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ZEAL achieves double-digit growth in transaction volume and revenue in the first half of 2023
ZEAL Network SE, the leading German online provider of lottery products, strongly increased its billings and revenues as well as the number of new customers in the first half of 2023. In the process, ZEAL took advantage of the high jackpot phases for successful marketing campaigns, which significantly expanded the customer base for further business growth.
“The growth of our transaction volume in the second quarter of 2023 was near record-breaking and a whopping 18.8 percent higher than in the second quarter of 2022 – in this respect, we even recorded the second-best quarter in the company’s history,” said Jonas Mattsson, CFO of ZEAL. He also said that the continuous growth in new customers clearly shows that ZEAL has continued to make smart strategic investments in the first half of 2023 to further expand its market leadership. Mattsson continues, “Strategic growth in the e-commerce environment is becoming increasingly difficult, but with our attractive products and diverse marketing campaigns, we are confident that we will continue to impress in the market.”
Record growth and transaction volumes
The transaction volume of the ZEAL Group increased by 15 percent to 411.7 million euros in the first half of 2023 (2022: 358.3 million euros). At the same time, sales revenue grew by eleven percent to 54.8 million euros (2022: 49.4 million euros). At 12.5 percent, the company’s gross margin was close to the previous year’s figure (2022: 12.8 percent).
In the first six months of the year, ZEAL was able to take advantage of the attractive jackpot phases in January, March and June to acquire new customers and further expand its business volume. In June, for example, the popular Eurojackpot lottery hit the maximum jackpot of 120 million euros in two consecutive draws. During this phase, ZEAL set a new record with a transaction volume of 30.6 million euros in a single week. This development was supported by intensive marketing campaigns such as a cooperation with Kürsat Yildirim, known to the German public as a multiple lottery winner under the nickname “Chico”.
Earnings base strengthened by strong new customer growth
In the first half of 2023, ZEAL acquired 349 thousand new customers, an increase of 20 percent year-on-year (2022: 292 thousand). ZEAL experienced increased acquisition costs per registered new customer (cost per lead, CPL) of 45.09 euros (2022: 37.61 euros), reflecting higher media costs in intensified competition for new customers. As a result, marketing expenses were 44 percent higher than in the previous year at 20.0 million euros (2022: 13.9 million euros). Other operating expenses consequently increased to 31.6 million euros (2022: 24.5 million euros). As a result of higher investments in new customer growth, EBITDA was down year-on-year at 13.8 million euros (2022: 16.4 million euros). EBIT amounted to 9.3 million euros (2022: 12.1 million euros) and net profit for the period to 5.6 million euros (2022: 9.4 million euros). “We pursue a focused marketing strategy and invest disproportionately in high-jackpot phases,” explains Jonas Mattsson. “The short-term decline in earnings at high jackpot phases is a perfectly normal development that will settle down again in the further course of the fiscal year.”
Continuous expansion of the games portfolio
In April, ZEAL received permission from the Joint Gambling Authority of the Federal States (GGL) to offer virtual slot machine games, so-called online games, and started offering them in its own web stores in June. Since then, the company has been working on the continuous expansion of its games offering. At the beginning of August, ZEAL added further games to the portfolio of LOTTO24’s web stores and plans to expand the range to up to 200 titles within the first year.
Forecast confirmed
For fiscal year 2023, ZEAL plans to expand its market leadership as an online provider of lottery products and continues to expect a billings volume in the range of 800 million euros to 830 million euros for the Germany segment – assuming an average jackpot development. In addition, ZEAL continues to expect revenues to be between 110 million euros and 120 million euros in fiscal year 2023. For EBITDA, ZEAL expects a range of 30 million to 35 million euros. The company again plans to invest significantly more in new customer acquisition than in the previous year and expects marketing expenses of between 34 million euros and 39 million euros.
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7777 gaming enters the Georgian market in partnership with Europebet
7777 gaming, a leading provider of online casino games, is thrilled to announce its entry into the Georgian market through a strategic partnership with Europebet – one of the leading online gambling operators in the region, part of the renowned Betsson Group since 2015.
7777 gaming presents an expansive collection of more than 100 online casino games, each meticulously certified to comply with Georgia’s latest legal standards. With a focus on innovation and quality, 7777 gaming provides unique and engaging casino experiences that cater to the preferences of the new generation of players.
The direct integration of 7777 gaming’s content into Europebet’s platform demonstrates a commitment to offering players a premium gaming experience with a wide range of high-quality titles. Through this integration, players at Europebet in Georgia can enjoy 7777 gaming’s engaging and diverse games portfolio, such as Cash 100, Barbarian, Candy Anyways, Sea of Treasures, Diamonds of Majesty, and Thracian Treasures.
Elena Shaterova, Chief Commercial Officer at 7777 gaming, stated: “We take pride in our relentless dedication to adhering to the latest legislative requirements in Georgia’s online gambling sector. Recognizing the immense potential of this lucrative market, we eagerly join forces with Europebet, a renowned brand synonymous with thrilling gameplay, innovation, and creativity.”
Mindia Tsiklauri, Slots Product Manager at Europebet said: “Our partnership with 7777 gaming introduces a new dimension of entertainment for our players. Their extensive and distinctive game selection adds valuable diversity to our platform, a sought-after quality in our vibrant and competitive market. Continuously seeking innovative avenues to captivate our audience, we view 7777 gaming as an invaluable ally in our ongoing mission.”
The post 7777 gaming enters the Georgian market in partnership with Europebet appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Detroit casinos
Detroit Casinos Report $102.9M in October Revenue
The three Detroit casinos reported $102.9 million in monthly aggregate revenue (AGR) for the month of October 2024, of which $103.7 million was generated from table games and slots, and negative ($826,796) from retail sports betting.
The October market shares were:
• MGM, 48%
• MotorCity, 30%
• Hollywood Casino at Greektown, 22%
Monthly Table Games, Slot Revenue, and Taxes
The casinos’ revenue for table games and slots for the month of October 2024 increased 26.9% when compared to the same month last year. This remarked increase is due in part to when casino employees went on strike on Oct. 17, 2023, which caused AGR totals to be lower than normal. October’s monthly revenue was 2.4% higher when compared to the previous month, September 2024. From Jan. 1 through Oct. 31, the Detroit casinos’ table games and slots revenue increased by 3.0% compared to the same period last year.
The casinos’ monthly gaming revenue results all increased compared to October 2023:
• MGM, up 32.4% to $49.4 million
• MotorCity, up 26.7% to $31.7 million
• Hollywood Casino at Greektown, up 16.5% to $22.6 million
In October 2024, the three Detroit casinos paid $8.4 million in gaming taxes to the State of Michigan. They paid $6.6 million for the same month last year. The casinos also reported submitting $12.8 million in wagering taxes and development agreement payments to the City of Detroit in October.
Monthly Retail Sports Betting Revenue and Taxes
The three Detroit casinos reported $22.19 million in total retail sports betting handle, and total gross receipts totaled negative ($822,552) for the month of October. Retail sports betting qualified adjusted gross receipts (QAGR) were down by $2.0 million in October when compared to October 2023, and down by $1.6 million when compared to September 2024.
October QAGR by casino was:
• MGM: negative ($474,293)
• MotorCity: negative ($528,408)
• Hollywood Casino at Greektown: $175,905
During October, the casinos paid $6,649 in gaming taxes to the state and reported submitting $8,127 in wagering taxes to the City of Detroit based on their retail sports betting revenue.
Fantasy Contests
For September 2024, fantasy contest operators reported total adjusted revenues of $1.1 million and paid taxes of $89,282.
21VIRAL
21VIRAL Integrates Air Dice Group Games
21VIRAL, the Latin American-focused games aggregator and solution provider, has onboarded Air Dice Group’s games portfolio.
21VIRAL, which is creating a streamlined integration, onboarding and transparent pricing in the iGaming casino and game aggregation supply vertical, announced the onboarding of Air Dice Group today.
The distribution deal allows 21VIRAL access to Air Dice’s complete portfolio of content. Air Dice specialises in strategy-influenced money games, which are in high demand across Latin America.
Christoph Härtel, CEO of 21VIRAL, said: “Our business is customer-first, and building out a great CRX experience is our goal. Having looked at the market incumbents, we decided to specialise in the Latin American market, given its current growth, which is double-digit, and is expected to maintain high levels of growth over the next 5 to 10 years.”
“We have already onboarded several industry-established operators and game providers in record time using AI to facilitate faster and more streamlined workflows. We are, therefore, delighted to work with Air Dice Group to ensure their massively popular games, such as Wild Cash, Coco Craze, and Book of Goddess, are available to our operator’s portfolio of games content.
However, one of the limiting factors, especially if you are an operator or game provider, is the technical integration expertise and market access within the supply chain. If a game provider wishes to have their games deployed on Operator A’s website, but they are yet to be available to that operator, 21VIRAL’s GameConnector will be the provider’s enabler with all the technical integration, heavy lifting, and onboarding. We will also offer reverse integration, which means that we integrate our GameConnector Platform into their systems – therefore, the operators have less effort.
Simply, it’s a win-win, as many game providers in other territories, such as continental Europe, lack the commercial and technical distribution to enter LatAm—we do all that from them—and the operator gets access to the unique game content in the supply chain that can enhance their players’ engagement and revenue opportunities.”
Rocio Moitino, Director for LatAm, Air Dice Group added: “Latin America has proven to be an expanding and high-growth market for our games content over the last few years, and it continues to increase. We are delighted to increase our market accessibility with 21VIRAL’s team, as they provide faster speed to market to enable operators to access and publish our unique games to their casino lobby in quicker timeframes.”
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