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Sportradar Reports Strong Growth In First Quarter 2022

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Overall revenue increased 31%; U.S. revenue increased 124% year over year
Company reiterated annual outlook for fiscal 2022 projecting strong annual revenue growth of 18% to 25%

Sportradar Group AG, the leading global technology company enabling next generation engagement in sports, and the number one provider of business-to-business solutions to the global sports betting industry, today announced financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2022.

First Quarter 2022 Highlights

  • Revenue in the first quarter of 2022 increased 31% to €167.9 million ($186.4 million)1 compared with the first quarter of 2021, driven by strong growth across all business segments. In particular, the U.S. segment revenue grew by 124% to €25.7 million ($28.5 million) compared with the first quarter of 2021.
  • Adjusted EBITDA2 in the first quarter of 2022 decreased 5% to €26.7 million ($29.6 million)1 compared with the first quarter of 2021 primarily due to higher costs associated with being a public company as well as reversal of certain temporary COVID-19 related cost savings versus the first quarter of 2021.
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin2 was 16% in the first quarter of 2022, compared with 22% over the prior year period.
  • Adjusted Free Cash Flow2 in the first quarter of 2022 increased by 100% to €12.9 million, compared with the prior year period. The resulting free cash flow conversion2 was 48% in the quarter.
  • Strong Net Retention Rate2, based on the last twelve months, increased to 121% at the end of the first quarter of 2022 compared with 107% the same period in 2021 highlighting the continued success of the Company’s cross-sell and upsell strategy across its global customer base.
  • Cash and cash equivalents totaled €715.5 million as of March 31, 2022. Total liquidity available for use at March 31, 2022, including undrawn credit facilities was €825.5 million.
  • The Company reiterated its previously provided annual outlook for full-year 2022 for revenue and Adjusted EBITDA2. Please see the “Annual Financial Outlook” section of this press release for further details.
Key Financial Measures Q1 Q1 Change
In millions, in Euros 2022 2021 %
Revenue 167.9 128.5 31%
Adjusted EBITDA2 26.7 28.2 (5%)
Adjusted EBITDA margin2 16% 22%
Adjusted Free Cash Flow2 12.9 6.5 100%
Free Cash Flow Conversion2 48% 23%

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1
For the convenience of the reader, we have translated Euros amounts in the tables below at the noon buying rate of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on March 31, 2022, which was €1.00 to $1.11.
2 Non-IFRS financial measure; see “Non-IFRS Financial Measures and Operating Metrics” and accompanying tables for further explanations and reconciliations of non-IFRS measures to IFRS measures.

Carsten Koerl, Chief Executive Officer of Sportradar said: “Our fiscal 2022 is off to a fast start, with core, high-margin betting products driving growth around the world. Our U.S. business continues its tremendous growth story as more states legalize and sports betting becomes live, mainstream entertainment. As the market leader, our technology and data-driven insights continue to transform the converging media, entertainment and sports industries and fuel our consistent and long-term profitable growth story.”

Segment Information

RoW Betting

  • Segment revenue in the first quarter of 2022 increased by 25% to €86.7 million compared with the first quarter of 2021. This growth was driven primarily by increased sales of our higher value-add offerings including Managed Betting Services (MBS) which increased 51% to €26.4 million and Live Data/ Odds Services, which increased 16% to €46.8 million. MBS growth is attributable to increased turnover3 and Live Data/ Odds Services grew as a result of upselling content to existing customers. MBS includes Managed Trading Services (MTS) and Managed Platform Services (MPS). Additionally, increased content sales from the Synergy acquisition contributed to the growth.
  • Segment Adjusted EBITDA2 in the first quarter of 2022 increased by 13% to €44.6 million compared with the first quarter of 2021. Segment Adjusted EBITDA margin2 decreased to 51% from 57% in the first quarter of 2021 driven by temporary savings in sport rights and scouting costs in the prior year related to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as acquisition of new sport rights.

RoW Audiovisual (AV)

  • Segment revenue increased in the first quarter of 2022 by 17% to €45.9 million compared with the first quarter of 2021.  This growth was primarily a result of increased content from Tennis Australia and the National Hockey League (NHL) as well as upselling content from the Synergy acquisition.
  • Segment Adjusted EBITDA2 in the first quarter of 2022 was flat at €8.9 million compared with the first quarter of 2021. Segment Adjusted EBITDA margin2 decreased to 19% from 23% compared with the first quarter of 2021 primarily due to higher sports rights costs driven by the easing of the COVID-19 pandemic versus prior year, and acquisition of new sports rights.

United States

  • Segment revenue in the first quarter of 2022 increased by 124% to €25.7 million compared with the first quarter of 2021. This growth was driven by increased sales of U.S. Betting services primarily as a result of new states legalizing betting. We also experienced growth from increased sales to media companies and a positive impact from the acquisition of Synergy Sports.
  • Segment Adjusted EBITDA2 in the first quarter of 2022 was (€6.4) million compared with the first quarter of 2021 of (€3.6) million, primarily due to increased investment in the Company’s league and team solutions focused business. Segment Adjusted EBITDA margin2 improved to (25%) from (32%) compared with the first quarter of 2021 reflecting an improvement in the U.S. segment operating leverage.

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2
Non-IFRS financial measure; see “Non-IFRS Financial Measures and Operating Metrics” and accompanying tables for further explanations and reconciliations of non-IFRS measures to IFRS measures.
3 Turnover is the total amount of stakes placed and accepted in betting.

Costs and Expenses

  • Personnel expenses in the first quarter of 2022 increased by €13.7 million to €52.3 million compared with the first quarter of 2021 primarily resulting from additional hires in the Company’s product and technology organizations across high and low-cost locations. Employee headcount increased by 620 to 3,075 full time employees at the end of the first quarter of 2022 compared with the first quarter of 2021.
  • Other Operating expenses in the first quarter of 2022 increased by €5.0 million to €19.5 million compared with the first quarter of 2021 mainly driven by higher costs associated with being a public company, and the reversal of temporary COVID-19 related cost savings versus the prior year.
  • Total Sport rights costs in the first quarter of 2022 increased by €13.1 million to €54.0 million compared with the first quarter of 2021, primarily resulting from new rights for 2022 for ICC, UEFA, ATP and a normalized schedule in sports such as NBA, NHL and MLB, as COVID-19 pandemic restrictions eased.

Recent Business Highlights

  • In April 2022, Sportradar acquired Vaix, a pioneer in developing AI solutions for the iGaming Industry. Vaix’s innovative AI technology allows betting and gaming operators to gain a personalized view of their customers, which provides a more targeted, player-friendly experience. Sportradar has partnered with Vaix previously and incorporated its technology into its Managed Trading Services (MTS) offering. Sportradar’s MTS solution is a sophisticated trading, risk, live odds and liability management offering that helps betting operators boost margins and profits, while increasing efficiency and managing risk.
  • Sportradar was awarded a supplier registration for online/mobile wagering in Ontario. With this registration for online/mobile wagering from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, Sportradar now holds over 36 licenses in North America across states, territories, tribes, and Canada. Additionally, Sportradar Integrity Services and the Canadian Hockey League announced a multi-year education and bet monitoring services agreement. This new relationship increases Sportradar Integrity Services’ portfolio of ice hockey partners to nine different leagues and federations around the world and strengthens its leadership position across North American sports leagues.
  • The Company continued to strengthen its U.S. leadership by appointing former Fiserv executive Michael Gandolfo as Group Head, Regional Sales. Gandolfo led Fiserv’s Large Financial Institution Sales and Service Team, responsible for over 300 top financial institutional clients.
  • Norwegian state gaming operator, Norsk Tipping, will deploy Sportradar’s internet-based Self-Service Betting Terminal (iSSBT) into 245 retail outlets across Norway to support the gaming operator’s growth. iSSBT is deployed in over 500 retail outlets, enabling Norsk Tipping to establish a mobile-first and online digital strategy, along with a retail presence.
  • Sportradar continued to advance its mission to detect, investigate and prevent betting-related match-fixing, doping and other threats to the integrity of sport by announcing a multi-year integrity partnership with NASCAR, an expansion of a previous agreement to provide bet monitoring and reporting with its Universal Fraud Detection System (UFDS), launching a Sportradar Integrity Exchange, a network that enables bookmakers to report suspicious betting activity and extended its work with the Austrian Federal Criminal Police on anti-doping.
  • The Company also announced that it will act as an advisor to Bowl Season on the sports betting space in a responsible manner, with a focus on educating the organization’s membership on the rapidly evolving world of sports betting, as well as the opportunity to expand the scope to include Sportradar’s Integrity Services.

Annual Financial Outlook

Sportradar is reiterating its outlook for fiscal 2022 provided on March 30, 2022 as follows:

  • Revenue is expected to be in the range of €665.0 million to €700.0 million ($738.2 million to $777.0 million)1, representing growth of 18% to 25% over fiscal 2021.
  • Adjusted EBITDA2 is expected to be in the range of €123.0 million to €133.0 million ($136.5 million to $147.6 million)1, representing growth of 21% to 30% over fiscal 2021.
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin2 is expected to be in the range of 18.5% to 19.0%, an improvement over the prior year.4

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For the convenience of the reader, we have translated Euros amounts in the tables below at the noon buying rate of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on March 31, 2022, which was €1.00 to $1.11.
2 Non-IFRS financial measure; see “Non-IFRS Financial Measures and Operating Metrics” and accompanying tables for further explanations and reconciliations of non-IFRS measures to IFRS measures.

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Movers and Shakers – Beyond integration: Why system interoperability is the real game changer

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Movers and Shakers” is a dynamic monthly column dedicated to exploring the latest trends, developments, and influential voices in the iGaming industry. Powered by GameOn and supported by HIPTHER, this op-ed series delves into the key players, emerging technologies, and regulatory changes shaping the future of online gaming. Each month, industry experts offer their insights and perspectives, providing readers with in-depth analysis and thought-provoking commentary on what’s driving the iGaming world forward. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or new to the scene, “Movers and Shakers” is your go-to source for staying ahead in the rapidly evolving iGaming landscape.

 

Dominic Le Garsmeur (CPO) at Fincore, says integrations without a clear interoperability strategy add technical and operational debt, hampering future growth.

System integrations are hugely important for any online sportsbook or casino, adding capabilities and features to drive growth.  But integrating without considering and optimising interoperability can do more harm than good by adding technical and operational debt to the business and ultimately hitting growth.

Integrating without interoperability pushes information from one system to another, but the connection itself has no intelligence. It’s a mechanical link, and the systems remain fundamentally separate, each operating with its own distinct rules. Any real understanding, like why that data was sent or what other processes it should trigger, is lost, creating data silos that are technically connected but strategically disconnected.

System interoperability provides the intelligence the connection lacks, establishing a shared operational model for the platform so all systems can act in concert. Most importantly, it creates a future-proof foundation, allowing new capabilities and features to be added with agility and confidence, turning the platform into an engine for innovation rather than a source of technical debt.

Before looking at why interoperability is more powerful than integration, and how companies can solve it, it’s important to understand how disconnects between platforms and systems occur in the first place.

 

Why does disconnection happen?

Operators acquire their tech stacks in different ways, but usually through a combination of building, inheriting legacy tech, acquisition and third-party providers. This often leads to platform and system silos with little to no compatibility between them.

Ultimately, disconnected systems drag down delivery and without interoperability, companies waste time reconciling platforms and tech rather than advancing forward.

 

Interoperability is more powerful than integration

Integration often means linking systems at a basic level, but interoperability ensures that data, logic and workflows are aligned and extensible.

It’s critical to have a strategic data layer and shared data structures that enables standardising of data representations, aligning systems at the logic level, not just the interface, and building an architecture designed to unify and extend across platforms.

In complex industries such as gaming, where tech plays such an important role in the user experience and the trust consumers have in brands, system interoperability is the only way to scale with control. In short, integration links, interoperability empowers.

 

Why interoperability is such a challenge in the gaming industry

Each integration is unique. Why? Because the combination of legacy systems, niche vendors and varying regulations in markets across the world means there is no blueprint for operators to follow.

Remember, most operator platforms are now decades old and were not built with modularity or openness in mind. And even those developing new platforms and systems from scratch often lack the in-house capability to design for interoperability from the get-go.

 

The risk of not achieving interoperability

When systems don’t interoperate, things start to fall apart. For example, delivery can grind to a halt, with every new feature launch or market entry becoming a grind. There are compliance risks, too, especially when it comes to fractured data and an increased risk of errors and audit gaps.

Then, of course, there is the poor player experience that will be provided. This could be anything from glitchy games to failed deposits and even the wrong marketing communications being sent to the wrong player cohorts.

It also impacts an operator’s ability to develop and innovate, as IT and tech become reactive rather than proactive. And in such a competitive market, this can see a brand quickly fall behind the curve.

 

How to solve the interoperability conundrum

Ensuring interoperability is a complex and comprehensive undertaking, but there are some high-level things operators can do.

This starts with standardising critical data flows and logic, not just the interface. Remember, a single view of data is what ensures all the platforms, systems and networks communicate with each other in the same language.

Operators should also design for change, as architecture must support long-term growth and plug-and-play modularity. In most cases, it’s best to invest in strategic partners, not just tools.

 

How strategic partners can help

Partners such as Fincore can provide the strategic clarity operators need, defining what interoperability looks like for them and based on their business goals. We also bring execution muscle – we don’t just design it, we build it.

The right partner also brings compliance confidence. Companies such as Fincore are highly experienced when it comes to interoperability, and everything we do stands up to regulatory scrutiny.

This can be seen in our proven track record for delivering interoperability for everything from complex migrations to global-scale game roll-outs.

 

A real-world example of interoperability

Fincore worked with a US-based gaming services provider whose legacy systems across its land-based venues had created silos in payments, loyalty and in-resort experiences.

The solution we proposed saw us design and deliver a digital wallet that became the unified digital layer across the physical properties. We also integrated deeply with multiple rigid legacy systems to provide secure and compliant interoperability at scale.

The result? We delivered on time, unlocked a new digital product line and created a long-term tech foundation for the company to continue to build on.

When it comes to integrations, you can always wire systems together, but if you don’t do it in the right way, you get chaos. Interoperability is about creating order within platforms and systems, which in turn allows for unlimited scaling and growth.

And that’s why interoperability is the real game-changer.

The post Movers and Shakers – Beyond integration: Why system interoperability is the real game changer appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Yaspa and VIALET partner to bolster pan-European payments for iGaming clients

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London fintech Yaspa, an award-winning provider of real-time payment, account verification and intelligence solutions for the iGaming industry, has announced its partnership with VIALET, the European-licensed electronic money institution. The collaboration significantly enhances Yaspa’s payment ecosystem, providing iGaming operators and platforms across the UK and Europe with expanded access to instant, multi-currency payment solutions.

The partnership builds on VIALET’s deep experience as a European fintech, offering specialised business accounts and a full suite of payment services designed for digital businesses. For Yaspa’s customers – particularly in the high-growth iGaming sector – these accounts provide a secure, compliant way to hold and manage funds, including those deposited and withdrawn through Yaspa’s instant bank payment solutions.

The result is a powerful, integrated offering that is quickly becoming a preferred choice for operators seeking seamless, multi-currency support for real-time transactions. By combining instant pay-ins and payouts with robust business banking infrastructure, the collaboration delivers a streamlined, scalable solution for managing money across the UK and Europe.

‘A single, powerful platform’

Yaspa CEO James Neville said: “Our mission at Yaspa is to provide iGaming businesses with a single, powerful platform to manage their payments intelligently.

“Partnering with VIALET not only expands our instant payment capabilities across Europe, but also reinforces our commitment to building a resilient, multi-partner ecosystem that offers our clients unparalleled choice and reliability.”

Ioannis Chatziathanasiou, Chief Business Development Officer from VIALET, said: “At VIALET, we are committed to delivering secure, fast, and scalable payment solutions tailored to the needs of digital-first industries. Partnering with Yaspa allows us to extend our reach and offer even greater value to merchants across Europe who demand flexibility, intelligence, and speed in their payment infrastructure.”

Yaspa’s instant bank payments are available across the UK and Europe, ready to integrate seamlessly into the payment systems of both current and future VIALET account holders who want to provide a real-time payment option that is quick to implement and simple for players to use.

The post Yaspa and VIALET partner to bolster pan-European payments for iGaming clients appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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FBM® returns to OIGA with new milestones and high-performing slots

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FBM® is gearing up for another impactful participation at the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association Conference & Tradeshow (OIGA), taking place from July 14 to 16 at the OKC Convention Center in Oklahoma City. This year, FBM will join Delta Gaming Solutions at Booth 918, presenting four standout slot products that represent the latest chapter in its expansion in the US gaming market.

FBM’s presence at OIGA 2025 comes at a strategic time, following a series of key accomplishments in the past 12 months. The company has deepened its market penetration by installing games in several new casinos across the country. The rollout of a broader catalog of titles reflects the operators’ growing confidence in FBM’s value proposition.

At this year’s OIGA expo, FBM will exhibit four titles that speak directly to enhancing player engagement and operator’s performance:

  • Ji Hǎo Link™ game series includes four titles: Golden Lóng™, Fortunate Héping™, Eternal Fènghuáng™ and Great Weiyan™. The powerful dragon, the wise turtle, the eternal phoenix, and the brave white tiger promise to deliver thrilling gaming sessions in a mechanic where the common bonus triggered by the Jí Hǎo Link™ pagoda takes the spotlight.
  • Jí Hǎo Link™ Spirits is the perfect choice for players seeking thrilling, long-lasting, and entertaining gaming sessions. The unpredictability of the Spirits feature, which can reward players with free “flights” and big wins during the main game or free spins, builds excitement around the Golden Lóng™ Spirits and Eternal Fènghuáng™ Spirits titles.
  • Xing Fú Fortune Money Trees™ brings excitement, suspense, and adrenaline to any casino floor with game mechanics based on the Prosperity, Strength, and Fortune accumulators. The Xing Fú Fortune Money Trees bonus can offer up to seven different game experiences and is the gateway to collect the four available jackpots present on this slot theme.
  • Croc’s Lock™ is a 30-line slot with an exciting storyline and compelling features. Super Croc is this gaming experience’s hero working with 15 independent reels, where the Extra Coins and Extra Spins accumulators lead player through an entertaining journey.

OIGA is one of the most important tradeshows in the North American gaming calendar, and FBM views the 2025 edition as the ideal platform to strengthen partnerships and expand operator relationships in this key market. Mike Medlin, FBM’s General Manager of Sales & Operations, together with Emily Snow, Delta Gaming Solutions sales director, will welcome and engage directly with all tribal operators, agents, and industry stakeholders trying FBM’s slots and seeking competitive, high-performing gaming solutions.

This momentum underlines the brand’s ongoing mission to deliver top-tier gaming experiences to U.S. players, especially within the tribal sector. OIGA 2025 also sets the stage for FBM’s larger showcase coming in October at G2E Las Vegas, an event that will mark the global reveal of new games and innovations designed to uplift the gaming experience in North America. Visit Booth 918 at OIGA 2025 and try FBM’s slots.

The post FBM® returns to OIGA with new milestones and high-performing slots appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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