XB Systems AG, a leading eSports gambling operator, today releases its Q1 trading update, and announces that it has signed a Letter of Intent (“LOI”) to merge with Galaxy Group Ltd.

XB Systems AG, operating under the brand BUFF.bet, announces strong Q1 revenue growth, with Q1 Gross Gaming Revenues (GGR) of €442k, up 197% year on year. On a pro-forma basis, GGR is up over 30% year on year, following the merger between the X-Bet.co and BUFF.bet brands in Q2 2020.

The company has migrated all players across to the BUFF.bet brand, and seen strong growth in GGR per active, showing the underlying strength of BUFF.bet’s eSports offering. In terms of the full year outlook, management has guided to double digit pro-forma revenue growth for FY21.

XB Systems AG also announces today that it has signed a Letter of Intent (“LOI”) to merge with Galaxy Group Ltd, operating under the brand name UltraPlay.

UltraPlay is an award winning eSports B2B software provider, which has returned consistently strong revenue and earnings growth over the past few years. The combination of the XB Systems AG B2C eSports gambling business with UltraPlay’s award winning B2B offering will create a market leading vertically integrated eSports offering.

The combined entity would have generated revenues of over €7m in 2020 on a pro-forma basis, with strong cash generation. While the merger will be done on an equity basis, with Galaxy Group shareholders taking equity in the combined entity, the management is currently considering finance options to facilitate the transaction and accelerate organic growth.

Oliver Niner tasked with onboarding clients and growing the sales team at esports data and odds provider

PandaScore, the esports data and odds provider, has strengthened its team with the appointment of Oliver Niner as Head of Sales who will play a significant role in driving growth through securing new client partnerships.

Niner has extensive industry experience having held roles at Betgenius, Marathonbet, Oulala Games, PIMS SCA and most recently at start-up platform provider Atlas IAC where he was Commercial Director. His knowledge and experience cover all verticals from sports to casino and beyond.

Niner will use this knowledge and experience to onboard new clients and partners and to establish a sustainable platform for growth and long-term success. He will also be responsible for building out a talented and experienced sales team as part of wider company expansion plans.

Flavien Guillocheau, CEO at PandaScore, said: “I would like to welcome Oliver to the team and look forward to working closely with him as we continue to position PandaScore as the number one esports data and odds provider for the global online gambling industry.

“Oliver has the talent and the experience required to ensure operators are aware of our market-leading products and services and to manage them from signing on the dotted line to integrating and launching our data feeds and odds. This makes him a great addition to the team.”

Oliver Niner, Head of Sales at PandaScore, said: “I am incredibly excited to have joined PandaScore at what is a pivotal moment in the company’s journey. They have already assembled a great team and I am honoured to now join their ranks and to lead sales activity and growth.

“The betting and iGaming community has come to realise the opportunity that embracing esports more fully can bring and Pandascore is a figurehead for that.  My team and I will be taking this message to the market and will enable our new and existing customers to maximise the potential that an esports product, delivered via Pandascore’s odds and data can bring, these are very exciting times!”

Semper Fortis Esports has announced its intention to float on the Aquis Stock Exchange in London to raise GBP2.5 million, as it looks to tap into the fast-growing market for competitive video gaming.

Semper Fortis intends to start trading on Aquis on April 26. Board members include Keith Harris, who is the former chair of The Football League, and Atari founder Nolan Bushnell. The company was founded in January 2020.

The Sheffield-based company plans to create esports teams, sign sponsorship deals with brands and sell consultancy services. Semper Fortis has recruited its first team, Top Blokes, and plans shortly to sign contracts with each of the three-man squad. Top Blokes compete in the Rocket League Championship Series, a professional international esports tournament. The company also will look to form partnerships with professional footballers and influencers.

“We see a significant opportunity to become a leading force in esports and associated technology development and consultancy services as we develop our business into the multiple vertical markets that serve esports and the wider gaming industry,” Kevin Soltani, Chief Executive of Semper Fortis, said.