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LEOVEGAS AB Q3: QUARTERLY REPORT 1 JULY – 30 SEPTEMBER 2021

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“Record quarter in Sweden!” – Gustaf Hagman, Group CEO

THIRD QUARTER 2021: 1 JULY – 30 SEPTEMBER

  • Revenue increased by 12% to EUR 99.4 m (88.9). Organic growth in local currencies was 8%.
  • Excluding Germany, growth was positive 31%.
  • EBITDA was EUR 11.5 m (11.9), corresponding to an EBITDA margin of 11.6% (13.4%).
  • The number of depositing customers was 469,721 (438,691), an increase of 7%.
  • Adjusted earnings per share were EUR 0.07 (0.08).

EVENTS DURING THE QUARTER

  • LeoVegas repurchased shares for EUR 2.5 m and paid out the second dividend (EUR 3.9 m) of a total of four quarterly dividends to the Parent Company’s shareholders.
  • LeoVegas expanded its existing bond issue by SEK 200 m.
  • LeoVegas launched new AI-powered functionality to scale up the Group’s efforts surrounding responsible gaming. Customers in the UK were the first to receive product-integrated and personalised messages based on their own behaviours and gaming history.
  • Following recent policy changes in the Netherlands, LeoVegas decided to stop providing its services in the country as from 30 September 2021. The Netherlands accounted for 6% of the Group’s total revenue during the third quarter, with higher profitability than for the Group average. LeoVegas will apply for a licence in the Netherlands during the fourth quarter.

EVENTS AFTER THE END OF THE QUARTER

  • Preliminary revenue in October amounted to EUR 31.1 m (32.8), corresponding to negative growth of 5%. Excluding Germany and the Netherlands, revenue increased by 21%. The sportsbook margin was abnormally low in October, which had a negative impact on revenue, while underlying customer activity has remained strong.
  • The Swedish government has confirmed that the restrictions for online casino remain in effect through 14 November 2021 and will not be extended thereafter.

COMMENT FROM GUSTAF HAGMAN – GROUP CEO

THIRD QUARTER
We are satisfied with our performance during the third quarter and increased our revenue by 12% compared with the same period a year ago. Excluding Germany, which has been dramatically affected by the ongoing re-regulation, consolidated revenue increased by 31%.

All key markets performed well during the quarter, where our home market in Sweden was the brightest star. The favourable revenue growth for the Group confirms that the strategy to simultaneously scale up a number of markets and relaunch the Expekt brand has been a success. The company today is more diversified than ever, and we have succeeded in compensating for the sharp drop in revenue in Germany.

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During the quarter we delivered a stable operating profit compared with a year ago, despite a sharp increase in paid gaming taxes and higher marketing investments in relation to revenue compared with a year ago. In pace with growing revenue, the share of marketing investment is expected to gradually decrease from the current levels. At the same time, we have continued to invest in product and technology ahead of forthcoming market expansions, including the upcoming US launch. We are seeing some normalisation of office and travel-related costs as the pandemic is hopefully nearing its end, while general cost control in the Group continues to be good. All in all, we expect – through the economies of scale provided by a larger revenue base – to be able to deliver good earnings growth going forward.

MARKETS
Sweden had a good quarter in which both revenue and the customer base reached new, record levels. The acquisition of Expekt has exceeded our expectations, and the strong growth since its re-launch at the end of May confirms that the brand’s sport profile is appreciated by customers. The LeoVegas brand has also performed well, which shows the power of well-known brands combined with a competitive product. It is positive that the company can show strong performance in one of the world’s most competitive and strictly regulated gaming markets. Other markets that performed extra well during the quarter included Italy, Spain and Canada, all of which grew between 40% -70% during the third quarter.

REGULATION
It is an intensive re-regulation period with simultaneous implementation of local regulations in the Netherlands, Germany, and the Canadian province of Ontario. Internal preparation work is going full throttle to make us ready for the new regulations. In parallel we are conducting development work to adapt our proprietary technical platform ahead of our expansion to the USA next year.

Re-regulation processes can be turbulent and arbitrary. Such has been the case in the Netherlands, when the authorities changed their policies with short notice at the end of September, entailing that all gaming operators that had not yet been granted a gaming licence were forced to stop providing their services in the country. The company’s sales and earnings will thus be negatively affected starting with the month of October. The Netherlands accounted for 6% of the Group’s total revenue during the third quarter, with higher profitability than the Group’s average. LeoVegas will apply for a licence in the Netherlands later this year.

Developments in the market, with numerous re-regulation processes in progress and a number of regulated markets that are implementing new laws and new interpretations of regulations, are creating a somewhat turbulent and difficult to navigate current situation in the gaming industry. However, as the conditions gradually clear, we have a firm positive view on the outlook, as regulated markets create a more sustainable environment to work in, while the long-term growth potential in the online segment of the industry is enormous. The new regulatory environment favours established and well-invested operators like LeoVegas with competitive products, well-known brands and focus on responsible gaming.

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COMMENTS ON THE FOURTH QUARTER
Revenue for the month of October amounted to EUR 31.1 m (32.8), representing negative growth of 5%. Excluding Germany and the Netherlands, revenue increased by 21%. The sportsbook margin was abnormally low in October, which had a negative impact on revenue, while underlying customer activity has remained solid.

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Gambling in the USA

Kambi Group plc extends Mohegan partnership with on-property sports betting agreement in Pennsylvania

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Kambi Group plc (“Kambi”), the world’s trusted sports betting partner, has agreed a long-term on-property sportsbook partnership with Mohegan to provide its award-winning sportsbook at two retail locations in the state of Pennsylvania.

The partnership will see Mohegan utilise Kambi’s cutting-edge retail sportsbook offering across more than 20 kiosks in sportsbook locations at Mohegan Pennsylvania and Mohegan Pennsylvania at Lehigh Valley Race and Sportsbook.

The deal further strengthens Kambi’s relationship with Mohegan, which already utilises Kambi’s suite of sports betting products at ilani in Washington, as well as online and on-property in the Canadian province of Ontario at Fallsview Casino Resort and Casino Niagara.

Kristian Nylén, Kambi CEO and Co-founder, said: “With several successful partnerships with Mohegan already in place, we are pleased to agree this new partnership as we continue to build on our strong relationship.

“This latest deal further reinforces Kambi’s position as the sportsbook provider of choice for tribes across North America, and we look forward to our ongoing collaboration with Mohegan.”

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Tony Carlucci, President & GM of Mohegan Pennsylvania, said: “Mohegan Pennsylvania is excited to continue utilising the same Kambi technology platform that existed under our Kindred partnership, which will help to create a seamless process as the Sportsbook at Mohegan Pennsylvania fully rebrands later this Spring.”

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Blockchain

JuicyBet Launches Its Innovative GambleFi Platform

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 JuicyBet, a Web3 startup, announced the launch of its GambleFi platform. This platform combines finance technology and gambling via blockchain to create unique opportunities and experiences for users. The company strives to revolutionize the principles of the online betting industry and the interaction between platforms and users in this market.

What is GambleFi?

GambleFi uses blockchain technology to ensure the fairness and transparency of games and betting outcomes and for players to get their share of the platform’s earnings and participate in its governance and day-to-day by holding its tokens.

How JuicyBet works

JuicyBet fully utilizes blockchain technology to establish a new ecosystem that has never been seen in the gambling industry. It is centered around user participation and transparency while providing gambling thrills and quality entertainment.

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All game records on the platform are kept in a public blockchain, while a set of smart contracts automates gaming outcomes and payouts and provides for the platform governance via the DAO model. This reduces fraud risks and operational costs, making JuicyBet a more efficient platform.

However, the platform’s main feature is the unprecedented level of user engagement via the platform’s native tokens.

  • First, the tokens provide access to betting.
  • Second, token holders get their share of the platform’s profit.
  • Third, token holders can vote on key decisions on the platform’s development in JuicyBet DAO.
  • And finally, DAO participants can also perform the role of oracles for bets and earn rewards.

In other words, JuicyBet doesn’t try to be just another gambling platform. It establishes a new ecosystem where users are in control of the platform and bets and are the beneficiaries of the platform.

In addition, JuicyBet offers additional earning opportunities, such as Double Farming and staking for token holders.

JuicyBet has already been noticed by users and investors – the platform’s 3-month turnover has exceeded $1,5 million, according to on-chain data available via Dune, and multiple centralized exchanges and launchpads have listed it.

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Latest News

Rivalry Announces 2023 Annual Letter to Shareholders and Filing of 2023 Annual Financial Statements

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Rivalry Corp. (the “Company” or “Rivalry”) (TSXV: RVLY) (OTCQX: RVLCF) (FSE: 9VK), the leading sportsbook and iGaming operator for Gen Z, is pleased to announce its 2023 annual letter to shareholders and the filing of its financial results for the three (3) and 12-month period ended December 31, 2023. All dollar figures are quoted in Canadian dollars.

2023 Annual Letter to Shareholders

To our Shareholders,

This time last year I spoke about Rivalry’s evolution from a market leader in esports to a diversified Company setting the standard for Gen Z betting entertainment broadly.

Today, we have a business with revenue distribution across casino, sports, and esports betting, growing market share in new geographies, with increased velocity in core regions, and the strongest customer KPIs in Rivalry’s history.

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In 2023, Rivalry recorded $423.2 million in betting handle1, up 82% from the previous year. Similarly, gross gaming revenue2 and net revenue both saw 34% and 66% respective increases, while the introduction of higher margin products released in H2 such as Same Game Combos and Quick Combos are continuing to improve overall sportsbook hold and guide Rivalry closer to profitability.

Our deepened product suite now includes fantasy, additional sports coverage, and new proprietary casino games. All of which are uniquely driving growth among a targeted customer segment and widening our opportunity set in 2024 and beyond – from a 60% increase in traditional sports betting to a burgeoning B2B game vertical. The potential for how far our brand can go is just beginning to unfold.

The year ahead is rife with new, innovative product releases arriving in Q2 and continuing throughout 2024. We are doubling down on core growth opportunities in sports that resonate with our audience, such as basketball and soccer. Further, we are building on a successful casino segment which already represents 50% of our business, enhancing variety, depth, and accessibility, as well as developing new original games which blur the lines between betting and entertainment. We are in the process of additional geographic expansion, and pursuing new licenses to broaden our total addressable market, positioning Rivalry to own the Gen Z gambling opportunity globally.

While Rivalry’s operations have expanded into new high-growth verticals, our north star has remained the same: to define the future of online gambling for a generation born on the internet.

Online gambling in 2024 is radically different than it was just six years ago when Rivalry launched. In that time we’ve seen gaming and internet culture reshape how consumers engage with technology. That shift is broadening the definition of gambling, where product design is influenced by video games, or it exists fully embedded within social apps like Telegram, where content creators are the new affiliates, and much more.

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Over the same period, the rise of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology has introduced a new level of speed, access, and security to web-based consumer experiences. Industry estimates now put crypto wagers at up to one quarter of global betting handle3, with 30% year-over-year growth in 20244, and showing no signs of slowing down.

The development of this ecosystem has commercially unlocked online gambling unlike anything since its first transition from land to online many years ago. It has brought in a new global audience, and enriched the customer experience from end-to-end.

Alongside the growth of this technology has emerged new methods of gambling, taking wallet share from more traditional forms at an accelerated rate. The shift in consumer behavior and the signal from our users is clear – interactive, volatile, and crypto-infused product experiences will set the precedent for how the next generation gambles online.

Rivalry, with a brand steeped in internet culture and living at the intersection of this digital economic renaissance, is well-positioned to access this growth opportunity. There is high overlap between Gen Z, gamers, gamblers, and a fast-growing audience of over 420 million crypto users worldwide5 organically aligned with our audience and brand. And we believe that more than half of this audience globally is already wagering with crypto.

It will be Rivalry’s ability to understand, implement, and adapt to this shift more rapidly than our peers that we expect to create first-mover advantages for us. It is for that reason that our vision is now bolder than ever for what’s possible in the online gambling category.

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Soon, we will reveal plans for a crypto-enabled product set to enhance alignment between Rivalry and its users, increase network effects, and generally deliver a consumer experience that lives on the internet of 2024.

To that effect, the success of our first-party games and their ability to acquire and engage a captive audience of Gen Z bettors online has validated our original game development strategy amongst industry peers. This has unlocked a new commercial opportunity for Rivalry to license its IP, opening up another line of revenue for the business that has great potential for global scale.

The year ahead is poised to be one of our most ground-breaking, with a myriad of innovative product releases across all of Rivalry’s verticals, adding more dimension to our business, operations, and addressable audience, and building on our competitive moat as the market leader in Gen Z betting entertainment.

We look forward to sharing more details about these upcoming initiatives, the opportunities they will unlock for our Company, and delivering on our promise to create long-term shareholder value and reach profitability. Thank you all for your continued support.

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