Industry Leader Italy 2025” award at the SiGMA B2B Awards, in honour of the company’s excellence and ongoing commitment to an innovative, responsible and sustainable approach to development. The Group is not only addressing evolving market and regulatory challenges but also paving the way for a future in which innovation and sustainability move forward together.
Through ADMIRAL Pay, Quigioco and the major innovations showcased at SiGMA, NOVOMATIC Italia demonstrates how the convergence of digital payments and online gaming can drive growth, security, and long-term sustainability across the industry. By being built on innovation, responsibility and strategic vision, this model is positioning the company at the forefront of a tech-driven and sustainable future.
The post NOVOMATIC Italia Showcases Innovation and Responsible Growth at SiGMA 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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