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European Investment Bank provides €15 million of funding to IDnow

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IDnow a leading provider for Identity Verification-as-a-Service solutions, recieves €15 million growth funding from European Investment Bank. Funds will support IDnow’s research and development and international expansion. Financing by EU bank is provided under Investment Plan for Europe.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) will provide €15 million of growth funding to the German identity verification platform IDnow. IDnow is an expert in secure, remote auto and video identification and electronic signature services. This enables companies to acquire customers and manage transactions faster and easier, while complying with know your customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) regulations. The investment will primarily support IDnow’s research and development (R&D) activities as well as its international growth.

This operation is part of the European Growth Finance Facility (EGFF), a product under the guarantee scheme of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI). The EGFF is designed to address quasi-equity gaps linked to structural market failures across the European Union in the provision of adequate risk capital to late-stage, venture-backed companies. Such European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and mid-caps often suffer from systemic shortages of large, non-dilutive financing options for growth investments, both tangible and intangible. The benefit of EFSI in this specific case is the clear enhancement of the risk capacity of the Bank.

EFSI is the central pillar of the Investment Plan for Europe under which the EIB and the European Commission are working together as strategic partners and the EIB’s financing operations are boosting the competitiveness of the European economy. It is accompanied by the advisory service, the European Investment Advisory Hub, which enables public and private project operators to structure their investment projects more professionally.

EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle, who is responsible for EFSI and the bank´s operations in Germany, said: “IDnow, a first-time borrower for the Bank, depends on significant R&D and marketing investments related to commercialisation. The transaction is an excellent example of how the EU bank, with the support of the Investment Plan for Europe, can facilitate the development of innovaton, in particular in sensitive policy areas such as anti-money laundering, counter terrorist financing and cybersecurity, which are of utmost importance for the European Union and its economy.”

European Commissioner for the Economy, Paolo Gentiloni, said: “As ever more of our interactions move online, it’s more important than ever that we strengthen data security and fraud prevention. And it’s right that the Investment Plan for Europe contributes to those efforts. This support for German platform IDnow will enable it to expand its services for digital identity verification of customers and business partners alike. We are investing in a safer online business environment, an objective of our digital finance strategy.”

CFO of IDnow Joe Lichtenberger said: “IDnow has experienced overwhelming demand for its verification-as-a-service across multiple industries and countries, with COVID-19 significantly increasing the need for digital services. The flexible financing structure from the EIB will allow us to accelerate our investment in developing the platform to capitalise on these opportunities. The EIB is an ideal partner to support us in becoming Europe’s leading provider in identity verification.”

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SOFTSWISS Jackpot Aggregator Enters the Estonian Market

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SOFTSWISS, a leading iGaming software provider, has strengthened its European presence by making the Jackpot Aggregator available in Estonia. This strategic move follows the recent Jackpot Aggregator certification in Bulgaria, Brazil, and Peru.

Estonia remains a strong and digitally mature iGaming market in Europe. Industry revenue is projected to reach 452.5 million dollars in 2025, with growth expected to push that figure past 508 million dollars by 2029. The casino and slots segment alone is expected to generate more than 206 million dollars this year. With user penetration at 31.2% and over 450,000 players forecast by the end of the period, the market continues to draw interest from operators across the region.

In July 2025, SOFTSWISS introduced Paid Participation campaigns – a new Jackpot Aggregator feature where players pay a small fee to join jackpots, prize drops, or other campaigns. This model offers a more engaging experience, giving players better chances of winning and fewer participants. For operators, it opens a new revenue stream by funding prize pools through player contributions. 

Angelina Stasiuk, Head of Business Line at SOFTSWISS Jackpot Aggregator, shares: “The Jackpot Aggregator has proven its impact across multiple markets, and we are excited to bring its full potential to operators in Estonia. Now, Estonian operators can launch player-centric jackpot campaigns tailored to their brand and audience. We see strong potential in the Estonian market and are ready to support partners with the tools they need to stand out.”

The Jackpot Aggregator also integrates directly with the SOFTSWISS Game Aggregator, which now offers over 35,000 games – the largest portfolio in the industry – and maintains enterprise-level uptime at 99.999%. Together, these solutions offer a powerful combination for operators looking to scale with confidence. 

 

About SOFTSWISS

SOFTSWISS is an international technology company with over 15 years of experience in developing innovative solutions for the iGaming industry. SOFTSWISS holds a number of gaming licences and provides comprehensive software for managing iGaming projects. The company’s product portfolio includes the Online Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with over 35,000 casino games, the Affilka Affiliate Platform, the Sportsbook Software and the Jackpot Aggregator. In 2013, SOFTSWISS revolutionised the industry by introducing the world’s first Bitcoin-optimised online casino solution. The expert team, based in Malta, Poland, and Georgia, counts over 2,000 employees.

The post SOFTSWISS Jackpot Aggregator Enters the Estonian Market appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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OpticOdds Partners with Rimble to Launch Esports & Cricket Data

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OpticOdds, the leading provider of sportsbook odds infrastructure and insights, today announced a strategic partnership with Rimble, a next-generation odds and analytics provider, to bring deep esports and cricket content to the OpticOdds Copilot platform.

Through this integration, OpticOdds customers can now access Rimble’s full suite of betting content, covering over 50,000 esports matches annually, including top titles like CS2, League of Legends, Dota 2, and Valorant, as well as dynamic cricket markets with in-depth player-level statistics.

This collaboration gives operators a plug-and-play solution to offer more immersive betting experiences in two of the world’s fastest-growing betting verticals.

“This partnership represents a major leap forward for OpticOdds and for sportsbook operators looking to win in alternative sports,” said Ryan Weinstock, Chief Commercial Officer at OpticOdds. “Rimble’s data is best-in-class, fast, flexible, and proven to drive handle. By integrating it into our user-friendly Copilot interface, we’re helping operators tap into new audiences and 24/7 engagement without adding operational complexity.”

Rimble’s platform delivers pre-match and in-play betting markets, including detailed player props, Bet Builders, flash bets, and predictive models, all designed for high engagement and seamless front-end delivery. Rimble’s proprietary Bet Builder is the first of its kind in esports, allowing users to craft multi-leg bets within a single match, including performance-based props.

“Our mission at Rimble is to redefine what’s possible in alternative sports betting and this partnership with OpticOdds does exactly that,” said Shivam Shorewala, CEO of Rimble. “Together, we’re giving operators a turnkey way to offer high-margin, high-frequency betting content across esports and cricket, with the flexibility and UX operators have come to expect from OpticOdds Copilot.”

The post OpticOdds Partners with Rimble to Launch Esports & Cricket Data appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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Brightstar Lottery Reports Second Quarter 2025 Results

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Brightstar Lottery PLC has reported the financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025.

“We achieved several important milestones over the last few months. We secured the Italy Lotto license through November 2034, closed the sale of our Gaming & Digital business for $4 billion in cash, and announced plans to return significant capital to shareholders. With a singular focus on lottery and unmatched industry expertise, we are well positioned to create value for all stakeholders with our mission to elevate lotteries and inspire players around the world,” said Vince Sadusky, CEO of Brightstar.

“Our second quarter results reflect sustained global demand for instant ticket and draw games. We are investing in key initiatives to drive sustainable, long-term growth, while also delivering structural cost reductions to right-size the business. The Company’s attractive profit profile and strong, predictable cash flows support our balanced approach to capital allocation,” said Max Chiara, CFO of Brightstar.

Key Highlights

• Successful completion of Gaming & Digital sale for approximately $4.0 billion of net cash proceeds on July 1, 2025.

• Secured several meaningful contract wins and extensions including a nine-year Lotto operator license in Italy, an eight-year contract in Missouri which includes a fully-integrated OMNIA retail and digital solution, and several multi-year instant ticket printing contract extensions.

• Expanding OPtiMa 3.0 cost reduction programme to $50 million to right-size the business following the Gaming & Digital sale.

Second Quarter 2025 Financial Highlights

Second quarter revenue was $631 million, up 3% or stable at constant currency.

• Instant ticket & draw same-store sales increased across geographies with Italy increasing 3.7%, U.S. higher by 0.6%, and Rest of World climbing 8.4%.

• Product sales rose 59% on higher instant ticket printing and terminal sales.

• Foreign currency translation had a positive impact on growth.

• Growth from the drivers above was partially offset by elevated U.S. multi-state jackpot activity and associated LMA incentives in the prior year.

Loss from continuing operations was $60 million compared to income from continuing operations of $84 million in the prior year period.

• Incurred a foreign exchange loss versus a foreign exchange gain in the prior year, primarily reflecting the non-cash impact of fluctuations in the EUR/USD exchange rate on debt.

• Operating income was lower, driven by the high profit flow-through from elevated U.S. multi-state jackpot sales and associated LMA incentives in the prior year and restructuring charges related to the expanded OPtiMa 3.0 cost reduction programme in the current year.

• Increased provision for income taxes.

• Dynamics noted above were partially offset by reduced interest expense.

Adjusted EBITDA was $274 million compared to $290 million in the prior-year period, demonstrating resiliency despite incremental investments in the business and multi-state jackpot and LMA dynamics.

• Prior year results include the high profit flow-through from elevated U.S. multi-state jackpot sales and associated LMA incentives.

• Selling, general, and administrative costs were modestly higher as ongoing investments in the business were partially offset by OPtiMa cost savings.

• The Q2’25 period benefited from positive foreign currency translation.

Diluted loss per share from continuing operations was $0.47 compared to diluted earnings per share from continuing operations of $0.21 in the prior year. Adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations was $0.12 compared to $0.20 in the prior year, primarily driven by lower operating income.

YTD 2025 Financial Highlights

Year-to-date revenue of $1.2 billion compares to $1.3 billion in the prior-year period.

• The decline was due to higher U.S. multi-state jackpot activity and associated LMA incentives in the prior year.

• Global instant ticket & draw same-store sales rose 1.2%.

Loss from continuing operations was $52 million compared to income from continuing operations of $200 million in the prior year period.

• Lower operating income, primarily due to the items affecting Adjusted EBITDA as noted below.

• Foreign exchange loss versus foreign exchange gain in the prior year, primarily reflecting the non-cash impact of fluctuations in the EUR/USD exchange rate on debt.

Adjusted EBITDA of $524 million compares to $617 million in the prior-year, primarily driven by high profit flow-through from elevated U.S. multi-state jackpot sales and associated LMA incentives in the prior year, partially offset by positive foreign currency translation.

Diluted loss per share from continuing operations was $0.59 compared to diluted earnings per share from continuing operations of $0.56 in the prior year. Adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations of $0.20 compares to $0.47 in the prior year primarily driven by lower operating income, partially offset by reductions in net interest and income tax expense.

Net debt was $5.2 billion compared to $4.8 billion at December 31, 2024. The increase was primarily driven by an approximate $340 million impact from fluctuations in the EUR/USD exchange rate. Net debt leverage was 3.0x pro forma for $2 billion debt reduction completed in July.

Cash and Liquidity Update

Total liquidity was $2.9 billion as of June 30, 2025 with $1.3 billion in unrestricted cash and $1.6 billion in additional borrowing capacity from undrawn credit facilities.

Other Developments

The Company plans to launch a $250 million accelerated share repurchase programme (ASR) by entering into an accelerated share repurchase agreement with a counterparty bank. The Company plans to execute the ASR as part of its $500 million share repurchase authorization outlined below and in accordance with the share repurchase authorisation provided by the Company’s shareholders at the Company’s 2025 Annual General Meeting. The Company has been informed by De Agostini S.p.A., that it does not intend to participate in the ASR.

The Company’s Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per common share with a record date of August 12, 2025 and a payment date of August 26, 2025.

Completed the sale of the Gaming & Digital business on July 1, 2025. The Company received approximately $4.0 billion of net cash proceeds that are expected to be allocated in the following manner:

$2.0 billion used to reduce debt (completed in July 2025).

• Redeemed in whole the 4.125% Senior Secured U.S. Dollar Notes due April 2026 and the 3.500% Senior Secured Euro Notes due June 2026.

• Prepaid €300 million of the Term Loan Facilities due January 2027.

• The remaining amount was allocated to prepay the Revolving Credit Facilities due July 2027.

$1.1 billion to be returned to shareholders.

• The Company’s Board of Directors declared a special cash dividend to common shareholders in the amount of $3.00 per share. The record date of the distribution was July 14, 2025, and it is payable July 29, 2025.

• In addition, the Board authorized a $500 million, two-year share repurchase programme. The new authorisation replaces the Company’s existing share repurchase programme.

$500 million to partially fund upcoming Italy Lotto license payments.

$400 million to be used for general corporate purposes.

The U.S. federal income tax consequences of distributions by the Company will depend, in part, on whether the Company has current or accumulated earnings and profits (“E&P”), as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. Based on preliminary estimates, the Company does not expect to have current E&P for fiscal year 2025 or accumulated E&P from prior fiscal years that would offset the current year expected E&P deficit. Accordingly, the Company anticipates that the special dividend, the Q1 dividend paid on June 12, and any future dividends paid in the current fiscal year will be treated for U.S. income tax purposes as a non-taxable return of capital to the extent of a shareholder’s basis in its shares, and thereafter as capital gain, although no assurances can be provided because the determination of E&P is a full-year calculation which depends upon facts that are not known as of the date hereof.

FY’25 Outlook: Adjusted EBITDA Reaffirmed, Cash Flow Improved

• Revenue of approximately $2.50 billion; adjusting revenue down $50 million compared to the previous outlook to reflect a timing shift in product sales and increased amortization related to Italy Lotto upfront license fee (which is treated as contra-revenue).

• Adjusted EBITDA of approximately $1.10 billion, in line with the previous outlook as incremental benefit from foreign currency translation is offset by higher-than-expected U.S. multi-state jackpot and LMA impacts.

• Net cash used in operating activities of approximately $275 million reflects a $75 million improvement versus the previous outlook driven by interest, income taxes, and other working capital items.

• Capital expenditures of approximately $375 million, a $75 million improvement from the previous outlook to reflect timing shifts related to recent contract extensions.

• Increasing FY’25 EUR/USD assumption to 1.12.

The post Brightstar Lottery Reports Second Quarter 2025 Results appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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