Press Releases

GVC grows due to World Cup 2018

Published

6 years ago

July 19, 2018

Reading Time: 3 minutes

GVC Holdings has reported an 11 per cent increase in group net revenue for the second quarter of 2018, driven by strong online growth and the performance of its European retail estate.

The company said in a trading update Wednesday that online net gaming revenue (NGR) in the second quarter grew at 22 per cent year-on-year, or 25 per cent on a constant currency basis, with online brands benefiting from a pipeline of new products and from high profile marketing campaigns.

Key highlights (proforma basis1):

Q2:

Positive growth trends continue with Group NGR +11% (cc2 +12%)
Strong Online NGR growth at +22% (cc2 +25%)
UK Retail Like-for-like (“LFL”)3 NGR in growth at +2% helped by World Cup
European Retail NGR +19% (cc2 +16%)
H1:

Group NGR +8% (cc2 +8%)
Online NGR +18% (cc2 +20%)
For the period up to commencement of the World Cup Online NGR +15% (cc2 +17%)
Positive World Cup driven by margin and volume
UK Retail LFL3 NGR -3%
European Retail NGR +29% (cc2 +26%)
The Group saw an acceleration in year-on-year growth in Q2 2018 over Q1 2018 driven by good underlying momentum and the World Cup.

Online NGR growth was 22% in Q2 (cc2 +25%) and +18% (cc2 +20%) for the six months to 30 June 2018. Online NGR for the period from 1 January to 13 June (i.e. prior to the commencement of the World Cup) was +15% (cc2 +17%), reflecting strong underlying growth. The Online brands have continued to benefit from a pipeline of new products and from high profile marketing campaigns.

UK Retail trends improved in the second quarter as the weather proved less disruptive than in the first quarter, while growth in European Retail remained very strong, albeit helped by a soft comparative.

The World Cup tournament as a whole has been a good one for the Group, helped by a better than expected gross win margin but also importantly volumes and value of new customer deposits.

The Group intends to release its interim results on 13 September 2018.

Kenneth Alexander (CEO) said:

“I am pleased to report this positive trading update whilst at the same time undertaking the integration of the Ladbrokes Coral business. The strong momentum across the online business has continued and means we are well placed to deliver against our full year expectations.”

Notes:

The Group’s proforma results are presented as if the current Group, post the acquisition of Ladbrokes Coral, had always existed. As such, it excludes the results of the Turkish business which was discontinued during 2017and the 360 shops that the Ladbrokes Coral Group was required to divest on merger.
Growth on a constant currency basis is calculated by translating both current and prior year performance at the 2018 exchange rates.
UK Retail numbers are quoted on a LFL basis. During H1 and Q2 there were an average of 3,562 shops in the estate, compared to an average of 3,662 in the same periods last year.
The information contained within this announcement is deemed to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014. Upon the publication of this announcement, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.

About GVC:

GVC Holdings PLC is one of the world’s largest sports betting and gaming groups, operating both online and in the retail sector. The Group owns a comprehensive portfolio of established brands; Sports Brands include bwin, Coral, Crystalbet, Eurobet, Ladbrokes and Sportingbet; Gaming Brands include CasinoClub, Foxy Bingo, Gala, Gioco Digitale, PartyCasino and partypoker. The Group owns proprietary technology across all of its core product verticals and in addition to its B2C operations provides services to a number of third-party customers on a B2B basis. GVC acquired Ladbrokes Coral Group plc on 28 March 2018 and is now the UK’s largest high street bookmaker, with over 3,500 betting shops. The Group, incorporated in the Isle of Man, is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index and has licences in more than 20 countries, across five continents.

For more information see the Group’s website: www.gvc-plc.com

eSports

Rootz Announces First Wildz Invitational Esports Tournament

Published

24 mins ago

November 18, 2024

Adrienn Sarkany

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Wildz is proud to officially announce our entry into the Counter-Strike 2 community by hosting the Wildz Invitational tournament, featuring a substantial prize pool of €25,000. This tournament, organized in partnership with Alliance and Challengermode, is open to all teams across Europe in the coming month of December.

Wildz Invitational tournament structure:

Invited Teams: 4 teams will be directly invited to compete in the playoffs stage

Open Qualifiers: Two online qualifiers, where the top 2 teams from each qualifier will secure spots in the playoffs

Playoffs: All 8 teams will face off over an intense 2 day battle
Format: All matches will be played online on the Challengermode platform to ensure accessibility for all participants.

We invite all EU teams to showcase their skills and compete for the title of being the first Wildz Champions, with a first-place prize of €16,250. Sign up now!

Open to all European teams

Qualifiers will be played as a single-elimination bracket. All matches will be BO1.

Playoffs information:

Playoffs Day #1: 21st Dec, start from 15:00 CET
Playoffs Day #2: 22nd Dec, start from 15:00 CET

Playoffs will be played as a single-elimination bracket. All matches will be BO3.

Total prize pool of €25,000 distribution:
1st place: €16,250
2nd place: €6,250
3rd place: €2,500

“We at Wildz have been huge fans of Counter-Strike for many years. When the opportunity arose, everyone at Wildz jumped at the idea of being able to sponsor and host a tournament to showcase Europe’s top CS teams,” shares Nathan Bonello, Esports Specialist at Wildz. “This is just the first of many Wildz esports activities to come, we hope that the CS players and fans worldwide can enjoy our first-ever Wildz Invitational tournament together. May the best team win!”

Greece

HIGHLIGHT GAMES ANNOUNCES GREEK RIGHTS EXTENSION

Published

29 mins ago

November 18, 2024

Adrienn Sarkany

Reading Time: < 1 minute

London-based video virtuals and instant win games specialist Highlight Games Limited today announces that it has secured a significant extension to its exclusive rights agreement to use archive Greek Super League footage in its betting products.

Highlight’s Greek SOCCERBET game includes archive footage from some of the Greek Super League’s most famous and iconic clubs including: AEK Athens, Aris Thessaloniki, Asteras T, Atromitos, Giannina, Olympiakos, Levadiakos, Panathinaikos, Panionios, PAOK Salonika, Platanias and Xanti.

Steven Holmes, CEO, Highlight Games said: ‘I’m delighted to announce yet another exclusive rights extension for Highlight Games. Our Greek SOCCERBET game has proven to be incredibly popular with players and it’s a testament to our ongoing relationships and quality product portfolio that we’re able to continue to deliver this exclusive content to our valued customers.’

Asia

DreamHack x Hyderabad Comic Con 2024 Day 2: Wagh Suyog crowned champion of Rapid Chess tournament; Karan Kanchan steals the show with electrifying DJ set

Published

32 mins ago

November 18, 2024

Adrienn Sarkany

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The second day of DreamHack 2024 x Hyderabad Comic Con, India’s largest celebration of gaming and pop culture, delivered thrilling esports action, landmark achievements, and unforgettable moments as fans turned out in large numbers at the Hitex Exhibition Centre.

Hosted by NODWIN Gaming, a leader in new-age youth entertainment, gaming, and esports this year marks the fifth anniversary of India’s biggest gaming festival. DreamHack’s legendary BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Zone reached an unprecedented milestone, with tickets selling out for the first time ever. Gamers from across the country brought their own setups to compete and compete in titles including eFootball, THE FINALS, World Cricket Championship 3 (WCC 3), Brawlhalla, Counter-Strike 2, Spectre Divide, and many more, making the zone a hub of energy and camaraderie throughout the day.

After intense semi-final matches, Team LFO, Team Cheems, Team Payback, and AMIGOS Esports qualified for the grand finals of the OMEN VALORANT Campus Quest Season 2. Each team demonstrated exceptional strategy and team play, keeping fans on the edge of their seats.

Meanwhile, Wagh Suyog showcased remarkable talent and focus,`outmaneuvering a field of skilled competitors to win the Rapid Chess tournament and take home the INR 3 Lakh prize pool championship. His/her victory was celebrated with roaring applause, highlighting the growing appeal of chess as part of DreamHack’s diverse lineup.

In other esports action, GodLike Esports, Vibrance Esports, XLR8, and Anthem showcased their dominance on Day 2 of the Snapdragon Pro Series (Call of Duty: Mobile), while Aditya ‘The Dark Lord’ Verma emerged victorious in the Street Fighter 6 segment of KO Fight Night.

Much to the attendees’ delight KO Fight Night delivered electrifying matches in Tekken 8 and Super Mario Bros Ultimate. Players also turned out in large numbers to participate in the Retro and Board Games tournaments, adding to the vibrant gaming atmosphere.

Following suit to the electric atmosphere of DreamHack, the second day of Hyderabad Comic Con was a vibrant celebration of creativity, fandom, and entertainment. Fans were enthralled by special sessions from Maruti Suzuki Arena, Crunchyroll, and Yamaha Racing, each offering unique insights and experiences for attendees.

Attendees were also treated to comic book debuts, including The Warrior God and Abba Aari (the sequel to Mard Bann), alongside the cover launch of Weapons of Mass Extinction: Stage 1 – Blood of The Last Asuran.

On the other hand, music enthusiasts danced to an electrifying DJ set by Karan Kanchan, while rising comedy star Ravi Gupta (a.k.a. Shudh Desi Comic) had audiences in splits with his witty, desi humour.

The Meet & Greet Zone today featured 8Bit Creatives’ popular gaming personalities, such as Raj Varma (Snax), Payal Dhare (Payal Gaming), Parv Singh (Regaltos), Salman Ahmad (8bit Mamba), Monika Jeph (Sherlock Live), Nishant Williams (Willy Gamingg), Mithul Nayak (Binks), Dhwani Bhatt (Pinkcess), and Dhruv Sangwan (Dhruv), who connected with fans through their stories, popular slangs and gaming insights.

Just like yesterday, the Hyderabad Comic Con Cosplay Contest stole the show, with hundreds of cosplayers competing for a prize pool exceeding INR 5 Lakhs, including a daily grand cash prize of INR 50,000. The city’s best cosplayers battled it out to represent Hyderabad at the Indian Championship of Cosplay 2025 Qualifiers, aiming for a daily reward of INR 1.25 Lakhs.

Day 3 of DreamHack 2024 x Hyderabad Comic Con is set to be a spectacular finale, packed with more comic book launches, special sessions, and engaging fireside chats. As the event reaches its climax, SPS, OMEN Campus Quest Season 2, PAN FEST, KO Fight Night, Blitz Chess tournament, and the BYOD and retro tournaments will all wrap up with their much-anticipated grand finals.

Two critically acclaimed stand-up comedy stars, Syed Bashaar, and Harsh Gujral, will bring the laughs, while Geek Fruit will take everyone on a nostalgic journey with iconic theme songs.

For further updates and information regarding DreamHack x Hyderabad Comic Con 2024, follow NODWIN Gaming & DreamHack India on social media. Get your tickets now to experience the best of both worlds and experience the excitement of DreamHack India 2024 x Hyderabad Comic Con firsthand!