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German mobile games market grows by 22 per cent

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The huge variety of mobile games and their easy availability on smartphones and tablets have made them especially popular choices. Be it casual puzzle games, familiar PC and console games adapted for mobile use, or location-based games like “Pokémon Go” or “Jurassic World Live”, the popularity of games apps is undiminished. Sales revenue continues to increase, and the German mobile games market once again experienced strong growth in 2021, with a 22 per cent increase in sales revenue from games apps to about 2.8 billion euros. This growth is a continuation of the impressive trend in recent years, as sales revenue in 2020 had already risen by 23 per cent. These are the figures released today by game – the German Games Industry Association, based on data collected by the market research companies data.ai and GfK.

In-app purchases continue to drive growth in the mobile games market, accounting for approximately 99 per cent of total sales revenue in this segment in 2021. Sales revenue from in-app purchases enjoyed yet another year of significant growth, increasing by 22 per cent from about 2.3 billion euros in 2020 to nearly 2.8 billion euros in 2021. This is primarily due to the tremendous popularity of free-to-play games that allow players to enhance their game experiences with in-app purchases. Players can buy additional content such as additional levels and new skins for their own avatars. Sales revenue generated by games offered for purchase, on the other hand, continues to decline, amounting to just 7 million euros in 2021. Subscription fees for apps like the Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass services generated 12 million euros in sales revenue, an increase of 200 per cent over the previous year.

The average age of mobile games players remained almost unchanged in 2021 at 38.3; the previous year the average player was 38.8 years old. In 2019, mobile games players were 37.4 years old on average. As in the previous year, there were roughly the same number of male and female players of mobile games. Even so, at 51 per cent there were slightly more women than men playing games on their smartphones or tablets in 2021.

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According to Felix Falk, Managing Director of game: ‘The mobile games sector is getting bigger year after year. Games apps are an integral part of the daily lives of millions of people in Germany thanks in no small part to their tremendous variety and accessibility. Mobile games also make it easy to network with other players – anytime and anywhere. This includes location-based games, multiplayer games and even mobile esports. Playing mobile games has turned into a popular social gaming experience.’

Another year of strong growth for the German games market

Following a historic 2020 performance with 32 per cent growth, sales revenues in the German games market continued to rise significantly in 2021 with a total of approximately 9.8 billion euros in sales revenue generated by games, games hardware and fees for online gaming services – an increase of 17 per cent compared to the previous year. Sales revenue from computer and video games grew by 19 per cent to about 5.4 billion euros, due among other things to increases in in-game and in-app purchases. Sales revenue from games hardware has also grown, by 18 per cent overall to about 3.6 billion euros. Demand for games consoles and gaming PC accessories was particularly strong.

About the market data

The market data is based on statistics compiled by the GfK Consumer Panel and data.ai. The methods used by GfK to collect data on Germany’s video games market are unique in terms of both their quality and their global use. They include an ongoing survey of 25,000 consumers who are representative of the German population as a whole regarding their video game purchasing and usage habits, as well as a retail panel. The data collection methods provide a unique insight into the German market for computer and video games.

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game – the German Games Industry Association

We are the association of the German games industry. Our members include developers, publishers and many other games industry actors such as esports event organisers, educational establishments and service providers. As a joint organiser of gamescom, we are responsible for the world’s biggest event for computer and video games. We are an expert partner for media and for political and social institutions, and answer questions relating to market development, games culture and media literacy. Our mission is to make Germany the best games location.

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Superbet Enters into Partnership with Wisla Krakow

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Superbet has entered into a partnership with the legendary Polish football club – Wisła Kraków.

Wisła Kraków boasts a sizeable history as a thirteen-time Polish champion and commands a devoted fan base. The partnership is set to introduce an approach whereby fans can actively participate by registering an account with a dedicated fan code – an act that will contribute directly to the club’s academy.

Lukasz Seweryniak, General Manager of Superbet Poland, said: “We consider this partnership a key milestone for our brand and view it as a long-term commitment, with the agreement in place until at least 2027. We have no doubt that we are now sponsoring one of the most important clubs in Polish football, and we believe the Club will soon reclaim its rightful place. We want to be part of this journey and, together with the fans, write a new and fantastic chapter in our brand’s history.”

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Jaroslaw Krolewski, president of Wisła Kraków SA, said: “We are delighted that Superbet is joining the sponsors of Wisła Kraków! It is tremendous support and motivation for our further development. Thanks to Superbet, we can set even more ambitious sports and development goals. I am particularly pleased that our business partner is a company with such a talented team of people. Together, it will be great.”

The post Superbet Enters into Partnership with Wisla Krakow appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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NOVOMATIC is Austria’s Second Most Valuable Brand Company

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For the 21st time, the European Brand Institute has presented the most valuable and sustainable brand companies in Austria. The international gaming technology group with more than 25,300 employees worldwide and activities in more than 120 countries secured the top positions in both the EBI’s Brand Value and Sustainable Brand Ranking.

With a brand value increase by +8.7% to EUR 3.745 billion, NOVOMATIC took an excellent second place in the brand value study and also recorded the largest increase in value within one year among the country’s top 10. Once again this year, only Red Bull ranks ahead of the Lower Austrian global player.

Significant factors for the brand value assessment were not only the high level of innovation, but also the international expansion course, sales growth and the comprehensive corporate responsibility and ESG programme, which is confirmed by international ESG rating agencies. Against this background, NOVOMATIC was also able to impress in the Sustainable Brand Ranking, in which the company took third place for the first time. This ranking underlines NOVOMATIC’s contribution to sustainable economic development in Austria.

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“The renewed top position in the Brand Value Ranking 2024 is confirmation of the long-term success of our global brand strategy, which has enabled us to sustainably consolidate our leading position on the international markets. The rise to third place in the Sustainable Brand Ranking is particularly pleasing and shows that we are also setting new standards in the area of social and ecological responsibility with our comprehensive ESG commitment,” said NOVOMATIC Executive Board Member Stefan Krenn.

The Austrian Brand Value Study, which is based on the annual “trend-TOP500 of Austria’s top-selling companies” and identifies those Austrian corporate brands with more than 45% of their shares in Austrian hands, evaluated a total of 180 Austrian brand companies from 16 sectors in 2024. The brand value is determined in accordance with the international standards ISO 10668 and ISO 2067.

The top rankings in the Austrian Brand Value Study and in the Sustainable Brand Ranking confirm NOVOMATIC’s position as one of Austria’s leading brand companies. The gaming technology group is thus once again setting a strong example for sustainable business practices.

The post NOVOMATIC is Austria’s Second Most Valuable Brand Company appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Bragg Gaming Continues Global Expansion, Powers Kingsbet.cz Launch with an End-to-End iGaming Solution

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Bragg Gaming Group has launched its full turnkey solution with Czech land-based casino operator Kings Entertainment A.S. (Kings). Kings will operate their online business in the Czech Republic under the brand Kingsbet.

Under the terms of the agreement signed between the two parties, Bragg will provide Kingsbet with Player Account Management (PAM) technology, exclusive content from Bragg studios, aggregated online casino content via the Bragg HUB and a fully localised sportsbook integration in partnership with Altenar.

Bragg provides Kingsbet with an all-in-one solution with powerful automation and marketing tools to seamlessly run its casino and sportsbook operations.

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Bragg’s FUZE player engagement toolset for casino and sportsbook is also included, helping boost acquisition, conversion and retention with tools such as Free rounds, Missions, Quests, Journeys, Recommendation engine and Jackpots.

Kingsbet will additionally be supported by managed marketing and operational services delivered by Bragg.

The agreement and subsequent launch is the latest in a string of deals that Bragg has struck to provide its technology solutions to operators across global regulated iGaming markets, and is the Company’s second PAM and turnkey partner in the Czech Republic.

Bragg Group Chief Executive Officer Matevž Mazij said: “We are proud to be chosen to support Kings Entertainment, a leading European entertainment, casino and poker brand with our full-service turnkey solution as they transition their market leading Czech operations online.”

“The new regulations make this an exciting time to be in the Czech market,” Mazij added.

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David Vaněk, Chief Executive Officer of Kingsbet, said: “Over the past 8 months, both teams worked very hard to prepare the launch of “kingsbet.cz” ahead of the EURO championship. I’m proud that we are the first licensed betting and gaming operator in the Czech Republic who have undergone a rigorous and very demanding licensing process and are currently the sole operator fully compliant with the new Gambling Act, effective as of January 2024.

“Kingsbet will offer players ‘The King’s experience’ in sports betting and casino, and we plan to launch a Live casino product by the end of this year. Bragg’s platform will enable us to enter the Czech market with powerful tools and a highly competitive product offering.”

Founded in 2003, Kings Entertainment operates three land-based casinos: the Kings Rozvadov, Admiral Rozvadov and Hilton Prague properties. At Kings casino in Rozvadov, known as the biggest poker arena in Europe and a premier gaming destination, a variety of poker tournaments including W.S.O.P. are held attracting more than 500,000 visitors per year.

Kings has a 40% share of the Czech land-based casino market and now has ambitious plans to expand into online gambling, an expansion which will be supported by Bragg technology and expertise.

The Czech online casino market is projected to achieve approximately $1 billion in gross win in 2024, according to H2 Gambling Capital. This figure represents growth of 30% on a year-over-year basis from 2023’s figures.

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Under previous Czech gambling regulations, operators were only able to offer online RNG games explicitly licensed under the Czech Gambling Act.

Following pressure from operators, this list was widened to include live dealer games (live casino), an amendment which came into force on January 1, 2024.

The inclusion of live dealer games was one of a number of amendments made to existing Czech gambling laws, the most wide-ranging of which was the introduction of a new streamlined licensing regime for operators.

The post Bragg Gaming Continues Global Expansion, Powers Kingsbet.cz Launch with an End-to-End iGaming Solution appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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