Connect with us

Latest News

LeoVegas AB Q4: Quarterly report 1 October–31 December 2021

Published

on

Reading Time: 4 minutes

 

“Strong end to the year with many growth initiatives” – Gustaf Hagman, Group CEO

FOURTH QUARTER 2021: 1 OCTOBER – 31 DECEMBER

  • Revenue amounted to EUR 98.2 m (98.4). Revenues were unchanged compared with the same period last year. Excluding Germany and the Netherlands, revenues increased by 26%.
  • Organic growth in local currencies was -4%.
  • Net Gaming Revenue (NGR) from regulated markets and markets in which the company pays local gaming taxes was 74% (67) of total NGR.
  • EBITDA was EUR 11.6 m (11.5), corresponding to an EBITDA margin of 11.8% (11.7).
  • The number of depositing customers was 456,063 (461,983), a decrease of 1%.
  • Adjusted earnings per share were EUR 0.07 (0.08).

EVENTS DURING THE QUARTER

  • LeoVegas repurchased shares for EUR 2.1 m and distributed the third quarter dividend (EUR 3.9 m).
  • Following policy changes in the Netherlands, LeoVegas decided to stop providing its services in the country as from 30 September 2021. As such, the company had no revenue from the Netherlands in the fourth quarter (compared with 6% of the Group’s total revenue during the third quarter). The company will apply for a licence during the first quarter.
  • LeoVegas was granted renewed gaming licences by the Danish Gambling Authority.

EVENTS AFTER THE END OF THE QUARTER

  • Preliminary revenue in January amounted to EUR 35.5 m (32.5), corresponding to growth of 9%. Excluding Germany and the Netherlands, revenue increased by 24%.
  • The Board of Directors proposes an increased dividend of 5 percent to SEK 1.68 per share (1.60), to be distributed on four occasions over the course of the next 12 months.
  • LeoVegas applied for a gaming licence for the Canadian province of Ontario.
  • The establishment in New Jersey in the US is proceeding according to plan and the recruitment of a local team has begun.
  • In January, LeoVegas distributed the fourth dividend (EUR 3.8 m) of a total of four to the Parent Company’s shareholders.

COMMENT FROM GUSTAF HAGMAN – GROUP CEO

FOURTH QUARTER
I am proud of how we concluded 2021 and how we offset the revenue loss related to the ongoing regulatory changes in Germany and the Netherlands. In the fourth quarter, sales were unchanged compared with the preceding year. However, excluding the two abovementioned markets, growth was some 26%, which demonstrates our strong underlying growth.

Adjusted EBITDA improved somewhat year-on-year, despite ceasing to provide our services in the Netherlands while waiting for a gaming licence, which was previously one of our most profitable markets. At the same time, we have paid more gaming taxes than ever before during the quarter. The improved profit was achieved through good cost control and higher marketing efficiency.

During the quarter and the full-year 2021, we took several important steps as a company, which we expect to drive growth for many years to come. We increased our strategic focus on sport with the acquisition of the brand Expekt. The new launch of Expekt has been a major success, with sales increasing almost fourfold since the acquisition. We are now planning to expand into more markets. We have also commenced establishing operations in the US, where the online gaming market is still in its infancy. We are seeing significant potential for a smartphone-oriented casino expert like LeoVegas in North America, where we already hold a leading position in Canada. We also invested in our own gaming studio during the year. The first games are expected to be launched shortly and over 15 titles are planned for 2022. Our own contents provide us with a more unique gaming experience, greater customer loyalty and lower costs.

We demonstrate a high ability to adapt and continue to drive innovation even when faced with turbulent times. An increasing number of European countries are becoming regulated and some 74% of our revenue is currently regulated and/or taxed. The external market environment will remain erratic and turbulent in places, but we are well-positioned to manage this. Armed with all of our ongoing growth initiatives, I feel optimistic ahead of 2022.

MARKETS
Our underlying customer activity and growth remain favourable. In general, we are growing faster than our competitors in the markets that are not affected by major external events and where equal conditions apply for all operators. A good example of this is Sweden, where we reached a new record level during the quarter. LeoVegas is currently the largest private operator in the Swedish market, something we have accomplished with strong brands, the best product and data-driven marketing. We continue to see favourable growth prospects in Sweden.

As previously mentioned, a re-regulation period is ongoing in the Netherlands and in the Canadian province of Ontario. In the Netherlands, we decided to stop providing services to gamers from 30 September 2021 pursuant to the latest regulations. At the start of 2022, we have applied for licenses in the Netherlands and Ontario we applied for a license in Ontario and will apply for a license in the Netherlands during the first quarter. Our ongoing expansion in the US, with New Jersey as the first state, is proceeding according to plan. We have commenced recruitment of a local team and completed much of the technical development as well as initiated the certification process of LeoVegas’ proprietary technical platform (PAM, Player Account Management). We also began efforts for the expansion into additional US states.

TEN YEARS
At the beginning of 2022, LeoVegas turned ten years old. The company, our product and the entire industry has developed enormously since my co-founder, Robin Ramm-Ericson, and I, started LeoVegas. Today, the industry is much more complex with more stringent requirements and tougher competition. At the same time, LeoVegas has taken tremendous strides and matured in many areas, making us stronger than ever before. We always aim to be at the forefront of customer focus, technology and data-driveness, but also continue to continually challenge ourselves to be better in all areas. I can affirm that LeoVegas with all its employees will continue to drive the industry forward with the mobile gaming experience in the spotlight. We are continually making progress as we stand on the starting line of ten more intense and exciting years!

Powered by WPeMatico

Continue Reading
Advertisement

B2B

BetConstruct AI names Lena Yasir CEO

Published

on

betconstruct-ai-names-lena-yasir-ceo

Former Pragmatic Play chief commercial officer brings 20 years of iGaming experience to the role.

BetConstruct AI has appointed Lena Yasir as its new chief executive officer, the company said.

Yasir has 20 years of iGaming experience, with a background in B2B commercial strategy, international expansion, and building teams across regulated and emerging markets.

Before joining BetConstruct AI, Yasir held senior leadership roles at Play’n GO, Evolution, and OnGame Network. Most recently, she served as chief commercial officer at Pragmatic Play, where the company said she played a central role in its global B2B growth.

In a statement, Yasir said: “BetConstruct AI is a highly respected and successful company in the global iGaming industry, and I am proud to be joining the business at such an exciting time.”

BetConstruct AI said Yasir will focus on accelerating global revenue, driving innovation, and strengthening partnerships across the iGaming ecosystem.

The post BetConstruct AI names Lena Yasir CEO appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Continue Reading

Digital Media

Latam Intersect flags prime-time World Cup 2026 as a reset for LATAM sports marketing

Published

on

latam-intersect-flags-prime-time-world-cup-2026-as-a-reset-for-latam-sports-marketing

Firm points to more LATAM teams, heavier digital viewing and second-screen habits as key drivers for new campaign strategies.

Sports marketing in Latin America will face a different playbook during the FIFA World Cup 2026, according to a new analysis from Latam Intersect. The firm says the expanded tournament format, combined with prime-time scheduling for the region and more digital consumption, will change how brands plan media, content and real-time engagement.

The 2026 edition will feature 48 national teams, 104 matches and three host countries. FIFA projects more than 6 billion people will follow the tournament in some way, Latam Intersect said. For Latin America, the firm highlights the added weight of having 10 regional teams qualified, alongside the region’s historical performance in the competition.

Latam Intersect argues that the LATAM fan base is now younger and more active online, with a predominant age range of 22 to 33 and strong Gen Z and millennial presence. The company cites data indicating 41% of fans already watch matches via digital platforms and 51% use social media while watching on TV, turning each match into a continuous “second-screen” engagement window.

“In 2026, the fan is already in the middle of a conversation that never stops. Brands that show up with a prepared post after the match are already too late,”, said Livia Gammardella, Head of Marketing and Digital de Latam Intersect.

The firm also breaks the audience into three archetypes—casual fan, devoted fan and “fanático”—and says brands often underperform by treating the World Cup audience as one segment. It adds that women fans and fans arriving through pop culture, memes and music are growing audiences that global campaigns frequently miss.

A major difference versus the 2018 and 2022 tournaments is match timing for the region, with most games expected to land in prime time for Latin America, the company said. “A World Cup in prime time was exactly what retail needed. People will not watch the matches alone: they will gather with family, order food, buy products. The brand that uses cultural intelligence to understand the localized rituals of its fan will build far more connection than it could expect”, said Claudia Daré, socia y cofundadora de Latam Intersect.

The company said it has published a related eBook on platform behaviors across Instagram, TikTok and X, alongside market-specific audience data and planning framework

The post Latam Intersect flags prime-time World Cup 2026 as a reset for LATAM sports marketing appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Continue Reading

Claudia Daré partner and co-founder of Latam Intersect.

Sports marketing will change in Latin America during the 2026 World Cup

Published

on

sports-marketing-will-change-in-latin-america-during-the-2026-world-cup

The biggest tournament in history arrives with an unprecedented strategic window for brands: prime-time matches, more Latin American national teams, and an audience that is radically more digital and diverse.

The 2026 World Cup is not just the most ambitious edition in the tournament’s history. For Latin America, it represents a convergence of factors never seen in any previous edition: ten national teams from the region qualified, matches will air in prime time, and an audience that experiences football in ways that would have been unimaginable a decade ago.

With 48 national teams, 104 matches, and three host countries, FIFA projects that more than 6 billion people will follow the tournament in some way. For Latin America, whose national teams have won the World Cup 10 times, the competition arrives with a particularly strong emotional weight.

An audience that no longer watches football in silence

The profile of the Latin American fan has changed profoundly. The dominant age bracket today is between 22 and 33 years old, with a strong presence of Gen Z and millennials. This segment does not just consume the sport; it comments on it in real time, amplifies opinions on social media, and lives every match with a phone in hand.

The data is striking: 41% of fans already watch matches through digital platforms, and 51% use social media simultaneously while watching on television. This turns every match into a 90-minute window of continuous engagement, an opportunity that traditional communication strategies, designed for a passive consumer, are simply not built to capture.

“In 2026, the fan is already in the middle of a conversation that never stops. Brands that show up with a prepared post after the match are already too late,” says Livia Gammardella, Head of Marketing and Digital at Latam Intersect.

Three profiles, three different conversations

Not all fans are the same, and treating them as if they were is one of the most common mistakes in communication strategies for major sporting events. Audience analysis identifies three clearly different archetypes: the casual fan, who gets caught up in the spirit during important matches but disconnects if their team is eliminated; the devoted fan, loyal to their team and routines, who sees any brand opportunism as disrespect; and the fanatic, for whom football is identity and belonging, and who grants loyalty only to those who demonstrate a genuine connection to the sport.

To these three segments are added fast-growing audiences that global campaigns often ignore: women fans, whose digital engagement continues to grow steadily, and supporters who come to football through pop culture, memes, and music.

Prime time as a strategic window

One of the most significant differences from the last two World Cups is the broadcast schedule. In 2018 and 2022, the time zones of Russia and Qatar pushed matches into Latin American mornings or afternoons. In 2026, most matches will fall in prime time across the region, opening an opportunity that practically did not exist in recent editions.

“A World Cup in prime time was exactly what retail needed. People will not watch the matches alone: they will gather with family, order food, buy products. The brand that uses cultural intelligence to understand the localized rituals of its fan will build far more connection than it could expect,” says Claudia Daré, partner and co-founder of Latam Intersect.

The Latin American fan of 2026 is younger, more digital, and more diverse than in any previous edition. Digital platforms have shifted from being support channels to becoming the main stage. And while the conversation is global in scale, it is always local in content.

The tournament will unfold simultaneously on two screens. Instagram works as a visual archive and positioning channel. TikTok is where trends are born, rewarding native creativity over expensive production. X is the public square for minute-by-minute conversation, with relevance windows that close in a matter of seconds. And physical spaces, bars, fan fests, family gatherings, regain prominence that the schedules of the last two editions had reduced considerably.

Treating them as a single distribution channel is, according to specialists, the fastest way for a brand to go unnoticed.

The 2026 World Cup arrives with an architecture unlike any previous edition: more countries, more matches, more screens, and an audience that does not wait for kickoff to start the conversation. In Latin America, where football functions as a shared language across generations, social classes, and borders, the tournament promises to be a moment of cultural cohesion on a historic scale.

The post Sports marketing will change in Latin America during the 2026 World Cup appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Continue Reading

Trending

Get it on Google Play

Fresh slot games releases by the top brands of the industry. We provide you with the latest news straight from the entertainment industries.

The platform also hosts industry-relevant webinars, and provides detailed reports, making it a one-stop resource for anyone seeking information about operators, suppliers, regulators, and professional services in the European gaming market. The portal's primary goal is to keep its extensive reader base updated on the latest happenings, trends, and developments within the gaming and gambling sector, with an emphasis on the European market while also covering pertinent global news. It's an indispensable resource for gaming professionals, operators, and enthusiasts alike.

Contact us: [email protected]

Editorial / PR Submissions: [email protected]

Copyright © 2015 - 2024 - Recent Slot Releases is part of HIPTHER Agency. Registered in Romania under Proshirt SRL, Company number: 2134306, EU VAT ID: RO21343605. Office address: Blvd. 1 Decembrie 1918 nr.5, Targu Mures, Romania