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Betsson: Strong third quarter operating income while experiencing continued market challenges

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PROPOSAL FROM THE BETSSON'S NOMINATION COMMITTEE
Reading Time: 4 minutes

 

QUARTER JULY – SEPTEMBER 2019

Group revenue was SEK 1,275.2 (1,426.8) million, a decrease of 11 percent, reported and organic.
Casino revenue declined by 12 percent while Sportsbook revenue declined by 7 percent. Excluding the football world cup effect, Sportsbook revenue was in line with the same quarter last year. The Sportsbook margin was 7.8 (7.4) percent.
Operating income (EBIT) was SEK 212.5 (340.2) million and the variance was mainly due to decreased revenue. The EBIT margin was 16.7 (23.8) percent.
Operating cash flow amounted to SEK 307.0 (400.8) million.
PERIOD JANUARY – SEPTEMBER 2019

Group revenue was SEK 3,883.5 (3,983.2) million, a reported and organic decrease of 3 percent.
Operating income (EBIT) was SEK 664.6 (852.3) million, a decrease of 22 percent.
Net income was SEK 582.7 (764.5) million, corresponding to SEK 4.21 (5.52) per share.
Operating cash flow amounted to SEK 912.6 (984.0) million.
THIRD QUARTER

Revenue for the third quarter was SEK 1,275 million, a decrease compared to the third quarter last year, which comprised positive effects from the world cup. The revenue was however in line with the previous quarter. Continued weak trends in Sweden and the Netherlands is compensated by favorable trends in most markets where Betsson’s subsidiaries operate. The Sportsbook’s margin at 7.8 percent is on par with the previous quarter. The third quarter operating profit (EBIT) amounted to SEK 213 million, which is an increase of 8 percent compared to the second quarter. Despite increased costs for gaming tax and more expensive payment solutions on certain markets the EBIT margin was 16.7 percent, thanks to continued healthy cost control, which is also in line with the previous quarter.

CEO COMMENTS:

Betsson reports strong operating income under continued challenging market conditions

“Like the previous quarter, the third quarter has continued to pose challenges for us, as well as for several other companies in the gaming industry. We have seen the merger between two major global operators, a development that is in line with what we expect to happen in an industry with many players. We expect this development to continue and also affect the Swedish market to a greater extent than we have seen so far after the Swedish re-regulation. The regulated markets now also face major challenges regarding the degree of channelisation, which is one of the most important prerequisites for high consumer protection.

Betsson’s ambition is to outgrow the market in the long term, organically and through acquisitions. Although I am not happy with the development during the last two quarters, we are well prepared, through the initiatives we have taken, when the right business opportunity realizes. During the quarter, financing was secured in the form of a bond of SEK 1 billion, with a framework of up to SEK 2.5 billion, which puts us in a good position for growth through acquisitions. In addition to the financial strength, Betsson’s experience in creating, maintaining and steering a cost-effective organisation with focus on technology are valuable prerequisites for Betsson’s growth and profitability.

In terms of developments in Betsson’s different markets, it has continued to be challenging both in Sweden and in the Netherlands. As the conditions in Sweden have not been right for large marketing investments, activities have been reduced and reallocated them to other markets where they provide better returns. However, we are certain the Swedish market will improve, and we stick to our long-term ambition to increase our share in this re-regulated market. During the third quarter we have, among other things, extended the agreement with SHL and we are proud to support Swedish ice-hockey.

Both revenue and operating profit are affected when significant markets develop negatively at the same time. Therefore, our geographical spread is valuable, and we see positive development in several of Betsson’s other markets, both locally regulated and non-locally regulated. We have seen favorable trends in other Western European countries but also in Central & Eastern Europe and Central Asia (CEECA). The geographical and product-wide distribution gives us the opportunity to be sustainable in our strategic initiatives to run a profitable business with growth and good margins in regulated markets as well as in markets that will be regulated. We also see opportunities to increase the geographical spread further to mitigate the impact from temporary downturns in individual markets.

Betsson continue to invest in development of the product offering. It is gratifying to see the performance of the in-house developed Sportsbook, which should make it an attractive third-party product. The ambition is to offer the Sportsbook to external customers during next year. We also focus on the development of our other technology, which enables both rapid market adaptations and cost-effective growth, and we continue to invest in the infrastructure that gives customers a fun, safe and secure experience.”

 

ABOUT BETSSON:

Betsson AB (publ) is a holding company that invests in and manages fast-growing companies within online gaming. The company is one of the largest in online gaming in Europe and has the ambition to outgrow the market, organically and through acquisitions. This should be done in a profitable and sustainable manner, primarily in locally regulated markets. Betsson AB is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm Large Cap (BETS).

Betsson’s operational subsidiaries’ vision is to deliver the best customer experience in the industry. They offer casino, sportsbook and other games via gaming licences in twelve countries in Europe and Central Asia. The business model is to offer gaming under multiple brands, including Betsson, Betsafe, NordicBet and Casinoeuro. The brands are operated on a proprietary platform, which is the core of the offer and the customer experience.

Being a responsible operator in relation to customers, suppliers, authorities, investors and other stakeholders is a cornerstone of the Betsson’s business. Betsson is a member of the
European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA), ESSA (Sports Betting Integrity) and
G4 (The Global Gambling Guidance Group).

Learn more about the Group on www.betssonab.com

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Industry News

Maximising Your Cross-Market Appeal

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Maximising Your Cross-Market Appeal
Reading Time: 3 minutes

 

With Bitblox introducing an entirely new breed of crypto-based price prediction games to the iGaming industry, we talked to CEO, Brandt Page, to discover how combining elements of both chance and skill with lightning-fast betting rounds has helped improve their cross-market appeal.

 

When Bitblox was first established, our core concept was relatively simple; we didn’t just want to provide players with a new twist on an existing format like slots or casino games, but instead sought to create an entirely new vertical that combined elements of chance and elements of skill.

One of the main drivers behind this decision was the fact that we wanted our releases to appeal to as broad an audience as possible – and I think from the figures we’ve seen so far, we’ve already had some notable success on that front in terms of the players that are engaging with our games.

Funnily enough, I was recently talking to the Head of Marketing from one of the operators that we work with and they told me they were struggling to place our games optimally. Initially, they’d put them in with crash and instant win content, but they soon discovered a lot of their in-game traffic was coming from sports bettors. A move to the sports betting tab followed, but the exact same-thing happened with casino players, leading to the games eventually winding up on the front page.

As this was going on, our games were continuing to post solid numbers with the customers who bet on both sports and casino – and all of this engagement was coming without there being any additional promotion from us or the operator. So why was it that our games were performing so well across these different player segments? I believe there are a number of contributing factors.

First and foremost, having this hybrid model of games of chance and games of skill that I’ve already mentioned has placed us in a fairly unique position within the iGaming industry. On the one hand, the simple premise of our Bitcoin-based titles – coupled with their attractive designs and intuitive UI – makes them highly accessible to casino players who are just looking to have fun.

On the other, the fact that Bitblox games aren’t based on RNG and are instead pinned to the real-time movements of the Bitcoin market certainly resonates with a sports betting audience. As they have the ability to follow the charts and use this information to inform their decisions, they definitely feel they have more control over the outcome than if they were playing a traditional slot.

Another key aspect of our cross-market appeal is the fast-paced nature of all Bitblox releases. With casino players being accustomed to the quick wins and instant gratification of slots and crash games and sports bettors also showing a growing preference for in-play wagering, we’ve ensured each game round is resolved quickly and that there are multiple opportunities for betting.

When we first launched Up or Down?, which features one-minute betting rounds, we soon learned that even this timeframe is too long for some players. This resulted in us developing Up or Down? Turbo – a game which kept the same mechanics as its predecessor but reduced the betting window to 20 seconds – and this has gone on to become one of our most successful titles.

Keeping all this in mind, one of the things I’m most excited about is the upcoming release of our latest game, 3 in a Row, as I think this is a title that really ties everything I’ve talked about so far together. Designed to look like a slot machine, 3 in a Row challenges players to correctly predict how the Bitcoin price will move over three separate 20-second windows for even bigger payouts.

Intended to appeal to casual users and serious sports bettors alike, players can elect to either spin the reels for fun and select a random price sequence or use the bet builder feature to put together their own custom prediction. With the latter essentially functioning like an accumulator bet, players can select up to three possible combinations – i.e. Up/Up/Up, Up/Up/Down etc – and only one result needs to land for them to win, ensuring they stay engaged until the final seconds.

I believe that 3 in a Row can help build on the strong foundations we’ve laid down with casino and sports bettors and provide operators with another popular option that offers significant cross-market appeal. Based on what we’ve seen from previous Bitblox releases, the audience for titles that combine elements of chance and elements of skill is definitely out there – and I’m looking forward to our unique brand of crypto-based games being enjoyed by even more players in future.

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Industry News

Gaming Corps to launch with lotteries in the USA via EQL games deal

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In-demand content provider extends reach into largest iGaming market in the world with its full suite of games made available via iLottery aggregation platform

Gaming Corps, a publicly-listed game studio based in Sweden renowned for creating industry-leading games, has made its debut in the US market through a breakthrough agreement with leading lottery provider, EQL Games.

The distribution agreement will see Gaming Corps’ full suite of games made available to EQL Games’ powerful iLottery Aggregation Platform, developed to provide lottery operators across America with direct access to a portfolio of proprietary and third-party games.

Following the integration, EQL Games’ lottery operator partners will be offered proven Slots, Table Games, Multiplier Games, Mine Games and Plinko Games, as well as titles under Gaming Corps’ innovative and trademarked Smash4Cash™ series.

The deal and integration come at a time of growing demand among online lottery operators in the US for non-traditional content, a format that Gaming Corps has excelled in, especially with its Smash4Cash™ games, which have been a hit with players in global markets.

EQL’s aggregation platform has been developed to allow online lottery operators to quickly and easily access content from multiple game studios simultaneously through one integration and one commercial agreement.

Its iLottery Aggregation platform simplifies the process of adding new games to an online lottery brand across regulated states. In addition to the third-party content provided via its aggregator platform, EQL Games has a portfolio of in-house titles.

This includes games produced under licence with Team USA which were rolled out by several state lotteries for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris this year, with new titles being planned ahead of the Winter Games in Milan (2026) and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles (2028).

Juha KauppinenCEO of Gaming Corps, said: “The USA has always been somewhat of the holy grail for game developers like us, which has been further emphasised as markets in several states have become regulated. The potential in the American market is enormous, and the impact for us is a bit difficult to assess, but we have great hopes for the collaboration with EQL Games, which has an impressive platform towards U.S. lotteries.

“We believe it will have a significantly positive impact on our revenues. I would like to personally take the opportunity to thank EQL Games and Brad Cummings for the collaboration, and we are now working hard to complete the integration so that all our games will be offered to EQL’s customers via their platform.”

Brad CummingsCEO of EQL Games, added: “Including Gaming Corps as a supplier to the EQL Games iLottery Aggregator is an exciting step forward in our mission to offer unique, high-quality content to state lotteries. Gaming Corps’ expertise in iGaming, along with their unique game portfolio, fits perfectly with our vision of enhancing the lottery experience through dynamic and engaging content.”

 

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Industry News

Public Voting Starts for Ortak x B.F.T.H. Arena Awards 3.0

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The highly anticipated Ortak x B.F.T.H. Arena Awards 3.0 has officially entered the public voting phase as submissions are closed.

More than 70 game providers have turned in over 160 submissions, including Tom Horn Gaming, Pragmatic Play and RubyPlay. Public voting involves enthusiasts casting their votes to pick the winner of the Game of Public Choice category.

The Public voting phase ends on December 1st 23:59 GMT+4.

Concurrent to public voting, the first phase of private voting also starts during which all participants who have submitted entries get the chance to vote for one favourite in each category. An international auditing company oversees this phase to eliminate duplicate votes and self-votes. This phase ends on November 19, 23:59 GMT+4.

The second phase of private voting will also take place with a jury of industry experts making their decisions based on the shortlist picked by participants during the first phase.

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