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Better Collective increases organic revenue by 29 percent; strong growth across US assets and media partnerships

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Interim report January 1 – September 30, 2021

Highlights third quarter 2021

  • Group Revenue grew by 148% to 45,413 tEUR (Q3 2020: 18,298 tEUR). Organic revenue growth was 29%. September reached a new monthly revenue record of 20,285 tEUR, equal to 45% of the total quarterly revenue.
    • The quarter showed strong underlying growth on all major KPIs, however, revenue was impacted downwards by very low sports win margins in July and August. The sports win margins were negatively affected by larger operators accelerating marketing campaigns (free-bets, retention-bonuses etc.), as well as continued strong NDC performance, where new depositors receive sign-up bonuses.
    • The US business performed strongly with Q3 2021 revenue of >5x compared to Q3 2020 revenue. Revenue for September jumped to 8.9 mEUR (>10 mUSD) reflecting a strong start of the high season for US sports and the state of Arizona opening for online sports betting. Strong performance across all US assets including the newly acquired Action Network.
    • In Germany, a long-awaited new gambling regulation came into force from July 1. The market development has been in line with our expectations; for Better Collective, September revenue from the German market was on par with the monthly average in H1. Based on the current performance in Germany, revenue for the full year 2021 is expected to exceed prior years 2019 and 2020, respectively, with expected continued revenue growth in 2022.
    • Media partnerships continued with strong performance with almost 45,000 NDCs. More media partnerships are expected to be established in various countries.
  • Group EBITDA before special items increased 63% to 13,583 tEUR (Q3 2020: 8,326 tEUR). The EBITDA-margin before special items was 30% (Publishing 40% and Paid Media 9%).
  • Special Items in Q3 2021 amounted to a cost of 11,588 tEUR vs. an income of 44 tEUR in Q3 2020. It includes an 11,487 tEUR adjustment of the contingent liability related to the 2019 acquisition of Rical LLC, treated as a P/L item under IFRS.
  • EBITDA after special items amounted to 1,995 tEUR, a decrease of 6,375 tEUR vs. 8,370 tEUR in Q3 2020.
  • Cash Flow from operations before special items was 10,498 tEUR (Q3 2020: 8,359 tEUR), an increase of 26%. The cash conversion was 76%, and was impacted by a significant increase in revenue for September vs. June driving increased trade receivables from Q2 2021. End of Q3, capital reserves stood at 64.1 mEUR including cash of 35.4 mEUR and unused bank credit facilities of 28.7 mEUR.
  • New Depositing Customers (NDCs) were >200,000 in the quarter with an implied growth of 110% and a new quarterly record despite July and August being the low season for major sports.
  • Better Collective acquired Soccernews.nl and Voetbalwedden.net for total 5.9 mEUR upfront payments plus deferred and earn-out payments of up to 3.75 mEUR, to gain a leading position in the newly regulated Dutch online sports betting market.
  • Better Collective resolved on a directed share issue of 6.9 million shares, raising proceeds of 145 mEUR to maintain financial flexibility.
  • For the fourth consecutive year, Better Collective topped the prestigious EGR Global’s Power Affiliates 2021 ranking.

Financial highlights first nine months 2021

  • In the first nine months of 2021, revenue grew by 128% to 124,257 tEUR (YTD 2020: 54,472 tEUR).
  • In the first nine months of 2021, EBITDA before special items increased 64% to 39,439 tEUR (YTD 2020: 24,044 tEUR). The EBITDA-margin before special items was 32%.
  • Special Items amounted to a cost of 17,006 tEUR vs. an income of 252 tEUR YTD 2020. It includes an 11,487 tEUR adjustment of the contingent liability related to the 2019 acquisition of Rical LLC, treated as a P/L item under IFRS, in addition to 5,784 tEUR related to M&A transactions, primarily the acquisition of Action Network in May, 2021.
  • EBITDA after special items amounted to 22,433 tEUR YTD, a decrease of 1,863 tEUR vs. 24,296 tEUR YTD 2020.
  • Cash Flow from operations before special items was 37,670 tEUR (YTD 2020: 28,173 tEUR), an increase of 34%. The cash conversion rate before special items was 97%. End of Q3 2021, cash and unused credit facilities amounted to 64.1 mEUR.
  • New Depositing Customers exceeded 575,000 in the first nine months of 2021 (growth of 103%).
  • Better Collective acquired leading US sports betting media platform, Action Network, for 196 mEUR (240 mUSD), gaining market leadership within sports betting media in the US.
  • On May 26, 2021, the Board of Directors resolved on a directed share issue of 6.9 million shares, raising proceeds of 145 mEUR to maintain financial flexibility.

Significant events after the closure of the period

  • October revenue reached 16.8 mEUR, with organic growth of 17% and a total growth of 34% vs. last year. The growth is achieved despite an all time low sports win margin in October.
  • On November 4, the completion of the acquisition of the remaining 40% of Rotogrinders Network was announced. Since the initial share acquisition Rotogrinders has shown strong performance with expected 2021 revenue more than doubling since 2019, with a 47% compound annual growth rate. Expected 2021 EBITDA is 4.4x higher than 2019, growing at a 109% compound annual growth rate.
  • In the state of New York, nine operators were recently awarded sports betting licenses. Projected to become the single largest online betting market in the US, New York presents a big opportunity for Better Collective and for our operator partners now licensed. Betting is expected to commence in January 2022, in time for the Super Bowl.
  • Better Collective received an award for its efforts within compliance at the Vixio Global Regulatory Award. At the same show, Better Collective’s subsidiary, Mindway AI, received two awards for its efforts within responsible gambling.

Financial targets
The full-year financial targets for 2021 for the group remain unchanged. Growth in the Publishing business exceeds prior expectations whereas Paid Media sees lower growth than anticipated, which is reflected in an adjustment of the detailed segment targets.

Jesper Søgaard, Co-founder & CEO of Better Collective, commented:
Q3 was a great quarter closing with an all time high monthly revenue in September. This was partially the result of strong performance across all our US assets, including our recent acquisition, Action Network. September was also the beginning of the high season for US sports, which is expected to fully materialise in the Q4 results. “

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Conference call
A telephone conference will be held at 10.00 a.m. CET today by CEO Jesper Søgaard and CFO Flemming Pedersen. The presentation will simultaneously be webcasted, and both the telephone conference and the webcast offer an opportunity to ask questions.

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NEW HORIZONS FOR ZETTAONLINE AFTER SBC SUMMIT

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Milena Tsankarska, Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer, represented ZettaOnline at the SBC Summit, leaving the event with promising new opportunities for the company. The summit, held from September 24th to 26th, 2024, at the Feira Internacional de Lisboa, brought together some of the top global experts in the gaming industry in the Portuguese capital.

“We have the chance to exchange ideas and form promising new partnerships which faced directly our marketing strategy to expand our services to different markets by establishing and cultivating long-term partnerships with new clients,” shared Milena Tsankarska. “At Lisbon our team was actively involved in engaging with industry peers, showcasing our cutting-edge solutions, and discussing potential collaborations that could drive mutual growth and success,” she added afterwords.

More than 600 exhibitors showed their new products and services within the gaming and entertainment industry in Lisbon. There also were a variety of dynamic conference formats where 450+ speakers shared their experience, and everyone had the opportunity to connect with 25,000 industry professionals.

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“We would like to thank the organizers for hosting such an outstanding event. We’d also like to extend our gratitude to our esteemed partners and clients for the opportunity to reconnect, explore new possibilities, and create memorable moments together,” said Milena after the SCB Summit. At the SBC Summit, there were several themed areas like the Casino & iGaming Zone, Sports Betting Zone, Player Protection Zone, ESI Lisbon – Esports, Gaming & Creators Zone, and two summits: Payment Expert Summit and Affiliate Leaders’ Summit.

Next stop for Zettaonline’s team is BEGE/EEGS, which are two of the premier events in the gaming and entertainment industry. The Balkan Entertainment and Gaming Expo (BEGE) will showcase the latest innovative technologies and trends from across the sector. The Eastern European Gaming Summit (EEGS) is an annual gaming conference, just parallel to BEGE, with more than 400 industry representatives from 25 countries. For more information about our participation and to book a meeting with us, please contact [email protected].

The post NEW HORIZONS FOR ZETTAONLINE AFTER SBC SUMMIT appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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MIRACL partners with Continent 8 to offer its single-step passwordless MFA solution to simplify the login experience

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MIRACL’s passwordless multi-factor authentication (MFA) service adds to Continent 8’s multi-layered cybersecurity and regulatory compliance suite of solutions, providing secure, frictionless logins on any browser or device.

MIRACL, a provider of passwordless multi-factor authentication (MFA), today announces a new partnership with Continent 8 Technologies, a leading provider of global managed hosting, connectivity, cloud and cybersecurity solutions to the iGaming and online sports betting industry.

This collaboration has enabled Continent 8 to enhance their regulated cybersecurity product portfolio with MIRACL’s secure, single-step MFA solution, offering the most secure and efficient authentication experience possible.

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MIRACL’s MFA service streamlines the authentication process with a single personal identification number (PIN) code or device-based biometric. This allows players to access an online service via browser or app in under two seconds – 20 times faster than traditional multi-step MFA methods. Crucially, this means MIRACL enjoys the highest Login Success Rate, 99.9% on average, which leads to increased traffic and conversions, boosting revenue and enhancing user experience.

The solution also saves cost by preventing account takeovers and minimising account resets, allowing gaming operators and suppliers to reduce IT helpdesk and infrastructure support costs.

The MIRACL MFA solution delivers banking-grade security through a zero-knowledge framework, ensuring that no security-related information is stored or shared. By eliminating credential exchanges, the service is fully resistant to all remote and brute-force attacks, including credential stuffing, man-in-the-middle, password spraying, phishing, replay and SMS fatigue, thereby offering zero vulnerabilities. The MFA solution complies with the most stringent security and privacy regulations, including MFA legislation requirements for the regulated iGaming and online sports betting industry.

Rob Griffin, CEO at MIRACL said “The shift to mandated MFA by regulators is set to be a massive change in the industry with requirements changing quickly across the globe. MIRACL meets 100% of these requirements for 100% of users while also massively improving their experience.

Over the last 25 years, Continent 8 has become a trusted authority within iGaming in respect of cybersecurity, regulatory adherence and the art of provisioning gaming services that delight their customers. MIRACL’s innovative solutions exceed customers’ expectations in all three of these realms so for us, Continent 8 is the perfect partner. We look forward to bringing our passwordless, single-step MFA to their global client base.

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While operators can understand conceptually the potential for passwordless authentication to increase revenues and save costs, they need a trusted and expert partner to help navigate the path. Working closely in tandem, MIRACL and Continent 8 can meet that sizable customer need to ensure customers realise the massive ROI that MIRACL’s passwordless MFA enables.”

MIRACL’s passwordless MFA solution will be part of Continent 8 and C8 Secure’s (a Continent 8 company specialised in cybersecurity) comprehensive suite of multi-layered cybersecurity solutions. The current portfolio includes VAPT, Compliance Audit, DDoS, EDR & MDR, Mobile Protect, SafeBait, SIEM & SOC, V-Scan, Backup and WAAP services, among others.

David Brace, Principal, Innovation & Technology at Continent 8, said: “Speed, uptime, compliance and security are the pillars of our business, whether it be infrastructure, connectivity or the protection of digital assets. By partnering with MIRACL, we add an MFA service that protects players from fraud and cyber attacks, meets regulatory compliance and offers operators a swift, password-less MFA experience.

“This strategic alliance is a significant step forward in our ongoing mission to be the trusted cybersecurity and infrastructure partner for the regulated iGaming and online sports betting industry.”

The post MIRACL partners with Continent 8 to offer its single-step passwordless MFA solution to simplify the login experience appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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7777 gaming signs strategic agreement with R. Franco Digital, expanding reach in Spain and Latin America

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7777 gaming signs a strategic agreement with R. Franco Digital, a prominent player in the gaming sector and part of the Orenes Group. This partnership sees 7777 gaming’s extensive portfolio of casino content distributed across Spain and key markets in Latin America, where R. Franco Digital has a significant presence.

Through this agreement, players in these regions will gain access to 7777 gaming’s popular and diverse titles, including Devil’s Deal Soul for Sale, Cash 100, Crazy 100 Bucks, Thracian Treasures, Crazy 20 Bucks, Barbarian, Candy Anyways, Club Mr. Luck, Jinn, Sea of Treasures, and many more. Known for their innovative features and captivating gameplay, these games are set to bring a fresh wave of excitement to players across Spain and Latin America.

Zhana Aleksandrova, Business Development Manager for Spain & Latin America at 7777 gaming, commented: “The signed agreement with R. Franco Digital gives us another level of motivation and dedication to two very important markets for us – Spain and Latin America. R. Franco Digital has a strong presence, a wide network of partners, and an audience that loves exciting and innovative casino games. We are confident in our mutual success and are looking forward to receiving feedback from the players’ community.”

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Guillermo Ruipérez, Head of Sales at R. Franco Digital, added: “We always strive to adapt our offerings to the requirements of our clients and their players. Our partnership with 7777 gaming aligns with our mission to offer the latest and most innovative gaming concepts available on the market right now. We are constantly upgrading and expanding our portfolio of providers to ensure that our clients are satisfied with what we can offer.”

This collaboration represents a significant step forward for both companies, as they work together to bring high-quality, engaging casino games to new and existing players in these vibrant markets.

The post 7777 gaming signs strategic agreement with R. Franco Digital, expanding reach in Spain and Latin America appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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