Kambi Group plc Q1 Report 2022

Financial summary

• Revenue amounted to €36.9 (Q1 2021: 43.2) million for the first quarter of 2022, a decrease of 15%

• Operating profit (EBIT) for the first quarter of 2022 was €7.3 (18.7) million, at a margin of 19.9% (43.2%)

• Profit after tax amounted to €5.4 (15.1) million for the first quarter of 2022

• Earnings per share for the first quarter of 2022 were €0.178 (0.487)

• Cash flow from operating and investing activities (excluding working capital movements and acquisitions) amounted to €5.5 (16.5) million for the first quarter of 2022

• The 2022 AGM will be held on 17 May 2022. The Board proposes that no dividend is paid out.

Key highlights

• Strong financial performance against tough 2021 comparatives and Netherlands headwinds, with operator turnover up 25% when adjusting for the migration of DraftKings

• Extended long-term partnership with Kindred Group until 2026 and announced full control over strategic future with ability to repay convertible bond held by Kindred

• Strengthened North American partner network with the signings of online operators NorthStar Gaming and MaximBet

• Showcased product excellence during the Super Bowl and March Madness while also providing complete platform stability unmatched by various high-profile US sportsbooks

• Obtained regulatory approval in Ontario, Canada, and subsequently launched with partners on day one of the market opening in Q2

“The first quarter of the year proved to be another busy period at Kambi as we delivered new partner signings, contract extensions, continued market expansion and multiple product and technology advancements. 

Operator turnover was up 25% when adjusting for the migration of DraftKings which proves the underlying financial performance of the business remains strong. This growth comes despite being up against tough Q1 2021 comparatives and the temporary impact of regulatory headwinds in the Netherlands, which we expect to ease soon. Turnover was driven by a busy US sporting calendar, including the Super Bowl and March Madness, the US college basketball championship, and I was proud to see Kambi provide its partners with a market-leading offering and platform stability unmatched by some of the most high-profile B2C sportsbooks.

In terms of contract extensions, in February we signed a new agreement with Kindred to continue our very successful partnership which will develop over time to best support the evolving strategies of both companies over the longer term. This agreement is very much reflective of what we see in the wider industry, with some top-tier operators adopting a hybrid approach to technology by blending first-class third-party services with proprietary elements. The industry is now broadly divided into two operator types – those that outsource their sportsbook entirely and those that outsource to varying degrees. As we continue to develop a more open and modularised sportsbook, we believe we’ll become even more attractive to the former group, while also significantly widening our addressable market by making select products and services available to the latter for the first time.

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I am particularly pleased with the momentum Kambi continues to build across North America. During the quarter, Kambi completed a total of 11 partner launches in the US and signed two new partnerships with North America-facing operators NorthStar Gaming and MaximBet, the latter moving away from its predominantly in-house technology strategy. With regulation across North America moving at pace, and states such as California, Texas, and Ohio yet to go live, I have never been more confident in our position to capitalise on the opportunities this vast market presents. 

In Canada, our excellence in compliance and regulation enabled us to become one of the first sportsbook providers to obtain regulatory approval from the Ontario regulator, ensuring our partners were up and running on day one of single-event sports betting going live in the province earlier this month. Ontario promises to be one of the largest sports betting markets in North America and we look forward to the prospect of additional Canadian partner signings as well as other provinces establishing their regulatory frameworks.

We remain steadfast in our commitment to strengthening our position as the world’s leading sportsbook and continuing to provide exciting sports betting experiences for players. To deliver this requires a strong core platform with the crucial flexibility to facilitate localised offerings to satisfy the varying regional demands. This capability, which we demonstrate across the 40-plus regulated markets we operate in today, will be pivotal to our global success as the expansion of sports betting regulation continues the world over, in turn creating ever more exciting business opportunities. 

In short, the future looks bright for Kambi with high interest in the sportsbook and services we offer today, as well as those we are developing for tomorrow. As discussed in the previous report, the ability to repay the convertible bond held by Kindred provides us with complete freedom to make strategic decisions that will deliver value for all stakeholders. With Kambi reaching the milestone of 40 partners during the quarter, the scale of the Kambi network has never been greater nor more diverse, and I believe we have only scratched the surface of what’s possible.”