NorthStar Gaming Holdings Inc. released its financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2024. All dollar figures are quoted in Canadian dollars.

“In the first quarter we continued our pattern of strong year-over-year growth, highlighted by record total wagers. Our premium customer experience and growing brand awareness are propelling higher player retention, strengthened loyalty and increased player values. These positive trends enable us to spend our marketing dollars more efficiently, contributing to improved operating leverage as the business scales,” Michael Moskowitz, Chair and CEO of NorthStar, said.

Financial highlights for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024:

• Revenue, including managed services fees, net of bonuses, promotional costs and free bets, was $5.9 million in Q1 2024, an increase of 63% over $3.6 million in Q1 2023.
• Total Wagers1 at Northstarbets.ca were $218.0 million in Q1 2024, an increase of 56% compared to $140.2 million in Q1 2023.
• Gross Gaming Revenue at NorthStarbets.ca was $7.0 million in Q1 2024, an increase of 59% over $4.4 million in Q1 2023.
• Gross Margin was $2.2 million in Q1 2024, an increase of 91% over $1.2 million in Q1 2023, and represented approximately 37% of revenue compared to 32% of revenue in Q1 2023.

Recent Operating Highlights:

• Notable year-over-year improvements in key performance indicators (KPIs) included a 42% increase in active players, a 9% decline in cost per acquisition of a customer (CPA), and a 54% increase in estimated 12-month player values.
• Renewed the strategic marketing agreement with Playtech Software Limited, which will contribute services valued at up to $4 million through to October 31, 2024, designed to accelerate player acquisition in Ontario.
• Secured $3 million of short-term financing to fund the Company’s continued growth through an unsecured promissory note to Playtech plc dated April 25, 2024 repayable in one year, or earlier upon completion by the Company of additional financing transactions.
• Recently celebrated the second anniversary of the NorthStar Bets platform, which launched in Ontario on May 9, 2022. Northstarbets.ca has generated more than $1 billion in total wagers1 in its first two years of operations.
• Ongoing roll-out of enhancements to the Company’s “Sports Insights 2.0” content vertical, an initiative announced in February 2024, with recent additions including player injury reports from industry leader RotoWire and a revised content strategy placing a greater emphasis on casino.
• Launched the VIP Elite program to help secure the loyalty and satisfaction of our most active players.
• Introduced branded studios for select live dealer games, prominently showcasing the NorthStar Bets brand and reinforcing the Company’s positioning as a premium offering.
• Continued to strengthen the Casino vertical, which has surpassed 650 games covering all major categories and curated from leading vendors worldwide.

“March was the strongest month of Q1, and we have maintained that momentum into the second quarter. Our team is making regular improvements to our service offering, such as the recent launch of a VIP Elite strategy aimed at the most active players who drive a meaningful share of our results. We have some exciting demand creation activities planned for the coming months along with further innovations to our platform and content. We remain focused on unlocking value for our stakeholders and are excited about the opportunities ahead of us in 2024,” Mr. Moskowitz said.

Bragg Gaming Group, a global B2B content-driven iGaming technology provider, reported record financial results for the first quarter of 2024.

Matevž Mazij, Chief Executive Officer for Bragg, commented: “We carried our strong momentum in 2023 into the first quarter, delivering robust growth that underscores the ongoing success of our efforts to transform Bragg into a content-focused iGaming solutions provider across expanding North American and European markets. Year-over-year revenue increased by 4.2% to EUR 23.8 million, largely propelled by organic growth from our current client base, the addition of new customers in multiple jurisdictions, and impressive results from our in-house Wild Streak Gaming casino games studio.

“Although gross profit and Adjusted EBITDA saw modest decreases in the first quarter stemming from the extension and renegotiation of our agreement with Entain Plc to provide our PAM platform to BetCity.nl through 2025, we maintain a strong belief in our ability to achieve long-term growth and profitability. Our proprietary and exclusive third-party content continues to gain ground with an increasing number of top-tier operators globally, and we introduced a total of 19 new exclusive titles worldwide in the first quarter of 2024.

“Additionally, as we continue to make encouraging progress on our strategic alternatives review process, it’s important to emphasize that we are operating the business as usual and remain laser-focused on capitalizing on growth opportunities.

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“With that in mind and in response to the increasing demand and growth in the iGaming marketplace, subsequent to quarter end, we took two significant steps to further fuel our growth initiatives. First, we secured a USD 7.0 million investment through a promissory note, enhancing our balance sheet flexibility as we continue to execute our strategy and explore strategic alternatives to maximize shareholder value.

“Second, we bolstered our leadership team with the appointment of Neill Whyte as our new Chief Commercial Officer. With over 18 years of iGaming experience and a proven track record of driving growth through successful commercial partnerships, Neill’s expertise will be invaluable as we leverage our extensive content and product portfolio to expand in existing and new markets. This key hire is another testament to how we are scaling our organization for sustained growth and profitability.

“While the strategic review process progresses, we remain bullish on the opportunities ahead as the trend of iGaming regulation continues worldwide. We see exciting potential in newly regulating markets like Brazil, Peru and Finland, as well as untapped opportunities in regions like Africa that we are actively exploring.

“The strategic moves we have made have established Bragg as a vital content provider for premier international iGaming operators, reinforcing our base for reliable and lucrative growth. Equipped with the appropriate strategies, financial resources, and talent, we are well-prepared to maintain our business momentum while pursuing initiatives that foster cash flow growth and deliver increased value to our shareholders.”

DoubleDown Interactive, a leading developer and publisher of digital games on mobile and web-based platforms, announced its unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2023. The Company’s consolidated financial results for the three- and twelve-month periods ended December 31, 2023 include 61 days of contributions from European iGaming operator, SuprNation, which was acquired by the Company on October 31, 2023.

Fourth Quarter 2023 vs. Fourth Quarter 2022 Summary:

• Revenue was $83.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 compared to $76.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2022. Revenue contributed by SuprNation totaled $4.3 million for the 61 days the Company owned and operated the business. Revenue exclusive of the contributions from SuprNation increased 3% year over year to $78.8 million.
• Operating expenses declined to $47.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 from $321.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2022, primarily reflecting the one-time, non-cash goodwill and intangibles impairment of $269.9 million incurred in the fourth quarter of 2022.
• Adjusted EBITDA was $36.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2023, an increase from $24.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2022, primarily due to higher revenue and lower cost of revenues and sales and marketing expenses, partially offset by higher general and administrative expenses. Adjusted EBITDA margin increased to 43.5% in the fourth quarter of 2023 from 32.4% in the fourth quarter of 2022.
• Net income was $25.5 million, or earnings per fully diluted common share of $10.27 ($0.51 per American Depositary Share (ADS)), in the fourth quarter of 2023, compared to a loss of $(194.4) million, or a loss of $(78.47) per fully diluted common share ($(3.92) per ADS), in the fourth quarter of 2022. Note each ADS represents 0.05 share of a common share.
• Average Revenue Per Daily Active User (ARPDAU) for the Company’s social casino/free-to-play games increased to $1.24 in the fourth quarter of 2023 from $0.98 in the fourth quarter of 2022 and $1.06 in the third quarter of 2023.
• Average monthly revenue per payer for the social casino/free-to-play games increased to $279 in the fourth quarter of 2023 from $227 in the fourth quarter of 2022 and $245 in the third quarter of 2023.

In Keuk Kim, Chief Executive Officer of DoubleDown, said: “Our fourth quarter results, which include a 3% year-over-year increase in core social casino revenue to $78.8 million and a 46% increase in Adjusted EBITDA to $36.2 million, highlight our best-in-class ability to monetize our loyal players combined with our disciplined approach to user acquisition and R&D spend which drives consistent profitability and strong free cash flow. We continue to deliver strong engagement metrics for our flagship social casino game DoubleDown Casino, as ARPDAU and average monthly revenue per payer rose 26% and 23%, respectively, compared to the 2022 fourth quarter. As a result, cash flows from operating activities were approximately $30 million in the fourth quarter.

“Our acquisition of SuprNation in the fourth quarter marked our entrance into the European iGaming market and we are moving quickly on a range of initiatives to scale the business which will be our initial focus before we turn to optimizing the cash flow generated by this business. These initiatives include increasing marketing investment and leveraging our legacy of marketing and product expertise to grow SuprNation’s market share in its core U.K. and Sweden markets.

“We place a primary focus on being capital efficient as reflected in our strong Adjusted EBITDA margins and free cash flow generation. At 2023 year-end, cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments net of current borrowing were approximately $235 million, which is equivalent to approximately $4.75 per ADS. Our strong net cash position and consistent ability to generate attractive free cash flow provides the Company with significant flexibility to evaluate further opportunities to deploy capital that would continue to expand our business in gaming categories with attractive addressable markets and where our operating discipline would ultimately deliver additional free cash flow and create new value for our shareholders.”

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