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Sports Betting Set For Explosive Growth in 2021: CEO’s of MGM Resorts, FansUnite, fuboTV, and DraftKings Share Outlook

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Wall Street Reporter, the trusted name in financial news since 1843, has published reports on the latest comments and insights from leaders at: MGM Resorts International, FansUnite, fuboTV, and DraftKings.

Wall Street Reporter highlights the latest comments from industry thought leaders:

MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) CEO, Bill Hornbuckle: “BetMGM emerging as long-term leader sports betting and iGaming”

“…The sports betting and iGaming market is one of the largest and most exciting growth opportunities in the U.S.A. today, and BetMGM is emerging as a long-term leader. BetMGM began 2020 in just 3 markets and has ended the year with 10. It is now currently live in 12 states, and we expect to be in 20 states by the end of 2021 with access to approximately 40% of the U.S. adult population. As each state rolls out, MGM is securing a leading market share position. In the fourth quarter, BetMGM’s market share was 17% in its retail and online markets and 19% if you exclude Pennsylvania, which were only open for part of December. This is a testament to BetMGM’s successful execution and strong management teams as it continues to enter new states on day one….BetMGM’s key competitive advantage is its ability to lever MGM’s destinations our broad-based experiential offerings and our M life loyalty program as efficient and effective customer acquisition tools. Once engaged, we know that omnichannel customers have vastly greater value to our company than single-channel customers. And again, while we’re still in this in the early days in Michigan, we are already proving this out. We are currently seeing customer acquisition costs below the $200 range.”

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FansUnite “Positioned for Exponential Revenue Growth in iGaming, E-Sports, Online Sports Betting”

In their latest presentation at Wall Street Reporter’s NEXT SUPER STOCK livestream, FansUnite (OTC: FUNFF) (CSE: FANS) CEO Scott Burton, and President Darius Eghdami explained how FUNFF’s latest distribution deal with an online casino games aggregator, sets the stage for exponential revenue growth opportunities. In the next 12 months, FUNFF plans to expand its current line from three games to twelve – while adding multiple aggregators for each game – reaching millions of new online casino customers worldwide. With each game generating as much as $500,000 in revenue per month for FUNFF – per online casino – and the potential to be in hundreds of online casinos – these numbers can quickly add up.

May 5 – FUNN engages SeventySix Capital Sports Advisory (“SSCSA”), a preeminent sports and entertainment consulting group, to assist the Company in advancing its sportsbook platform expansion in the United States. SSCSA and its affiliated companies have an extensive network spanning some of the biggest brands within the sports and entertainment industry. By leveraging SSCSA’s extensive network of key partners, FUNFF will be able to identify U.S. sports, esports media and other companies and brands that are looking for a betting platform partner to provide wagering services to its followers. A partnership with these brands will enable FUNFF to capitalize on their fanbase, which will further solidify the Company’s footprint in the U.S. sports betting market, and generate significant income through a revenue share model when it licenses its B2B online gambling solutions to these companies.

April 14 – FUNNF reports record $28.3M in betting volume and a 136% increase in revenue for its McBookie subsidiary in Q1 2021, compared to same period last year.

March 17 – FUNFF enters into a strategic partnership with TGS Esports Inc. (TGS), a leading esports solutions provider, to launch live esports tournament prediction games.
TGS partners with organizations and brands to build and grow their esports communities via tournaments, broadcast production and events.

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March 4 – FUNFF applies for UK Gambling licenses, which will unlock its suite of betting products to operators in the U.K. online gambling market and deploy its B2C wagering platforms in the United Kingdom. These applications represent a critical step for FansUnite to expand its operations to the U.K., a jurisdiction that is considered to be one of the largest gambling markets in the world.

DraftKings Inc. CEO, Jason Robins “New Sports Betting Markets Openings Are Fueling Growth”

“…We are raising our revenue outlook for 2021 due to our expectation for continued growth, the outperformance of our core business and newly launched states that were not included in the guidance we shared in November…Looking ahead, I remain very confident in the continued growth of the online sports betting and iGaming markets in the U.S. Even in a market like New Jersey where we’ve been live for 2.5 years, substantial growth continues. Our handle in New Jersey grew over 100% in 2020 and we are profitable in the state despite the impact of the COVID pandemic…. In the fourth quarter, we launched sports betting in Tennessee. In January, Iowans were able to register via our mobile app rather than in person at a retail casino. We also launched mobile sports betting and iGaming in Michigan and we launched mobile sports betting in Virginia…”

“…We continue to be live with mobile sports betting in more states than any other operator. Our launch in Michigan is going very well. Early results are consistent with our goal to always maximize overall user engagement and monetization across our product offerings…DraftKings achieved 25% share of mobile sports betting handle and GGR and 20% share of iGaming GGR in the first 10 days of a highly competitive market. Our iGaming handle per capita in Michigan on Super Bowl Sunday with 1.9 times the average of our iGaming handle per capita in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia on their first Super Bowl…We’re excited for the future. DraftKings is well positioned with over $1.8 billion in cash to enter new states as soon as practicable, to drive our continued product innovation, acquire customers and explore opportunistic M&A…”

fuboTV CEO David Gandler: ”At Intersection of Sports Streaming and Wagering”

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“…From an execution standpoint, Q3 was by far the strongest quarter in the company’s history. Our results have exceeded previously raised guidance with solid growth across every KPI we track. Revenues were up 47% to $61 million. That’s well ahead of the guidance range we provided of $52 million to $55 million. …Paid subscribers at quarter end totaled 455,000, and that’s 58% above the 288,000 last year. Net additions came in at 167,000. That’s up almost 100% year-over-year…FUBO sits firmly at the intersection of 3 megatrends: The first is the secular decline of traditional television viewership; the second is the shift of TV ad dollars to connected devices; and the third is online sports wagering, a market we absolutely intend to enter. Our growth opportunities are numerous, and there are great many reasons for us to be optimistic given the optionality in the business…”

“We’re super excited about wagering. I would say that we’ve already started executing on our strategy. And at the appropriate time, we’ll provide more details. But the way we think about wagering is we look at it from a 3-bucket perspective: we have an acquisitions advantage, we have an engagement advantage and we have a monetization advantage. For acquisitions, you should think of it that we’re starting with 500,000 paying subscribers. And what you’ve heard from our ability to sell attachments this quarter, we think that we’re going to be able to also sell in a lot of wagering opportunities. Number two was on the engagement front. We have over 50,000 sporting events on the platform, and we’re getting people to watch over 120 hours per month. So there are going to be ample opportunities for us to really sort of drive that forward…”

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Andrew Cochrane Chief Business Officer of GiG

GiG increases Ontario market presence, powering the launch of Casino Time

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Gaming Innovation Group Inc. (GiG), has announced the launch of Casino Time, powered by its award winning iGaming platform and pioneering real-time rules engine LogicX, with revolutionary sportsbook, SportX soon to follow, to further extend its footprint in the regulated Canadian province of Ontario.

The launch of Casino Time carries extra significance, marking only the second time that on-demand, regulated online Bingo has been made available in Ontario. The new Bingo product vertical, launched alongside a strong Casino offering, will be boosted by GiG’s new sportsbook, SportX, as part of a planned release later this year.

GiG has focused its solutions on driving exponential growth in revenue for operators with its highly scalable iGaming platform, offering localised third party content and leading suppliers for the Ontarian market. GiGs peerless gamification layer creates an optimised and immersive casino experience tailored to regional preferences, swelling client retention and player engagement.

Canadian owned and operated, Casino Time is a joint venture amongst leading retail operators in Ontario’s Charitable Gaming sector, delivering Bingo, Slots and Live Dealer Casino Games. Promising a personalised service and community experience, Casino Time is continuing its long-standing partnership with local charities, introducing its joint fundraising model into the iGaming space for the first time.

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Now coming towards the end of its second year of licensed operations, Ontario has emerged as one of the largest iGaming markets in North America, second only to New Jersey according to data supplied by Vixio. The first and as yet only Canadian province to launch a regulated market, Ontario boasts more than 1.6 million active player accounts spread over 40 plus operators, generating €1.3 billion in Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) in its first year of trading, with this data supplied by iGaming Ontario.

Andrew Cochrane, Chief Business Officer of GiG, said: GiG continues to set the pace with a strong cadence of brand launches in 2024, and I’m pleased that when operators are seeking platform solutions in regulated markets, GiG is leading the pack. Our partnership with Casino Time, will help deliver something new and exciting to the Ontarian market, and further helps to demonstrate the flexibility of our solutions, adapting to match the regional aspirations of our partners to deliver growth.

D’Arcy Stuart, CEO of Casino Time, said: “We are thrilled to partner with GiG as the core technology provider of our iGaming platform. Their powerful suite of player engagement tools, as well as diverse content and regulatory integrations, underpin our ability to serve and delight our player community. Our hybrid online and offline customer network, as well as unique bingo offerings, will drive exciting opportunities as the platform and the marketplace continues to grow.”

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Bragg Gaming Group

Bragg Gaming Announces Resignation of Chief Financial Officer

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Bragg Gaming Group Inc., a global B2B gaming technology and content provider, announced that Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Ronen Kannor, has notified Bragg’s board of directors (Board) that he will resign from his position to pursue other career opportunities, effective June 3, 2024. The Company confirms that the search for a replacement CFO has commenced.

Matevž Mazij, Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board, commented: “We thank Ronen for his dedication and commitment to Bragg over the past four years and for his unwavering service as a pivotal member of the leadership team.

“During his tenure as CFO, the Company has undergone huge positive transformation including being uplisted to the Toronto Stock Exchange, dual listed on the NASDAQ and successfully completing two acquisitions, all while reporting consecutive years of revenue, gross profit and adjusted EBITDA growth. We wish Ronen all the very best in his future endeavors.”

Ronen Kannor commented: “It has been an honor to be part of the Bragg team which has successfully navigated many challenges and continued to deliver consistent growth over the past four years. I thank the Board for their support throughout my time with Bragg, and I am now fully focused on ensuring a smooth handover to my successor.

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“Special thanks goes to my finance team, who work tirelessly to deliver the positive change and financial growth that the Company continues to achieve. I wish them and all of my colleagues continued success with Bragg now and in the future.”

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Canada

Rivalry Reports Preliminary Fourth Quarter and Year-End 2023 Results

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  • Betting handle of $423.2 million in FY 20231 increased 82% year-over-year, while reducing marketing spend 15%.
  • Revenue of $35.7 million in FY 2023 increased 34%.
  • Gross profit of $16.2 million in FY 2023, up 66% year-over-year.
  • FY23 sets all-time records for average handle per customer, up nearly 30% year-over-year, average revenue per customer up 38% year-over-year, and record low cost of customer acquisition, down 15% year-over-year.
  • Total player registrations eclipsed 2 million in FY23 while extending Gen Z market leadership.
  • FY24 off to a strong start as the capital raised late Q4 is being effectively deployed – delivering strong KPIs, supported by betting margin trending toward a more than 20% increase over the average of FY23.
  • To meet growing consumer demand the Company is adding greater support for cryptocurrency and exploring implementation of adjacent crypto-enabled technologies.
  • Rivalry is seeing a rise in demand to license its in-house casino games, accelerating the advancement of its B2B vertical.
  • Company re-affirms guidance, anticipates achieving profitability in H1 2024.

Rivalry Corp. (the “Company” or “Rivalry”) (TSXV: RVLY) (OTCQX: RVLCF) (FSE: 9VK), the leading sportsbook and iGaming operator for Gen Z, today announced preliminary and unaudited financial results for the three and 12-month periods ended December 31, 2023. All dollar figures are quoted in Canadian dollars.

“Rivalry exited 2023 as an increasingly diversified company – both geographically and across our product suite,” said Steven Salz, Co-Founder and CEO of Rivalry. “Last year we gained meaningful traction in new segments such as traditional sports, casino, and fantasy, which is widening our opportunity set and positioning us for sustainable growth in the medium- to long-term. We’re happy to have finished the year with all-time high customer economics, diversified revenue streams, and a reinforced competitive moat around Gen Z betting entertainment and experiences.”

“During Q1 we have been strategically deploying capital from our fourth quarter investment in areas that are driving customer acquisition and revenue – such as amplifying proven marketing strategies, releasing higher margin products, and developing proprietary betting experiences – that we expect will begin materializing in our results throughout the first half of 2024 and beyond,” added Salz.

“Our operational excellence across product and brand marketing last year are seen across positive KPI trends and continued year-over-year growth. Ultimately, we are proving that we can acquire and retain a coveted Gen Z demographic through an entertainment-led product set, culturally relevant brand, and a team unafraid of pushing past a long-standing industry status quo.”

Preliminary Full-Year 2023 Highlights2

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  • Betting handle was $423.2 million in the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of $190.4 million or 82% from $232.8 million in 2022.
  • Revenue was $35.7 million in 2023, an increase of $9.0 million or 34% compared to $26.6 million in the previous year.
  • Gross profit was $16.2 million in 2023, an increase of $6.4 million or 66% from $9.8 million of gross profit in 2022.
  • The Casino segment was a significant driver of growth in 2023, with revenues of $6.4 million up 92% from 2022, and representing 52% of betting handle in the year.
  • The Company expanded its casino offering significantly during 2023, including the release of a new original game Cash & Dash in September, entry into the slots category in October, and the launch of its iOS mobile app in Ontario, enhancing the mobile casino experience and its accessibility.
  • Diversified revenue streams through new segments including traditional sports, which has grown by 60% since FY22, and fantasy, highlighting the elasticity of Rivalry’s brand among Gen Z and broadening TAM.
  • Total operating expenses of $38.9 million in 2023 decreased by $1.0 million year-over-year. The decrease was driven by a reduction in marketing expense, offsetting increases in general & administration and technology & content expense incurred to support the growth of the business.
  • Net loss was $24.3 million for 2023, a reduction of 22% or $6.9 million from the net loss of $31.1 million in 2022.

Fourth Quarter 2023 Highlights

  • Betting handle for the three-month period ended December 31, 2023 was $85.2 million, an increase of $1.2 million or 1.5% from $83.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2022 while marketing spend decreased by 32%.
  • Revenue was $6.5 million in the Q4 2023, representing a decrease of $3.0 million or 32% from $9.4 million of revenue in Q4 2022 due to less favorable sportsbook outcomes compared against an abnormally favorable result experienced in Q4 2022. The Company notes that revenue as a percentage of betting handle was near the average achieved throughout FY23, highlighting the abnormally favorable margin outcome in the comparable quarter, Q4 2022.
  • Gross profit was $3.0 million in Q4 2023, a decrease of $2.0 million or 40% from $5.0 million of gross profit in Q4 2022. The year-over-year decline follows the relative margin impact noted previously. Gross profit as a percentage of betting handle in Q4 2023 was equal to the average in FY23. Rivalry is also pleased to note that its ongoing efforts to stabilize and improve margin are yielding results, with Q1 2024 trending toward a more than 20% improvement over the average in FY23.
  • Net loss was $9.0 million in Q4 2023, a reduction of $3.3 million compared to a net loss of $12.3 million in Q4 2022. Net loss adjusting for accruals, other non-cash items, and one-time expenses, would have been approximately $7.0 million.
  • On November 15, 2023, Rivalry strengthened its balance sheet with the announcement of a private placement offering of $14 million principal amount senior secured convertible debentures to scale several strategic verticals across marketing, product development, and geographic expansion.
  • Released Rivalry Ultimate Fan, a free-to-play NBA fantasy app, to acquire new users and engage existing customers within the product suite.
  • First-party game ‘Cash & Dash’ released in September demonstrated next generation appeal as it became the fifth most-played casino game on our platform and among the top ten highest-grossing by revenue with momentum carrying into Q1, creating downstream licensing opportunities for Rivalry’s IP.

Outlook

“The year ahead is rife with new, innovative product releases arriving in Q2 and continuing throughout 2024,” Salz added. “In addition to the strength of our core roadmap, we are in the process of unlocking what we believe to be two of the most material developments to our business model since launching Rivalry in 2018. The first is a B2B vertical to license our in-house developed games, and the second is exploration and development within the crypto ecosystem – each representing an impactful growth catalyst on our path to profitability this year.”

“I have never had more confidence in our product roadmap and what Rivalry is building this year. Apart from new products, original games, and proprietary features, we have been working to dial-up the overall feel and entertainment value of our core product to provide a tech-savvy, next generation customer with a tailored experience that is well-differentiated within the larger sports betting marketplace.”

Investor Conference Call

Management will host a conference call at 10:00 a.m. EDT on Friday, April 5, 2024 to discuss the Company’s preliminary unaudited year-end and fourth quarter 2023 financial results.

Dial-in: 800-717-1738 (toll free) or (+1) 289-514-5100 (local or international calls)
Webcast:         A live webcast can be accessed from the Events section of the Company’s website
A replay of the webcast will be archived on the Company’s website for one year.

Rivalry expects to file its audited financial statements and management discussion and analysis for the period ended December 31, 2023 by the end of April 2024. The documents will be available on SEDAR+ at sedarplus.ca, and on the Company’s website.

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Related Party Transaction

On April 17, 2022 the Company entered into a secured demand loan (the “Loan”) with Kevin Wimer, the Chief Operating Officer and a Director of the Company. Pursuant to the terms of the Loan, the Company loaned Mr. Wimer US$385,000 which amount bears interest at 3.2% per annum and was repayable on demand by the Company and in any event by April 17, 2024 (the “Maturity Date”). The Loan was entered into to assist Mr. Wimer with the funding of certain tax obligations and is secured by a pledge of Mr. Wimer’s subordinate voting shares of the Company. The Company announces today that it has entered into an amendment to the Loan (the “Loan Amendment”) to extend the Maturity Date to April 17, 2026. The Loan Amendment was approved by the non-interested directors of the Company.

Mr. Wimer is a “related party” of the Company within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 – Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (“MI 61-101“). As a result, the Loan Amendment is considered to be a “related party transaction” as such term is defined by MI 61-101. The Company is relying on an exemption from the minority shareholder approval requirement set out in MI 61-101 as the fair market value of the transaction does not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Company, as determined in accordance with MI 61-101. The Company did not file a material change report more than 21 days before entering into the closing of the Loan Amendment as the details of the Loan Amendment were not settled until shortly prior to the entering into thereof.

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