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Aspire Global: Interim Report First Quarter 2022
RECORD HIGH REVENUES OF €46.3 MILLION IN Q1 2022
- Revenues increased by 31.7% to €46.3 million (35.2).
- EBITDA increased by 18.7 % to €8.2 million (6.9).
- The EBITDA margin amounted to 17.8% (19.7%).
- EBIT increased by 13.6% to € 5.6 million (4.9).
- Earnings after tax increased by 4.7% to €4.8 million (4.5).
- Earnings per share amounted to €0.10 (0.10)
*B2C as discontinued operations in Q1 2021 and based on net royalties during Q1 2022.
SIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN THE QUARTER AND AFTER THE END OF THE QUARTER
- GLI-19 certification received for launch of Aspire Global’s broad offering in the US and Canada.
- The complete offering licensed in the Netherlands.
- Key platform and managed services deals with BoyleSports for the Netherlands, with ITSP for Germany and with esports operator WIN Group.
- Pariplay gained license in Ontario and provisional license in Michigan.
- Pariplay signed multi-state deal with US operator Golden Nugget and agreement to supply its content to Alberta Gaming.
- Aspire Global awarded sports betting license in Denmark.
UPDATE ON THE PUBLIC TENDER OFFER MADE BY NEOGAMES
- On 17 January 2022, a public tender offer was made by NeoGames to the shareholders of Aspire Global to tender all their shares in the Company to NeoGames. An offer document regarding the Offer was published on 26 April 2022. The acceptance period for the Offer commenced on 27 April 2022 and ends on 25 May 2022. The expected settlement date is around 14 June 2022.
KEY FIGURES
CEO COMMENTS
“ASPIRE GLOBAL HAS CLEARLY ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS A LEADING IGAMING SUPPLIER IN REGULATED MARKETS”
We have a continued strong business momentum and the quarterly performance once again demonstrates the strengths of our offering and the capabilities of our highly motivated team. Aspire Global has set new records in the quarter with revenues of €46.3 million and EBITDA of €8.2 million. I´m especially proud to see the progress we have made in the quarter in North America as well as in regulated European markets by adding tier 1-operators to our client list and being awarded additional certifications. Aspire Global has clearly established itself as a leading iGaming supplier in regulated markets.
Today, after the divestment of the B2C segment in December 2021, Aspire Global is a clearly focused B2B company. It should be noted, that the numbers we provide in this report have been calculated on a discontinued basis and the divested B2C operation is reported as a B2B partner and also based on proforma basis for the comparison period according to the agreed commercial terms. We hope this transparency will help to increase the understanding of the development of our B2B operation.
STRONG COMBINATION WITH NEOGAMES
A key event in the quarter is of course the offer by NeoGames to Aspire Global’s shareholders. Aspire Global’s entire operations will form a new iGaming division within NeoGames. Together, our companies will generate significant long-term value by creating synergies and capitalizing on the key strengths of the entities by positioning them for expansion in both new and existing markets. We look forward to being a part of NeoGames and I’m very excited about our promising growth opportunities in this new strong business combination.
With a revenue growth of 31.7% in the quarter, driven by the strong business momentum, we have further strengthened our market position. In the quarter, Aspire Global has made significant progress in key targeted markets by signing partnership agreements with tier 1 operators and entering new regulated markets. This is a confirmation that our growth strategy is effective.
With a total of five deals signed for our Core platform (PAM) in the period, we have gained clear proof that new tier 1 operators are choosing Aspire Global’s full suite of products covering the PAM, games, sports and managed services. Our complete offering is now licensed in the Netherlands and already in the first quarter, we signed three deals with tier 1 operators for their Dutch rollout. The two other turnkey platform deals relate to the newly regulated German market and the overall .com-market.
READY FOR BROAD NORTH AMERICAN LAUNCH
Aspire Global has also made key progress in North America by obtaining the Gaming Labs International certification standard, GLI, for our offering. This enables us to launch our platform, sportsbook and managed services to the US and Canadian markets. We are now in a strong position to establish Aspire Global as a leading iGaming provider also in North America.
It is worth mentioning that Aspire Global is already established in North America through Pariplay, the leading content and aggregator provider, whose games are licensed in Michigan, New Jersey, West Virginia and Ontario. Pariplay has recently signed a number of deals in the US with operators or distributors such as Rush Street Interactive (RSI), Golden Nugget Online Gaming, Inc., PlayUp Group, Amelco, BetMGM and GAN. Pariplay is live with BetMGM as of March 2022 and excited by the opportunities the two parties have identified.
Pariplay will also together with NeoPollard Interactive LLC offer a wealth of gaming content on Play Alberta, the only regulated gambling website in Canadian Alberta. In total, Pariplay signed 17 new customers in the quarter, among all with operators in our targeted markets in North America and Latin America, an impressive advancement. Pariplay reported revenue growth of 39.0% in the quarter.
BtoBet, our proprietary sportsbook provider, also made significant progress in the quarter by being awarded certification in Denmark along with the GLI-certification for the North American market. In the quarter, BtoBet reported revenue growth of 88.3% and five new brands were launched on BtoBet’s sportsbook platform.
SAFEGUARDING OUR EMPLOYEES IN UKRAINE
With 118 employees in Kiev in Ukraine, the war has come very close to us. Our Ukrainian employees have all been part of our team for a long time and we have fortunately been able to ensure their and their families’ safety. In the quarter, we chose to terminate our contract with the National Russian Lottery’s operator Sports Lotteries LLC. The contract was announced in October 2020 and the termination have had immediate effect.
NEXT STEPS
Aspire Global was introduced on Nasdaq First North Growth Market in July 2017 and the offer by NeoGames proves the value the company has created over these four and half years. NeoGames’ bid of SEK 111 per share means that Aspire Global’s share has increased by 270% since the introduction on Nasdaq First North Growth Market. The offer by NeoGames, a technology-driven provider of end-to-end iLottery solutions, is a natural step for Aspire Global and a strategic fit.
Aspire Global is today clearly positioned as a leading iGaming supplier in regulated markets. As part of the NeoGame’s Group, Aspire Global will continue to take advantage of its key strengths. Beside the cutting-edge, technology advanced offering, and skilled teams, Aspire Global’s foremost asset is the long-term commitment to its partners. On top of our agenda is always the success of our partners and our ability to support in the fulfilment of their potential. Through our strong partnerships with leading operators and distributors, we will continue to build long-term value.
Tsachi Maimon, CEO.
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