Affiliate Industry

Better Collective reports record revenue; strong growth in US business and media partnerships

Published

4 years ago

August 24, 2021

George Miller

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Interim report January 1 – June 30, 2021

Highlights second quarter 2021

Q2 Group revenue grew by 162% to 40,009 tEUR (Q2 2020: 15,253 tEUR). Organic revenue growth was 47%.
The US business performed strongly, even before inclusion of Action Network, by recording NDC performance and revenue on par with a strong Q1 2021, despite Q2 being low season.
Q2 Group EBITDA before special items increased 90% to 12,662 tEUR (Q2 2020: 6,672 tEUR). The EBITDA-margin before special items was 32% (Publishing segment 43% and Paid Media segment 11%).
Special items include cost related to the acquisition of Action Network of 5.3 mEUR.
Cash Flow from operations before special items was 11,069 tEUR (Q2 2020: 10,363 tEUR), an increase of 7%. The cash conversion was 93% following a 121% conversion rate in Q1. End of Q2, capital reserves stood at 69 mEUR including cash of 40 mEUR and unused bank credit facilities of 29 mEUR.
New Depositing Customers (NDCs) were 197,000 in the quarter with an implied growth of 179%, establishing a new quarterly record.
Media partnerships saw breakthrough performance delivering more than 38,000 NDCs. Three new media partnerships were signed.
Earn-out payments of 1.2 mEUR in cash and 0.9 mEUR in shares were made in relation to the 2020-acquisition of HLTV and its achievement of pre-agreed financial performance.
At the AGM, Therese Hillman, CEO of NOD and former Group CEO of NetEnt, was elected to the board of directors.
Better Collective acquired leading US sports betting media platform, Action Network, for 196 mEUR (240 mUSD), gaining market leadership within sports betting media in the US.
Better Collective resolved on a directed share issue of 6.9 million shares, raising proceeds of 145 mEUR to maintain financial flexibility.
For the fourth consecutive year, Better Collective topped the prestigious EGR Global’s Power Affiliates 2021 ranking.

Financial highlights first six months 2021

In the first half of 2021, revenue grew by 118% to 78,845 tEUR (YTD 2020: 36,174 tEUR).
In the first half of 2021, EBITDA before special items increased 64% to 25,855 tEUR (YTD 2020: 15,718 tEUR). The EBITDA-margin before special items was 33%.
Cash Flow from operations before special items was 27,171 tEUR (YTD 2020: 19,814 tEUR), an increase of 37%. The cash conversion rate before special items was 107%. At the end of Q2 2021, cash and unused credit facilities amounted to 69 mEUR.
New Depositing Customers (NDCs) exceeded 371,000 in the first half year (growth of 99%).

Significant events after the closure of the period

July revenue reached 12.4 mEUR, more than double of July 2020, with an organic growth of 13%. July 2021 revenue was negatively impacted by an extraordinarily low sports win margin, especially in connection with the finalisation of EURO2020. This should be seen in the light of a comparison month of July 2020, which was positively impacted by the rescheduling of sports events due to COVID-19 and an above average sports win margin.

Financial targets
The full-year financial targets remain unchanged.

Jesper Søgaard, Co-founder & CEO of Better Collective, commented:
“Q2 marks yet a record quarter in terms of revenue and NDCs delivered to our partners. At the same time, we continue to record strong profitability and cash flows. The strong performance is especially driven by the US business, and by our media partnerships that saw breakthrough performance during Q2. The peak of the quarter was the closing of our largest acquisition to date, Action Network, which is a game changer and consolidates our leading sports betting media position in the US”

Conference call
A telephone conference will be held at 10.00 a.m. CET today by CEO Jesper Søgaard and CFO Flemming Pedersen. The presentation will simultaneously be webcasted, and both the telephone conference and the webcast offer an opportunity to ask questions.

Affiliate Industry

MelBet Partners to Bring UFC Champion Kamaru Usman to SiGMA Central Europe

Published

2 weeks ago

October 31, 2025

Niji Narayan

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Reading Time: < 1 minute

SiGMA Europe is one of the most significant events in the iGaming industry. This year, the event is taking place in Rome and will bring together over 30,000 attendees, 1200 sponsors and feature four stages with 550+ top speakers.

On November 05, in partnership with MelBet Partners & Affiliates, former MMA legend and World Champion Kamaru Usman will join the event as a special guest. At booth 5067G attendees of SiGMA Central Europe have the chance to take photos, hear insights and what it takes to rise to the top on a global stage.

During the conference, there will be two activities available for guests at MelBet’s booth:

Punch Challenge. Anyone can come to the booth on November 4 and test their punching power. The person with the strongest punch will have the honour of competing against Kamaru Usman himself.

Want to get exclusive merchandise and take a photo with the MelBet Partners & Affiliates championship belt? Visit the booth. Follow MelBet’s official Instagram account and take a picture with the belt. Those who post a story with the championship belt and tag MelBet will automatically be entered into a drawing for exclusive UFC-themed merchandise.

There will also be a private party, Triumph of the Gladiators, exclusively for the partners and representatives of MelBet Partners & Affiliates, which Kamaru himself will attend. This evening will be an epic event, where history and modernity merge into one.

The post MelBet Partners to Bring UFC Champion Kamaru Usman to SiGMA Central Europe appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Affiliate Industry

When Logic Finds a Face: Meet Refie, ReferOn’s New Living Interface

Published

2 weeks ago

October 28, 2025

George Miller

when-logic-finds-a-face:-meet-refie,-referon’s-new-living-interface

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Refie, the new living interface inside ReferOn, it’s here.

ReferOn, the next-generation affiliate management platform, has launched Refie — a built-in interface layer that gives the platform its own awareness, making interaction faster, clearer, and more human.

Refie represents a new level of interaction within ReferOn, designed to make complex affiliate data easier to perceive and act on through visual feedback that turns system logic into something instantly understandable. He now lives inside the platform’s interface, appearing on onboarding screens and system state pages, where he reflects how the system feels and responds in real time.

Refie isn’t a chatbot or a mascot — he’s an integrated UX layer that connects technical precision with human intuition. By reducing noise and guiding attention naturally, he helps affiliate managers work faster while avoiding mistakes and staying aligned with live performance data.

We like to call this approach “lazy intelligence” — systems that think before you do so you can focus on what actually matters. Refie is the first visible step toward that.

Roadmap: From Awareness to Assistance

Refie’s introduction marks the beginning of ReferOn’s next development stage.
He’s the foundation for what comes next: gamification, engagement, and, ultimately, intelligent assistance. Through him, we’ll introduce a more interactive, rewarding experience where every action feels meaningful. Over time, Refie will evolve from a visual signal into a personal AI agent — the intelligent core of the ReferOn platform.

Vlad Bondarenko, ReferOn’s Head of Product, commented, “Refie isn’t just an add-on or feature — it’s a reflection of how our platform and team think. For years, affiliate platforms have been built for reporting, not for people. We wanted to change that. Refie was born to simplify. He embodies how we think about technology: clarity, control, and connection should feel natural, not forced.

With Refie, ReferOn has learned how to say hi — not with words, but quietly, through awareness. It’s how the system shows it understands what’s happening. He represents the moment ReferOn moved beyond functionality and toward awareness, emotion, and intelligence. The launch goal is to show that the era of faceless B2B tools is ending.”

The ReferOn team will showcase the platform’s latest innovations at SiGMA Central Europe in Rome (Booth 5044). There, attendees can explore the system in action, connect with the team, and experience Refie — the living interface making its first public debut.

The post When Logic Finds a Face: Meet Refie, ReferOn’s New Living Interface appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Affiliate Industry

IZIGROUP and Gamblers Connect Enter a New Partnership

Published

3 weeks ago

October 27, 2025

George Miller

izigroup-and-gamblers-connect-enter-a-new-partnership

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Gamblers Connect, a leading and trusted iGaming Medium & Affiliate website for the iGaming sector, is excited to announce its latest strategic partnership with a true pillar of the European gaming industry: IZIGROUP.

Based in Malta, IZIGROUP is one of the most respected and established operators in the iGaming world. Its influence is immense, serving as the exclusive concessionaire for the National Lottery of Malta through their subsidiary, National Lottery plc. They also operate Malta’s most iconic land-based casino, the Dragonara Casino, a name synonymous with quality and heritage since 1964. The group also has a sports and casino betting platform, IZIBET.

But this partnership isn’t just about land-based prestige. IZIGROUP has powerfully translated its decades of experience into the digital realm with a formidable iGaming presence. This includes their flagship online brands, Dragonara Online Casino and IZIBET which are rapidly expanding beyond Malta into international markets.

Gamblers Connect’s mission has always been to act as the essential bridge, connecting its community with the most trusted, innovative, and responsible operators in the industry.

This partnership is a perfect embodiment of that goal. IZIGROUP’s entire operational philosophy is built on the same values: a deep commitment to safe, responsible, and engaging gaming experiences.

With €920 million in total gaming turnover last year and a clear strategy focused on digital innovation, IZIGROUP represents the gold standard of a modern, successful, and ethical gaming operator.

Gamblers Connect is proud to feature IZIGROUP’s brands and to provide users with a direct connection to their world-class portfolio. This collaboration strengthens the network and, more importantly, reinforces a promise to only partner with the best.

Gregory Busuttil, Acquisition & Retention Executive at IZIGROUP, commented: “This feels like a true partnership, not just another campaign — and that’s what sets it apart.”

Gjorgje Ristikj, Founder & CEO at Gamblers Connect, stated: “Our collaboration with IZIGROUP marks an important milestone for Gamblers Connect. Joining forces with a reputable Malta-based brand allows us to combine credibility with reach, delivering stronger exposure, better performance and a more mature presence in the industry. We see this partnership not as a campaign, but as the beginning of a long-term strategic relationship.”

The post IZIGROUP and Gamblers Connect Enter a New Partnership appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.