Canada
DraftKings Announces $1 Million+ Responsible Gaming Initiative Providing Multi-Year Financial Commitments to State Problem Gambling Councils
DraftKings Inc. today announced a multi-year financial commitment to assist the state councils across the country providing critical funding which will support the work of local nonprofit organizations. As part of the new initiative, entitled The State Council Funding Program, DraftKings has offered each state council $15,000 per year for three years, a total overall commitment of $1,575,000 over the span of the three-year program.
“Having spent several years of my career working with the state council in my home state, Massachusetts, I have seen first-hand how these organizations are a tremendous resource for individuals and families, and serve as a critical stakeholder and partner for gaming operators,” said Christine Thurmond, Director, Responsible Gaming. “DraftKings is committed to advancing responsible gaming in collaboration with state councils across the U.S. Our hope is that this funding will give councils that extra support needed to fund priority areas, expand services, or hire additional staff; whatever is most needed, we want to help financially.”
The State Council Funding Program may be used at the broad discretion of each council to bolster services and programs for individuals and families, and also for council staff, including applying the funds to trainings, conferences, helplines, and general capacity building. A state council may also use the funding to explore the potential for capacity building within neighboring states without a council presence. The program will begin a three-year trial in January 2022.
“State councils provide a first line of defense for addressing the needs of people impacted by problem gambling,” said Keith Whyte, Executive Director, National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), whose membership includes the 35 State Affiliate Councils. “While it’s well established that these organizations provide critical assistance in the community, they don’t always have the resources and funds to take treatment and prevention to the next level. This significant initiative by DraftKings shows their commitment to and knowledge of the importance of the work state councils provide.”
The State Council Funding Program announcement comes after an active year for responsible gaming initiatives at DraftKings. In 2021, DraftKings devoted significant financial resources and deployed its responsible gaming staff to spearhead several initiatives including:
- An agreement with the Cambridge Health Alliance, Division on Addiction, Harvard Medical School to pioneer a systems-based approach to employee training in responsible gaming.
- A commitment to the American Gaming Association’s public service campaign Have A Game Plan.® Bet Responsibly
which teaches consumers best practices in engaging in sports betting, such as the importance of only betting with legal, regulated operators and setting personal limits on play as necessary. - The expansion of responsible gaming education and marketing using a broad range of customer touchpoints including email, social media, DraftKings retail sportsbooks, and across in-stadium assets including via the Have A Game Plan.® Bet Responsibly
campaign. - Multiple financial commitments to support evidence-based research, including one to the International Center for Responsible Gaming for a three-year study assessing risk and prevalence of sports betting problem gaming, and one to the Kindbridge Research Institute, which is embarking on its 50×4 Vets project at the nexus of veterans and responsible gaming.
- A comprehensive in-house approach of offering the responsible gaming team as a key partner to teams across the company.
- Internal investments to strengthen its capacity to promote responsible gaming for all staff and in front of consumers.
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Blanka Homor
Playson Signs Agreement with Light & Wonder in Global Distribution Deal
Playson, the accomplished digital entertainment supplier, has forged a major global content deal with Light & Wonder to significantly enhance the reach of its extensive games portfolio.
This landmark agreement will enable Light & Wonder’s expansive operator network across the UK, Canada, and Latin America to gain access to Playson’s engaging offering.
UK-based operator Dazzletag Entertainment Ltd was the first to go live with the studio’s creative releases last month, with SUPERCHARGED CLOVERS: HOLD AND WIN and 3 POTS RICHES: HOLD AND WIN launched across its online casino brands.
Light & Wonder’s content marketplace is utilised by some of the biggest operator brands from across the globe, providing them with access to more than 3500 games from a host of third-party studios to allow them to build personalised, mobile-ready player experiences and stay ahead of regulatory changes.
The partnership signifies the strength of Playson’s reputation as a respected and highly sought-after provider to operators globally, as the rising demand for its games looks set to take the studio to new heights for 2025.
Blanka Homor, Sales Director at Playson, said: “Our deal with Light & Wonder is a major milestone in our strategic roadmap, as we embark on the next chapter of our global growth. This agreement expands our reach and allows us to deliver our appealing titles to new operators and players.
“The launch of our titles across Dazzletag’s two brands is a great start, and we are confident this relationship will further elevate our presence in the ever-evolving online casino space.”
Steve Mayes, Senior Director of Partnerships at Light & Wonder, said: “We are delighted to be working with such a highly respected digital entertainment provider and deliver their portfolio to our network. This strengthens our commitment to offering operators the best game releases available.
“We look forward to other successful launches in 2025, as we continue to support our operators with diverse content.”
The post Playson Signs Agreement with Light & Wonder in Global Distribution Deal appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Bragg Gaming Group
Bragg Gaming Announces Preliminary Unaudited Results for the Year Ended December 31, 2024 and 2025 Strategic Initiatives and Guidance
Bragg Gaming Group announced its preliminary unaudited results for the year ended December 31, 2024 based on information currently available to management and certain strategic initiatives and issued financial guidance for 2025, highlighting anticipated double-digit growth in Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA driven by a strategic focus on proprietary and exclusive content.
Anticipated Full Year 2024 Results Highlights
The Company expects the financial results for full year 2024 to include the following highlights: Revenue not less than EUR 102 million, an increase of 9% from EUR 93.5 million for 2023, Adjusted EBITDA of not less than EUR 15.4 million, an increase of 1% from EUR 15.2 million for 2023.
Anticipated Financial Highlights for 2025
Revenue Guidance: Revenue for the year ended December 31, 2025, is expected to reach between EUR 117.5 million and EUR 123.0 million, representing double digit growth compared to the Company’s anticipated 2024 revenue.
Adjusted EBITDA Guidance: Adjusted EBITDA is forecasted to range between EUR 19.0 million and EUR 21.5 million, supported by a shift toward higher-margin product offerings.
Strategic Business Drivers
The Company is expecting to realize its anticipated 2025 results in part, as a result of certain strategic initiatives, including:
• Shift in Revenue Concentration: The percentage of revenue from the Company’s proprietary and exclusive content business is expected to increase providing a more margin-accretive mix and improving profitability with reduced reliance on third party content revenue by year end.
• Growth in Key Markets: Content-focused products, including proprietary, exclusive and aggregated content are projected to drive significant revenue growth in North America and Brazil, which are expected to contribute up to 10% and 15% of revenue, respectively by year-end.
• Brazil’s Growth Potential: The Company believes that its proprietary and exclusive content and aggregation businesses are strategically positioned to capture a significant share of Brazil’s $1.5 billion iGaming market, projected to more than double to over $3.3 billion by 2029, according to H2 Gambling Capital.
• US Market Penetration: The Company believes that it is strategically positioned for significant growth in the US market by leveraging its proprietary and exclusive content portfolio. Through integration with top-tier operators such as DraftKings, FanDuel, Rush Street, Caesars and BetMGM, and licenses in all key iGaming states, the Company’s content is accessible to over 90% of the US iGaming market, valued at over $9.5 billion, according to H2 Gambling Capital. Under the leadership of Neill Whyte, Chief Commercial Officer, and Garrick Morris, SVP (Commercial, US & Canada), veterans of the iGaming industry with multi-decade successful market penetration experience under their belt, the Company has strong leadership to garner enhanced market share. It is expected that proprietary and exclusive content growth in the US will be further driven by the recently announced technology and content partnership with Caesars Entertainment Inc. This partnership, which leverages the Company’s cutting-edge technology and innovative development strengthens the Company’s profile in a competitive and dynamic market.
• Stronger Penetration in Major European Markets: Bragg aims to expand content distribution in key Western European markets, including Italy, UK, Spain, and Sweden, by leveraging existing integrations with top operators and implementing targeted sales strategies.
• Expand Exclusive Partnerships: The Company plans to increase its roster of partner studios to enhance the release cadence of titles in North America. Additionally, Bragg aims to grow exclusive content distribution in Central European markets, including the Czech Republic and Germany, through strategic partnerships with studios such as Gamomat and King Show Games.
• Stability in PAM Business: The Company’s PAM business is expected to remain flat year-over-year, an overall positive, despite the anticipated contraction of the Netherlands market in 2025 due to regulatory changes made in the fourth quarter of 2024.
• Enhanced Technology Profile: The Company continues to innovate with technologies such as FUZE, which provides bonuses, free rounds, tournaments, jackpots, recommendation engine and other engagement and promotional tools seamlessly across all iGaming, Sportbetting and iLottery products, requiring no additional integration. These advanced features enhance player experience and contribute to the growth of the Company’s product portfolio revenue.
• Data and AI Enhancements: By leveraging extensive gaming data, the Company generates actionable insights and employs AI-driven optimizations to elevate player experiences and enhance operator profitability, thereby accelerating profitable growth in proprietary and exclusive content verticals. Opportunities to leverage AI to reduce costs and enhance product margins are also being actively explored.
• Pipeline Opportunities: A robust pipeline of opportunities is under development, which, if realized, could further enhance 2025 performance but are not yet reflected in the current guidance.
• Stock Appreciation Rights Plan: Bragg has also introduced a new Stock Appreciation Rights (SAR) plan for its executive management team, further aligning management interests with those of shareholders. The SAR plan has been implemented under the Company’s Amended and Restated Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan and pays out only if the Company’s share price increases over a three-year period, with a full payout contingent on achieving a four-fold increase from a base price of $5 CAD. This structure ensures that executive compensation is firmly tied to delivering significant shareholder value. Additionally, the plan includes accelerated vesting provisions in the event of a change of control, preserving alignment with shareholder interests in all value-creation scenarios. SAR award payouts may be settled through the payment of cash, the issuance of shares, or through a combination of both, subject to the discretion of the Company’s Board and availability of shares under the Company’s equity incentive plan at the time.
“I am pleased with where we believe 2024 results will land and very excited about the strong growth trajectory outlined in our 2025 guidance. Our strategic investments in proprietary and exclusive content as well as various Data, Player journey and AI enhanced engagement features, are expected to drive our growth in 2025. By focusing on margin-accretive products, we are well-positioned to boost both revenue and profitability while pursuing opportunities in key markets such as Brazil and the United States. Our PAM product remains a top-tier performer, and while our 2025 growth will largely come from the content side of the business, we have exciting prospects to expand our PAM offering. Additionally, I’m particularly proud of the strong executive team that we have assembled at Bragg this past year. The recently announced Caesars deal highlights their impressive capabilities,” said Matevž Mazij, CEO of Bragg.
The post Bragg Gaming Announces Preliminary Unaudited Results for the Year Ended December 31, 2024 and 2025 Strategic Initiatives and Guidance appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Canada
Playson signs agreement with Light & Wonder in global distribution deal
The award-winning game studio will deliver titles to players in the UK, Canada and Latin America
Playson, the accomplished digital entertainment supplier, has forged a major global content deal with Light & Wonder to significantly enhance the reach of its extensive games portfolio.
This landmark agreement will enable Light & Wonder’s expansive operator network across the UK, Canada, and Latin America to gain access to Playson’s engaging offering.
UK-based operator Dazzletag Entertainment Ltd was the first to go live with the studio’s creative releases last month, with SUPERCHARGED CLOVERS: HOLD AND WIN and 3 POTS RICHES: HOLD AND WIN launched across its online casino brands.
Light & Wonder’s content marketplace is utilised by some of the biggest operator brands from across the globe, providing them with access to more than 3,500 games from a host of third-party studios to allow them to build personalised, mobile-ready player experiences and stay ahead of regulatory changes.
The partnership signifies the strength of Playson’s reputation as a respected and highly sought-after provider to operators globally, as the rising demand for its games looks set to take the studio to new heights for 2025.
Blanka Homor, Sales Director at Playson, said: “Our deal with Light & Wonder is a major milestone in our strategic roadmap, as we embark on the next chapter of our global growth. This agreement expands our reach and allows us to deliver our appealing titles to new operators and players.
“The launch of our titles across Dazzletag’s two brands is a great start, and we are confident this relationship will further elevate our presence in the ever-evolving online casino space.”
Steve Mayes, Senior Director of Partnerships at Light & Wonder, said: “We are delighted to be working with such a highly respected digital entertainment provider and deliver their portfolio to our network. This strengthens our commitment to offering operators the best game releases available.
“We look forward to other successful launches in 2025, as we continue to support our operators with diverse content.”
The post Playson signs agreement with Light & Wonder in global distribution deal appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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