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Evolution – INTERIM REPORT FOR JANUARY-SEPTEMBER 2021
Evolution released today its Interim Report for January-September 2021.
Third quarter of 2021 (Q3 2020)
- Operating revenues increased by 97% to EUR 276.0 million (140.0)
- EBITDA increased by 113% to EUR 192.9 million (90.7), corresponding to a margin of 69.9% (64.8)
- Profit for the period amounted to EUR 157.4 million (79.4)
- Earnings per share amounted to EUR 0.73 (0.44)
January-September 2021 (9M 2020)
- Operating revenues increased by 100% to EUR 768.5 million (383.5)
- EBITDA increased by 124% to EUR 527.7 million (236.0), corresponding to a margin of 68.7% (61.5)
- Profit for the period amounted to EUR 433.9 million (204.0)
- Earnings per share amounted to EUR 2.03 (1.12)
Events during the third quarter of 2021
- High demand for Live Casino generates a +53% growth YoY
- RNG revenue growth 7.9% compared to pro-forma Q3 2020
- Continued expansion in the US with opening of a new live casino studio in Michigan. After the end of the period launch of RNG-games in Connecticut with live games to follow.
Summary of the third quarter and the first nine months of 2021
CEO’s comments
The third quarter this year has been another quarter of extremely high activity within Evolution. The expansion of our business at the current speed is simply put – hard work – and I want to start these comments by thanking everyone in Evolution for great work during this period, without your effort and commitment the achieved financial results would not be possible.
The result for the third quarter 2021 has once again proven that our strategy to focus on the entertainment of the end-users and seamless and flawless experience is successful. Revenues in the third quarter increased by 97 percent to EUR 276 million, while the EBITDA increased to EUR 192.9 million. The EBITDA corresponds to a margin of 69.9 percent, exceeding our guidance for 2021.
Top-line growth is driven by very strong global demand for Live Casino but also impacted positively from our increased RNG business. Live Casino revenue growth was 53.2 percent compared to Q3 2020, which is higher than the pre-pandemic growth rate levels, showing that many of our newer players are staying in the network. RNG growth was 7.9 percent compared to pro-forma figures of Q3 2020 for NetEnt and BTG. Big Time Gaming, which was fully consolidated into our results in the third quarter, contributed with EUR 10.6 million in revenue. BTG stand-alone is growing at a rate of over 30 percent in the quarter, compared to their corresponding quarter in 2020. Our NetEnt and Red Tiger brands show growth of about 3 percent compared to the same quarter 2020 and while this development is in line with our expectations, our ambition for our NetEnt and Red Tiger brands is to deliver stronger growth moving into 2022.
As I have mentioned earlier this year, we are in the process of reshaping our RNG business. This year we have both re-structured the product roadmap and also re-built the complete technical platform for NetEnt. We are right now rolling out our updated integration for casino, One Stop Shop (OSS), towards customers which enables operators to reach all our existing content from one single integration and ensures that access to future Evolution content will go seamless and fast world-wide. This is a major step for both us and our customers but even more so for all our end users who will get more fantastic Evolution content. One side effect of this total technical make-over has been fewer new game releases in 2021.
As always, we continue to develop our portfolio of games. While our game shows, including successful wheel based games such as Monopoly Live and Crazy Time, continue to attract players, we continue to broaden the audience for the game show category. Our new bouncing ball game – Cash or Crash – adds strategic and decision-making features in a game show style game. This game is all about player choice and the ability for the player to control the outcome. We also launched Fan Tan – a fresh twist on the beautiful traditional Asian bead game.
Besides adding new unique games, it’s absolutely crucial to constantly enhance the end-user experience and entertainment value through enhanced and innovative user interfaces. Reduce all small bottlenecks and make it seamless. During the quarter, we launched an improved user interface to our traditional Blackjack game, through a new zooming feature in portrait mode. This clearly improves the gaming experience further.
The aim with all our offerings is to excite and entertain players with the best possible choice of world-class gaming. We are committed to creating the most immersive and exciting gaming experiences available.
The North American online casino market continues to develop rapidly in both US and Canada. In Michigan, where we introduced our portfolio of NetEnt games in the beginning of the year, we launched our live casino in the beginning of the quarter. The studio is off to a very good start and this best-in-class offering is yet another enabler of growth in the US market. After the end of the period we were first to the market with our slot games in Connecticut. We expect Live games to follow soon, Connecticut will be the 4th studio we operate in the US. Also after the end of the period we launched our live and RNG games with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, it will be the 4th province in Canada to go live from our Canadian studio.
Ongoing studio projects include new studios in Madrid and Yerevan. This quarter, a lot of business focus has been centred around investing and establishing new studios. As always, expansion potential lies in existing markets, as well as new geographies and we will, as a natural part of our business, continue to expand and invest in existing studios both in North America and other regions at the same level as earlier.
Also, during the past quarter, we signed an agreement to acquire DigiWheel in an all-cash deal. DigiWheel’s technology is exciting, innovative and unique and will be blended into our online Live Casino games and game shows. The ambition is to launch new games in 2022 using this technology.
As stated, our ambition is to continue to strengthen our leading position in the online casino market. One of the corner stones which allows us to increase the gap to our competitors even further is through product innovation. In February, as things are getting back to normal, it is once again time for ICE in London. I am already now very excited about presenting our 2022 road-map.
We are now well on our way into an exciting and very hectic last quarter and we have had strong start to the fourth quarter so far. New games to release, new studios to build, OSS to be rolled out and great new Evolutioneers to recruit at the same time as all of us already here need to focus hard on what we can do better, what we can do to make Evolution a little bit better every day.
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GamCare releases Annual Report following record breaking year of support on the National Gambling Helpline
GamCare’s National Gambling Helpline received a record 55,228 calls and online chats from people experiencing gambling harm in 2023-24 – a 25% increase from the previous year – according to the charity’s Annual Report.
In a year marked by uncertainty over the future shape and structure of the gambling harms treatment sector following the previous government’s white paper on gambling reform, the charity continued to prioritise those at-risk of, or currently experiencing, gambling harm.
Of all calls and online chats that were responded to on GamCare’s Helpline in 2023/24, 41,070 (74%) were classed as supportive interventions. This includes supporting people with initial guidance and advice as well as delivering a seamless entry point into structured treatment services, with individuals completing treatment reporting a significant reduction in gambling-related distress and financial harm.
In March 2024, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities published an assessment of the gambling treatment system, highlighting that 57% of individuals engaging in treatment were referred by the National Gambling Helpline. This underscores the Helpline’s critical role in connecting people to the support they need. Over 9,100 free treatment sessions were delivered in the year to April 2024, with an average of just 2.1 days’ wait from point of referral.
GamCare’s targeted programmes aimed at young people, women, and the criminal justice system provided training on how to spot the signs of harms and where to signpost into support for 10,344 professionals, and education for 53,324 young people, children and parents. The Women’s Programme, in partnership with organisations such as Refuge, trained 3,813 professionals to recognise and address gambling-related harm among women.
Margot Daly, Executive Chair of GamCare’s Board, says: “Throughout a challenging year and with heightened demand for our services, GamCare’s staff have got on with the job of preventing harm where possible and treating harm where necessary. While we expect important changes in the gambling harms landscape, we have been determined not to let this uncertainty affect our relentless focus on the people who really matter – those at-risk of or currently experiencing gambling harms.
“I would like to thank and pay tribute to our frontline staff who provide 24/7 support for all those at risk or in distress. I also want to thank GamCare’s senior executive team who have steered GamCare through a period of sustained change, and to my fellow trustees for their guidance, unwavering support and the time each has dedicated to ensuring that the charity stays on course and on mission.
“As we look ahead to how the future of the gambling harms sector is shaped, we are committed to working proactively with the NHS and other partners and commissioners to ensure that people are continually able to receive the right support at the right time.”
The post GamCare releases Annual Report following record breaking year of support on the National Gambling Helpline appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Kambi Group plc (“Kambi”) has during the period 18 December to 23 December 2024 (the “Buyback Period”) repurchased a total of 40,000 ordinary B shares (ISIN: MT0000780107) as part of the share buyback programme, within the mandate approved at the Extraordinary General Meeting on 20 June 2024 (the “Programme”).
The objective of the Programme is to achieve added value for Kambi´s shareholders and to give the Board increased flexibility with Kambi´s capital structure by reducing the capital. The Programme is being carried out in accordance with the Maltese Companies Act, EU Market Abuse Regulation No 596/2014 (“MAR”) and other applicable rules.
During the Buyback Period, Kambi repurchased a total of 40,000 ordinary B shares at a volume-weighted average price of 99.13 SEK. From the beginning of the Programme, which started on 6 November, until and including 23 December 2024, Kambi has repurchased a total of 344,000 ordinary B shares at a volume-weighted average price of 104.94 SEK per share.
During the Buyback Period, Kambi has repurchased shares as follows:
| Date | Aggregated daily volume (number of ordinary B shares) |
Weighted average share price per day (SEK) |
Total daily transaction value (SEK) |
| 18 December 2024 | 10,000 | 100.00 | 999,967 |
| 19 December 2024 | 10,000 | 99.39 | 993,929 |
| 20 December 2024 | 10,000 | 98.86 | 988,588 |
| 23 December 2024 | 10,000 | 98.26 | 982,562 |
All acquisitions have been carried out on Nasdaq First North Growth Market in Stockholm by Carnegie Investment Bank AB on behalf of Kambi. Following the acquisitions and as of 23 December 2024, Kambi’s holding of its own shares amounted to 344,000 and the total number of issued shares in Kambi is 29,903,619 ordinary B shares. Under the Programme Kambi is authorised to repurchase a maximum of 3,127,830 ordinary B shares, up to a maximum amount of €12.0 million.
A full breakdown of all transactions carried out during the Buyback Period is attached to this announcement.
Information on the Programme is available on Kambi’s website, https://www.kambi.com/investors/share-information/
The post Kambi Group plc repurchase of shares during 18 December – 23 December 2024 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
North American Expansion Kicks Off Through Strategic Partnership with Moozi
Golden Matrix Group’s game development division, Expanse Studios, has officially entered the U.S. sweepstakes market, marking a significant milestone in its North American growth strategy. This move is powered by a strategic content partnership with Moozi, one of the most dynamic sweepstakes social casino platforms in the region.
With Moozi now featuring over 50 of Expanse Studios’ top-performing games—including immersive slots, crash games, and table games—this partnership positions GMGI to capture a share of the $5.6 billion U.S. sweepstakes market, projected to more than double to $11 billion by 2025 (Eilers).
Damjan Stamenkovic, CEO of Expanse Studios, commented:
“This partnership signifies our formal entry into the U.S. market, showcasing the innovation and player-first experiences that define Expanse Studios. Collaborating with Moozi enables us to deliver advanced gaming content to a growing audience in North America, a key region for our global growth.”
James Anderson, Moozi’s CCO, added:
“Expanse Studios has set a high bar for engaging and innovative gaming experiences. Their addition to our platform elevates Moozi’s offerings and strengthens our mission to lead the U.S. sweepstakes social casino space.”
This launch underscores Expanse Studios’ commitment to innovation and its long-term growth trajectory in regulated markets. By entering the North American sweepstakes market, Expanse Studios takes a bold step in expanding its footprint while delivering cutting-edge gaming experiences.
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