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Aspire Global’s Year-End Report 2019 – Another Year of Strong Growth

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Aspire Global’s Year-End Report 2019 – Another Year of Strong Growth
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FOURTH QUARTER 2019 (OCT-DEC)
• Revenues decreased by 2.0% to €32.2 million (32.9).
• B2B revenues increased by 10.0% to €21.2 million (19.3), constituting 66.0% of total revenues.
• EBITDA decreased by 33.6% to €4.4 million (6.6).
• EBITDA for B2B decreased by 21.0% to €3.4 million (4.4), constituting 78.8% of total EBITDA.
• The EBITDA margin amounted to 13.5% (20.0%)
• EBIT amounted to €3.1 million (6.0).
• Earnings after tax amounted to €-12.1 million (4.6), impacted by the tax settlement of €13.7 million related to the fiscal years 2008–2018.
• Earnings per share after tax amounted to €-0.26 (0.10) including, and €0.03 (0.10) excluding, a one-off tax item.
• First time depositors in thousands (FTDs) decreased by 14.6% to 105.6 thousand (123.7).

FULL YEAR 2019 (JAN-DEC)
• Revenues increased by 26.0% to €131.4 million (104.6).
• B2B revenues increased by 43.4% to €81.1 million (56.6), constituting 62.0% of total revenues.
• EBITDA increased by 2.4% to €21.7 million (21.2).
• EBITDA for B2B increased by 29.0% to €15.9 million (12.4), constituting 73.4% of total EBITDA.
• The EBITDA margin amounted to 16.5% (20.3%)
• EBIT amounted to €17.7 million (19.3).
• Earnings after tax amounted to €0.4 million (16.2), impacted by the tax settlement of €13.7 million related to the fiscal years 2008–2018.
• Earnings per share after tax amounted to €0.01 (0.36) including, and €0.31 (0.36) excluding, a one-off tax item.
• First time depositors in thousands (FTDs) increased by 20.0% to 444.5 thousand (370.4).
• The Board proposes the AGM that no dividend is paid out for 2019 following the tax settlement and the continued search for M&A opportunities. The long-term dividend target of 50% of net profit remains.

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS DURING AND AFTER THE FOURTH QUARTER
• October 7th, Aspire Global finalized the acquisition of the leading game aggregator platform Pariplay for €13.3 million in cash, according to the initial conditions. With the acquisition Aspire Global has gained control of yet another crucial part of the iGaming value chain – creating synergies, broadening the game portfolio and providing a channel to distribute propriety games outside the partner network. The transaction had a positive effect on the company’s EBITDA already in Q4 2019.
• Aspire Global appealed against the lawsuit made by the Swedish Consumer Agency (“KO”) in October claiming that the company violated the marketing provisions of the Gaming- and Marketing acts.
• November 1st 2019, Aspire Global announced the coming entering into the regulated US market as Pariplay signed an agreement for New Jersey with longstanding partner 888casino.
• December 31st 2019, Aspire Global reached an agreement for a settlement with the Israeli Tax Authority in the previously disclosed tax audit.

STATEMENT FROM THE CEO
I am pleased to conclude that we have delivered another year of strong growth, despite changes in the market environment. Revenues increased by 26% to €131.4 million with an EBITDA margin of 16.5%, in line with our financial targets. We have proven that our strategy is efficient, and we have a solid foundation to continue to expand our business through organic growth and M&A.
We had a somewhat disappointing last quarter of the year due to new regulatory requirements in regulated markets, such as the UK, as well as markets to become regulated. Compliance is top on our agenda and we swiftly adapt to new regulatory requirements, knowing that our longer-term benefits are larger than the short-term impact. Our settlement with the Israeli tax authorities had a significant impact on net income and EPS in the quarter. Nonetheless, I am satisfied with the settlement as it provides the market with clarity around the outcome of the audit. The additional tax charge of €13.7 million is reported as a one-off tax item.

Growth for Pariplay in 2020
One of the highlights in the quarter is the successful integration of Pariplay where we already have realized some of the synergies. Pariplay contributed to revenues and EBITDA in the quarter with €3 million and €0.5 million respectively. The acquisition will create further cost synergies, strengthen our market presence in B2B, serve as our first footprint in the US and generate revenue streams outside our existing partners on our platform. The technical integration is completed, and we are happy to have all main third-party suppliers on board from the start. During the fourth quarter, Pariplay signed two new operator deals. We expect Pariplay to generate significant growth in 2020 with a positive effect on the Group’s EBITDA.

Material organic growth in 2019
In 2019 we continued to deliver on our growth strategy and accelerated the number of partners and brands as well as strengthened our offering. In the quarter, three new partnerships were signed, and seven new B2B-brands were launched. By year-end, we had 77 B2B-brands and 44 partners operating on our platform, which is a material increase from 2018. The B2B-segment grew by 43.4% in 2019, constituting 62.0% of Group revenues, while growth for B2C was around 5% following weaker performance due to new regulatory requirements, although partially compensated by other markets.
We see great interest in our recent verticals  sports and bingo  and several partners are looking to broaden their offering. Four B2B-brands are currently offering sportsbook and three launches are soon to come. Bingo is live with one B2B-brand and three launches are near, including Karamba.

Competitive advantages in the regulated landscape
We have given clear proof of our ability to grow with good profitability in regulated markets. In 2019, more than 50% of our revenues came from regulated and taxed markets. We welcome the trend where more markets become regulated. We believe it benefits companies like ours, with a sustainable growth strategy rather than a more opportunistic approach and we consider it to be a business opportunity. We will continue to strengthen our market position in the regulated landscape by expanding in the value chain. It grants us a unique, competitive advantage as current and future partners wish to enhance their potential in any jurisdiction. Thus, we continue the active search for acquisition opportunities and new projects across various parts of the value chain, in Europe as well as other parts of the world. We are confident in our integration skills and we have the financial strength to execute on our M&A-strategy.

Continued sustainable profitable growth
Our broad market presence and product offering give us a solid foundation for sustainable profitable growth. We will continue to enhance our multi-vertical offering while maintaining the search for M&A-opportunities, supported by our strong balance sheet. We are confident in our ability to meet our financial targets for 2021, €200 million in revenues and €32 million in EBITDA.

Tsachi Maimon, CEO Aspire Global

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Alexandra Botez Unveiled As GGPoker’s Newest Brand Ambassador

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Celebrated chess player and content creator turns her talents to the world’s favorite card game

 GGPoker, the World’s Biggest Poker Room, proudly announces the addition of Alexandra Botez to its prestigious GGTeam. Known globally as a top-tier chess player and revered streaming personality, Botez brings her exceptional strategic insight and charismatic presence to the world of poker.

As a member of GGTeam, Botez will represent GGPoker both on and off the virtual felt, showcasing her talent and passion for the game to audiences worldwide. With her unique blend of analytical prowess, quick thinking, and engaging personality, she is set to make a significant impact in the poker community.

Botez was born in Dallas, TX, and raised in Vancouver, Canada, and her journey to poker parallels her rise in the world of chess. From a young age, she exhibited exceptional talent and dedication, earning the title of Woman FIDE Master and becoming a prominent figure in the chess scene. Her strategic mindset, honed through years of intense competition, seamlessly translates to the poker table, where she employs similar tactics to outmaneuver opponents and secure victories.

Botez streams chess and other content alongside her sister Andrea on their Twitch channel, which boasts over 1.3M followers, and she will now share her ongoing poker experiences with her fans.

“I’m so happy to be on Team GG!” said Alexandra Botez. “They share my vision for growing the game, and I’m excited to embark on this journey together.”

Daniel Negreanu, leader of GGTeam and a fellow Canadian, expressed his excitement about Botez’s addition, stating, “I’m really happy to have Alexandra Botez on the team; she is a top-notch chess content creator who’s documenting her journey into poker, and it’s a lot of fun living vicariously through it! I’m sure her progress will be very relatable to many poker players and lovers of all games. We are thrilled to welcome her to GGPoker and look forward to achieving great success together.”

As Botez makes her debut as a member of GGTeam, fans can expect thrilling gameplay, insightful analysis, and entertaining content across GGPoker’s platforms.

New GGPoker players can claim the poker room’s Welcome Bonus, earn even more rewards with the Honeymoon for Newcomers promotion and automatically join GGPoker’s Fish Buffet loyalty program, with regular cash prizes on offer.

Visit GGPoker on social media for updates and exclusive events featuring Alexandra Botez as she takes the poker world by storm.

Follow Alex on Twitch.

To learn more about the GGTeam, please visit: ggpoker.com

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New online casino will be promoted by GiG’s CasinoOnline and AskGamblers brands to players in the country as it looks to drive sign ups at scale

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Winlandia, the online casino with a Nordic twist, has signed an exclusive agreement with GiG Media to promote the brand to players in Denmark. The move comes after Winlandia made its debut in the country earlier in the month. 

Under the agreement, GiG Media will promote Winlandia to Danish players via its flagship CasinoOnline.dk, CasinoSpiller.dk and AskGambers sites. It will do this exclusively for the next few weeks before Winlandia will work with other semi-exclusive affiliates in the market.

Winlandia plans to leverage its position as the newest online casino in Denmark and combine this with CasinoOnline and AskGambler’s positions as two of the leading affiliate brands in the country to engage players at scale and drive quality traffic through the doors of its online casino.

This is the third market that Winlandia and GiG have entered into such a partnership having done the same when the casino made its UK and Sweden debuts last year.

Winlandia, which is powered by SkillOnNet, promises players a top-rated online casino experience that captures its Nordic heritage and combines it with plenty of Finnish Sisu. This includes the payment methods available with both Trustly and MobilePay in the cashier for fast deposits and payouts.

Players are also offered generous bonuses and access to more than 2,752 slot and casino games – an increase of 1,000 titles from when Winlandia entered Denmark a month ago.

Christoffer Grönlund, Head of Acquisitions & PR at Winlandia, said: “We are thrilled to once again be working with our friends at GiG Media as we look to drive awareness of Winlandia among players in Denmark. Demand for new online casinos is always high, and AskGamblers does a great job of engaging players searching for new brands.

“This partnership comes off the back of a similar agreement in the UK and Sweden where the result of the collaboration far exceeded our expectations. We look forward to enjoying similar success in Denmark, and to welcoming players to Winlandia for the first time.

“We really do offer a highly entertaining casino experience and something a little different to the other brands in the market thanks to our Nordic heritage.”

Marcel Elfersy, Chief Commercial Officer at GiG, added: “We love to see new online casinos launch in thriving markets such as Denmark. Winlandia offers a unique player experience that we know will be a big hit with those who come to AskGamblers in search of the latest casinos to play at.

“This deal builds on the successful partnership we already have with Winlandia, having achieved incredible results for both parties in the UK. We look forward to taking this to the next level in Denmark where we believe Winlandia will be a big hit with players.”

Katarina Stojanovic, Head of Affiliates at GiG, added: “We have had the pleasure of launching Winlandia Casino on several licensed markets in Europe, the latest one being Denmark. Christoffer and the Winlandia team have been very helpful throughout the process, and we are very pleased with our partnership.”

 

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Summon Magical Wins and Enchanting Bonuses with Dragon’s Dawn

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Brace yourselves for a magical gaming experience with the new Dragon’s Dawn slot from Stakelogic

Prepare to be enchanted and amazed as you explore a magical kingdom and launch an array of spellbinding bonuses in the Dragon’s Dawn slot from Stakelogic. This exhilarating new title flies into online casinos on March 26th, 2024.

Players are summoned into the heart of the mythical Light Realm, where they are accompanied by a Grand Wizard as they spin the reels and attempt to get their hands on the slot’s 7,500x maximum win.
The action begins in the Light Realm, where players can spin an enhanced 6×6 game grid that uses a Scatter Pay gameplay mechanic. Winning combinations are formed when players land eight or more matching symbols anywhere across the reels.

There is plenty of magic afoot in the Light Realm, with three unique reel modifiers able to trigger at random. The Lighting Strike can replace one winning symbols with one or more full stacks of matching symbols, the Meteor Show can add extra Wilds to the grid, and the Portal Reel provides access to a magical portal that switches non-winning symbols for new ones.

What’s more, the slot uses the innovative Avalanche wins mechanic, removing winning symbols from the grid and replacing them with new ones. A progressive win multiplier is also applied, increasing by one on each Avalanche and resetting when no new wins are formed.

The Light Realm is not the only magical land that can be explored. Landing four or more Bonus symbols will trigger the Free Spins round and transport players into the heart of the Dragon’s lair in the Fire Realm. Four, five, or six Bonus Symbols will trigger 8, 12, and 15 spins, respectively.

Braving the Fire Realm can reap huge rewards for players, with the progressive multiplier remaining persistent throughout the spins. Players can also conjure up further spins by landing four or more Bonus Symbols during the round.

Dragon’s Dawn lands on virtual casino shelves with multiple configurations, with a maximum RTP of 96%. Stakelogic rates the game as highly volatile. In selected markets, players will be able to purchase their way into the Free Spins bonus.

Daniela Fricchione, Head of Account Management at Stakelogic, said: “Our goal when creating online slots is to provide our players with a magical gaming experience, and what better way to do that than to transport them to not one, but two magical realms. Dragon’s Dawn gives us a chance to flex our creative muscles and build a world we believe our players will find hugely enjoyable to spend time in.

Of course, the slot is also loaded with bonus features, with the three reel modifiers keeping the base game exciting, the combination of free spins and the global multiplier is sure to get pulses racing. “

 

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