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XLMedia Partially Disposes Personal Finance Assets for $1.3 Million

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XLMedia has announced the part disposal of the Group’s Personal Finance assets for a total cash consideration of $1.3 million (the Disposal). The Disposal comprises domains and websites including Investor Junkie, Greedy Rates and Young and Thifty owned by XLMedia Publishing Limited and Webpals Systems SC Limited, subsidiaries of XLMedia plc. The cash generated from the Disposal will be utilised in the day-to-day operations of the business.

The Disposal is in line with the Company’s strategy to exit non-core activities while focusing on the Group’s Sports and Gaming business, expanding its North American Sports footprint, while also refining and developing the Group’s EU Sports portfolio, and the Group’s Gaming assets in selected markets, including the US.

In the year ended 31 December 2022, the assets relating to the Personal Finance division generated revenues of $1.9 million and EBITDA loss of $1.3 million.

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The Personal Finance assets were excluded from continuing operations as disclosed in the Company’s year ended 31 December 2022 results and have no impact on earnings in the current financial year.

Following the sale of these assets to MPD Media, the process to sell the remaining Personal Finance assets is at an advanced stage, but there is no certainty that a transaction or transactions will complete.

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Entain Examines Possible Sale of Overseas Gambling Brands

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Entain has hired advisers to oversee the possible sale of several of its overseas brands, according to reports.

These brands include Netherlands-based BetCity, which the gambling firm had bought last year.

The Netherlands, last year proposed a plan for tighter deposit limits from the second quarter, which is expected to hit Entain’s annual revenue and profit, the company said earlier this month.

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A local offshoot of Ladbrokes in Australia, Sweden-based Enlabs and Georgia-based CrystalBet are other brands that are not integrated into Entain’s main tech platform and under review, reports said.

Wall Street boutique advisory Moelis is advising Entain’s board and the group’s recently formed capital allocation committee, and any disposals will be of brands that are not integrated into the company’s technology platform, which makes them easier to sell.

Entain, like other gambling firms, gained from a rise in online betting during the pandemic, but stiffer regulations in its main markets have hurt its bottom line.

The UK, the gambling firm’s largest market, is expected to put out a review this year, which is said to include a stake cap on slots at 5 pounds ($6.37) and increased affordability checks.

Entain expects its core profit to incur a 40 million pounds hit in 2024 from the regulatory moves in the UK and Netherlands.

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Flexion “Direct-to-Consumer” Talks with Top Mobile Game Developers at GDC Will Define the Future

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Executives from Flexion, the games marketing company, will hold a series of summit talks with top developers at GDC in San Francisco (18 to 22 March 2024) to discuss how direct-to-consumer (D2C) services could enhance revenue.

The D2C’24 Summit will focus on the opportunities offered to developers by recent moves freeing up the mobile games market and, in particular, on new routes to user acquisition. The aim will be to align the industry on the best way forward in light of changes in the app stores.

Flexion is already the leader in accessing alternative markets including Amazon, Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, Aptoide, DT Hubs and ONEstore, boosting revenue for top games without upfront costs or significant effort. It is building on its partnerships with these platforms and other industry leading companies from UA to 3rd party billing to meet future developer needs.

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“We have many years of experience and the know-how in taking an existing game and finding new revenue sources. We have also built partnerships across the industry – including with alternative app stores – that will allow us to help developers go much further in future,” Jens Lauritzson, CEO of Flexion, said.

In the last quarter, Flexion saw a 64% increase in its own revenue, as an increasing number of developers took the plunge into alternative markets. Through working with Flexion, developers see a more than 10% average boost in revenue (over marketing in Google Play alone) without significantly adding to their costs.

Jens said: “Developers have been frustrated by difficult user acquisition, where it is challenging to achieve positive returns due to changes in tracking and high store fees. But with the DMA in Europe and court cases in the US forcing Google and Apple to ease their stranglehold on the mobile games market, now is an excellent time for developers to re-engage directly with consumers.

“Many will hesitate at the underlying complexity and size of investment needed to exploit these opportunities, and so third-party services, like those being developed by Flexion, are going to be vital in making the ROI figures work.”

Through the D2C’24 Summit, Flexion will canvas opinions and share its ideas on direct-to-consumer marketing with top developers. The goal will be to create a consensus on the tools and services developers will need to maximise returns.

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“We’re at the edge of a step change in the mobile games market and it’s important for the industry that we get things right. That’s why we’ve invited developers to these talks, and I’d be happy to hear from anyone else who would like to contribute to the discussion,” Jens said.

Ben Anquetil’s appointment as Head of Business Development is an important part of Flexion’s future-focused strategy. He has a brief to evaluate the company’s value proposition for D2C with the aim of ensuring that developers generate better return on their marketing spend going forward.

“I’m delighted to welcome Ben to the Flexion family at such an exciting time. He has a wealth of experience in the alternative distribution space and in strategic initiatives that generate more revenue and audiences for developers. With his help, Flexion will grow a whole new aspect of its business, offering developers easy access to the burgeoning range of markets that will become the norm,” Jens said.

“I foresee amazing opportunities for developers. By using D2C services, they will be able to enhance user engagement and retention for their games while improving margin. These factors will give them the freedom to grow revenue and audiences,” Ben said.

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Entain Appoints Ronald J. Kramer as Independent Non-Executive Director

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Entain plc, the global sports betting and gaming group, announced the appointment of Ronald J. Kramer as an Independent Non-Executive Director with immediate effect.

The Board has determined that Ronald J. Kramer is independent. In making that determination, the Board have concluded that there are no other relationships or circumstances which are likely to affect his judgement and that any relationships or circumstances which could appear to do so are not considered to be material.

Barry Gibson, Chairman of Entain, said: “I am delighted to announce the appointment of Ron to the Board. He is a high calibre individual with deep knowledge and expertise of the US gaming industry. I am confident that his appointment will add significant value to the Board and complement our existing Board dynamics, as we continue to deliver our strategy of growth and focus on shareholder value.”

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Ron brings extensive corporate finance, real estate and gaming industry experiences gained over a 40-year career. He is currently the Chairman and CEO of Griffon Corporation (NYSE:GFF), a diversified management and holding company headquartered in New York, and serves on the Board of Douglas Elliman Inc. (NYSE:DOUG), a leading residential brokerage company. Ron was previously the President and Director of Wynn Resorts Limited (Nevada:WYNN) between 2002 and 2008. He received a Bachelor of Science from Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1980 and an MBA from New York University in 1981.

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