SAZKA Group Q3 and 9M Results and Update on Current Trading

Published

3 years ago

December 15, 2020

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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.

Playtech Expands iPoker Network into the Czech Republic in Partnership with Fortuna Entertainment Group

Published

6 days ago

May 10, 2024

Niji Narayan

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Playtech announced the expansion of its iPoker network into the Czech Republic, in partnership with Fortuna Entertainment Group (Fortuna), marking the first introduction of Playtech’s iPoker network in the Czech market.

This launch represents a significant milestone for both Playtech and Fortuna, as it introduces poker into the Fortuna Entertainment Group for the first time. Through Playtech’s iPoker network, Fortuna’s players in the Czech Republic will now have access to a diverse range of poker games, benefitting from a strong international liquidity pool of players from all around the world, plus a high-quality player experience and state-of-the-art poker product.

The iPoker network has experienced explosive growth over the past few years, and the addition of Fortuna will contribute to the continuation of this trend. The Czech Republic is a prominent hub for live poker tournaments in Europe, with prestigious events held year-round in cities like Prague and Rozvadov. By joining forces with Fortuna, Playtech aims to tap into the potential of this vibrant market, bringing an unmatched online poker experience to the Czech audience.

Marat Koss, VP of Interactive Gaming at Playtech, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Fortuna to expand our iPoker network into the Czech market. Playtech is committed to providing a high-quality player experience through its cutting-edge poker product and continuous innovation and together with Fortuna’s continued success and significant growth trajectory as the leading betting and gaming operator in Central and Eastern Europe, this partnership will offer a modern, seamless, and engaging user experience for Fortuna’s players.”

Myke Foster, Group Head of Gaming & Commercial Strategy at Fortuna Entertainment Group, said: “Poker has a significant presence in the Czech market with an established player base and we are impressed by the quality of Playtech’s poker product. We see tremendous potential in this product and are confident it will deliver an exceptional and modern user experience to our customer base. We have had a very successful partnership with Playtech over the years and we look forward to watching this partnership continue to grow from strength to strength.”

The post Playtech Expands iPoker Network into the Czech Republic in Partnership with Fortuna Entertainment Group appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Central Europe

BF Games Enters Czech Market with Apollo Games

Published

7 days ago

May 9, 2024

George Miller

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BF Games, the dynamic game development studio, has entered a new market through a collaboration with Apollo Games, a major licensed online casino operator in the Czech Republic. The content deal provides Apollo Games customers with the supplier’s most engaging releases, including titles like Stunning Hot Remastered and Cave of Fortune, which are now available.

ApolloGames.cz has been entertaining Czech players since 2021 and is part of the globally known Apollo Game Group, which boasts more than 17 years of experience in online games as well as land-based operations. The commercial partnership is part of the supplier’s plans to expand across Europe and supply thrilling games to operator partners worldwide.

Rok Hribar, Head of Sales and Account Management at BF Games, said, “Our new partnership with Apollo Games is a huge milestone for us as we make a significant entrance into the growing Czech market.
“We look forward to providing some of our most popular games to Apollo Games player base and bringing our creative content to their screens.”

Stanislav Jurecka, Casino Manager at Apollo Games, said, “We are watching the rapid development of BF Games’ offerings and are thrilled to sign this deal with the studio.”
“Adding BF Games’ slots to our online casino is a great win for us and our players, providing fantastic entertainment through a great mix of classic and innovative content. We look forward to introducing further games throughout the year and growing our successful partnership.”

The post BF Games Enters Czech Market with Apollo Games appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Central Europe

Apparat Gaming and edict egaming announce partnership

Published

3 weeks ago

April 22, 2024

George Miller

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

Leading German software provider teams up with Hamburg-born aggregator to make full suite of slots available to customers in regulated markets worldwide

With immediate effect, German iGaming-business Apparat Gaming is teaming up with fellow Hamburg-founded company edict egaming. The former, having forged a reputation for providing premium casino content with a German accent, has thus joined forces with one of the country’s top aggregators in edict, one of the Merkur Group’s subsidiaries.

As a result of the deal, Apparat Gaming’s ever-expanding portfolio of 30+ quality slots, including recent releases like the high-octane Autobahn Alarm and the hotly-anticipated Fishin’ the Biggest, will be joining edict’s already widespread line-up of over 200 titles – making them now available to all operators who choose edict for their game aggregation needs.

This collaboration will give customers access to an even more diverse selection of games, all of which are fully compliant with the latest German regulation and certified for release in multiple markets.

Founded in 1998, edict was one of the industry’s pioneering online casino service providers before it was acquired by the Merkur Group a decade later. In 2021, the company added an aggregator solution to its offering, and it has been steadily developing this product ever since to a point where it now supplies content to over 150 operators and starts 8.5+ billion games per year.

Specialising in engaging titles that are supplied by some of Germany’s most popular studios, Apparat Gaming’s releases will certainly look right at home among the aggregator’s prestigious game portfolio – and both parties are already looking forward to a highly successful collaboration.

Martin Frindt, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Apparat Gaming, said: “Given Apparat Gaming’s German roots, we’re delighted to be teaming up with a Hamburg-born business-like edict. Adding our titles to their line-up will give operators access to our over 30 top slots that all come with our signature German accent, and we can’t wait to hear how they’re received by customers.”

Dominic-Daniel Lienard CEO at edict, said: “Since launching our aggregator solution, edict has compiled a stellar portfolio of releases from some of the top developers in Germany and beyond – and adding Apparat Gaming titles will strengthen this roster further. With great graphics, unique themes, and innovative bonus features, we’re sure their slots will be a huge hit with our operators.”

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