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Softswiss Strengthens Its Position in Europe by Acquisition of Ously Games’ Social Casino

Softswiss continues to acquire big industry names all over the world, and the most recent is purchasing stakes in Ously Games GmbH from Germany, following the acquisition of Turfsport in January 2024.

Acquisition of the biggest social casino in Europe

softswiss_takes_stake_in_major_european_social_casinoThe company is best known for its popular social casino SpinArena.net, which is the largest social casino in the whole of Europe, and now Softswiss has a significant stake in it.

On the other hand, Ously Games will get a chance to try some of the most advanced technologies and modern solutions developed by Softswiss.

Social casinos recorded rapid growth in the recent period, so some people call it the future of gaming, and it seems that Softswiss recognized its potential. One of its main assets is gaming and betting without real money included, so it’s completely risk-free for players. Instead, they can use virtual currency to place their bets, and the revenue comes mostly from sales of virtual goods.

The good news for operators is that social casinos don’t require licenses, and there aren’t any advertising restrictions. According to Softswiss, the global social casino market will be worth around $10 billion by 2030. At the moment, around $85 million people are active on social casinos.

SpinArena.net currently offers more than 3,000 captivating games from about 40 providers. Its players network has more than 700,000 players, and its annual turnover is €1.0 million.

Softswiss’ founder, Ivan Montik, commented on the deal: “Anticipating the development of social casinos within the igaming industry, Softswiss made strategic investments to diversify its portfolio. Together, we aim to create a comprehensive platform for social casinos, enriching the robust ecosystem of igaming products provided by our company.”

Jochen Martinez, the owner of Ously Games, added: “We are delighted to forge a strategic partnership with the global technology provider Softswiss. This alliance brings invaluable insights, innovations, and profound expertise to both parties.”

Successful year

The year started well for Softswiss. In January, the company expanded to Africa through a deal with Turfsport. Turfsport is one of the leaders in the industry when it comes to sports betting, horse racing, and lotto. Its operations in South Africa are recognized by more than 40 operators who want to partner with the company in this market.

Andrey Starovoitov, co-CEO, thinks that the African expansion is the natural next step for Softswiss since that market keeps growing rapidly, becoming more and more important in the global iGaming industry. He said: “With this agreement, Softswiss takes a significant step forward in its extensive expansion into South Africa and the African continent. I believe this region is becoming the next focal point globally, following Latin America.”

Source: “Softswiss takes stake in major European social casino”. iGamingBussines. April 17, 2024.

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Caesars Q1 Results Miss Estimates as Regional Casinos, Sports Betting Lag

Shares of Caesars Entertainment (NASDAQ: CZR) slumped during Tuesday’s after-hours session, extending declines following a 4.66% drop during normal trading hours after the casino operator posted first-quarter results that badly missed Wall Street forecasts.

Caesars Digital
Caesars Palace Las Vegas. The operator said first-quarter earnings and revenue at its Las Vegas and regional casinos declined. (Image: YouTube)

The Harrah’s operator said it lost 73 cents a share on revenue of $2.74 billion in the first three months of the year. Analysts expected a loss of eight cents on sales of $2.83 billion. While the gaming company mentioned unfavorable outcomes on the Super Bowl and the NCAA Tournament as among the reasons the first-quarter numbers missed forecasts, analysts and investors might apply scrutiny to Caesars’ Las Vegas and regional casino results.

On the Strip where it’s the second-largest operator, Caesars revenue declined to $1.03 billion in the March quarter from $1.11 billion a year earlier. The gaming company said adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) at its Sin City venues declined to $440 million from $533 million a year earlier.

That could heighten concerns that activity is slowing down on the Strip following a multi-year run of pent-up demand sparked by coronavirus shutdowns.

Caesars Regional Woes Not Surprising

Caesars said its regional casinos posted first-quarter adjusted EBITDA of $443 million on revenue of $1.37 billion, down from $448 million and $1.39 billion a year earlier.

The tepid results from the regional side of Caesars aren’t surprising because multiple operators have flagged softness at such venues due to bad weather in January that hampered visitation to gaming venues in Reno/Tahoe and the Midwest. Additionally, there are mounting signs of lower-tier bettors reducing spending at gaming venues in the South.

There have been signs that high interest, sticky inflation, and other macroeconomic headwinds are weighing on some gaming venues in the Midwest and the South. Likewise, six of the nine casinos in Atlantic City, NJ experienced profit declines last year as more locals embraced iGaming.

“Moving past the first quarter headwinds, we remain optimistic toward improved operating results throughout the balance of the year,” said CEO Tom Reeg in a statement.

Modest Progress on Debt Reduction

Entering this year, analysts and investors wanted to see more evidence of Caesars trimming its debt burden — one of the industry’s largest. There were incremental signs of that progress in the first quarter. As of March 31, the Horseshoe operator had $12.436 billion in outstanding liabilities compared to $12.439 billion at the end of 2023.

At the end of the March quarter, Caesars had cash and cash equivalents of $726 million, a figure that does not include $139 million in restricted cash.

“Excluding joint venture capex, we estimate 2024 cash capex spend of $800 million. We anticipate using free cash flows to continue to reduce debt in 2024,” said CFO Bret Yunker in the press release.

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French National Lottery Operator FDJ Reports €710M Revenue in Q1

fdj_revenue_increases_7_2pct_-to_e710m_in_q1La Francaise des Jeux (FDJ), the well-known French sports betting, lottery and iGaming operator, has announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2024 and the numbers show a significant increase in revenue.

The company’s revenue in the first quarter amounted to 710 million euros, representing an increase of 7.2 percent compared to the same quarter of 2023. Moreover, the company’s gaming revenue went up by 3.1 percent compared to the first quarter of 2023 to a total of 645 million euros.

The French operator was particularly pleased with the performance of its online games segment, which managed to bring in 100 million euros, a figure which represents almost 15 percent of the group’s total revenue.

The company’s target for revenue growth in 2024 is 8 percent, though, so it will have to do better in the following three quarters in order to meet it. However, with the European Football Championships and the Olympic Games coming up this summer, the company’s revenue from sports betting will surely receive a big boost in the second and third quarters.

The operator’s revenue from its lottery operations also registered an increase of 1.4 percent year-on-year during the first quarter, amounting to 504 million euros. Sports betting and competitive online gaming brought in 141 million euros in revenue, recording an increase of 9.5 percent over the first quarter of 2023.

A Good Start

Stéphane Pallez, chairwoman and chief executive of the FDJ Group, described the company’s results in the first quarter as “a good start” for the year, especially because all the group‘s activities registered growth, from the network of 29,000 retailers to the online gaming business.

Moreover, the revenue from sports betting and competitive online gaming registered an increase despite being compared to a quarter which had seen great numbers as an effect of the impact the World Cup in Qatar had on the entire sporting world.

In fact, revenue from the online sports betting division of FDJ, ParionsSport En Ligne, registered an increase of over 25 percent during the first quarter of 2024, well beyond the other segments of the company’s business.

In other news, the management of FDJ confirmed that the company was still keen on acquiring the Kindred Group, a major international conglomerate of sports betting websites and online casinos. The French company submitted an offer worth 2.45 billion euros in January, attempting to form the second largest operator in the European gaming scene.

Source: “FDJ revenue increases 7.2% to €710m in Q1″. iGaming Business. April 18s, 2024.

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Rank Group Reports Strong Q3 Performance Across Digital and Land-Based Businesses

In its recent trading news, the Rank Group has highlighted a significant 6% year-on-year increase in income for the third quarter, reaching an impressive £182.3 million. This growth trajectory shows the company’s solid performance across its digital and land-based gaming sectors.

Land-Based Revenue Overview

spain_and_mecca_bingo_revenue_surges_as_rank_hails_q3_progress_The Grosvenor venues continue to lead in terms of revenue generation for the Rank Group. Despite showing a modest growth rate of 3% in Q3, these venues remain a cornerstone of the company’s revenue stream. The increase in visitor numbers by 5% has contributed to a notable 2% rise in average weekly net gaming revenue (NGR) at Grosvenor, aligning with Rank’s strategic goal of achieving £7.0 million weekly NGR from its Grosvenor venues business.

On the other hand, the Mecca bingo venues have experienced a remarkable 12% earnings surge. This growth can be attributed to a combination of increased visitor numbers, which rose by 5% from last year, and a substantial 7% rise in spending per visit. Notably, this surge in gain coincided with strong trading periods during Mother’s Day and Easter weekends, indicating robust consumer engagement with Mecca’s offerings.

The Rank Group’s success extends beyond the UK, with its Enracha venues division in Spain witnessing a commendable 9% revenue increase, amounting to £10.0 million. This international growth underscores Rank’s ability to capitalize on diverse market opportunities and expand its global footprint.

Digital Growth and Operational Enhancements

Digital revenue saw a significant uptick of 6%, totaling £55.0 million in Q3. The UK digital sector experienced a 4% revenue increase, while Spain witnessed an impressive 20% year-on-year growth. Mecca’s digital net gaming revenue (NGR) surged by an impressive 21% in the UK, showcasing the strong performance of its digital gaming offerings. However, Grosvenor’s digital NGR saw a marginal 1% rise, attributed to a weaker gaming margin stemming from significant customer wins.

To further enhance its digital operations, Rank implemented a new content management system for its Mecca and Grosvenor online platforms during Q3. This system aims to improve operational efficiency and facilitate rapid market responsiveness for customer proposition enhancements.

Looking at the year-to-date performance, Rank Group’s income for the nine months ending in March reached a substantial £544.9 million, marking an impressive 8% increase compared to the previous year. This robust performance is driven by the continued growth of Grosvenor and Mecca venues, along with positive digital revenue trends.

As the fiscal year progresses, Rank anticipates that its strong performance will persist, with operating profit expected to align with market expectations for the year ending June 30. This outlook is bolstered by ongoing operational enhancements and strategic initiatives aimed at maximizing revenue potential.

CEO John O’Reilly said: “We continue to make good progress across both our venues and online businesses. Q3 trading is very much in line with the board’s expectations. Performance continues to improve. We have the very important land-based reforms from the government’s white paper to look forward to, which we hope to start implementing in the coming months.”

Stake Sale in Passion Gaming

Rank has announced its decision to divest its stake in Passion Gaming, an Indian online rummy business. While the financial terms of the deal remain undisclosed, Rank has emphasized that the transaction represents a significant strategic move for the company’s portfolio optimization.

Source: ”Spain and Mecca Bingo revenue surges as Rank hails Q3 progress”, igamingbusiness.com, April 18, 2024.

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Altenar Launches Three Sports Betting Features to Boost Player Experience

Altenar continues to launch customized solutions for sports betting platforms to maintain its leading position in the iGaming and sports betting market. The latest development of three sport betting features offering a range of bet-specific options provides a comprehensive solution for sports betting operators to expand their offerings and take player experience at another level.

Enhanced Sports Betting Options

Indeed, the Bet Boost, Betting Insights, and Bet Mentor features are set to become an integral component of iGaming platform’s user interface through an enhanced monitoring and cross-sales opportunities offered to worldwide platforms and players. Players traditionally engaged with online casinos may get an expanded overview of sports betting options and benefit from their enhanced accessibility using Altenar’s new release of customized developments.

Betting Insight and Suggestions

Therefore the Betting Insights tool includes historical data for specific markets to enable players to avail of the trend pending to the subject market to structure and place their bets. The Bet Mentor component serves as a customer’s vehicle to set the bet amount and specify the amount sought to be won. Players can also take advantage of the respective suggestions based on the statistical data to set the bet.

Bet Boost

The Bet Boost tool is designed to help operators to manage their promotions and betting campaigns in a highly efficient way. The tool will enable operators to particularly enhance the competiveness of their campaigns run ahead of specific events or popular championships. The feature’s visibility is ensured through a variety of front-end options and design solutions, including carousels, event view or overview tools.

Comprehensive Tool Kit

altenar_releases_trio_of_betting_widgets_to_enhance_customer_engagementUsing the Altenar’s trilling of winning software developments, players can take advantage of the historical data and statistics-based suggestions to tailor their bets or swiftly and easily access betting promotions and campaigns. The operators may benefit from a comprehensive set of tools to drive player engagement provided by the company having been building the reputation of a leading B2B software provider since 2011.

Antonis Karakousis, Director of Operations at Altenar, said: “We are pleased to bring all three of our new add-on widgets to market, offering our operator partners more ways than ever to engage bettors and empower them to make data-driven decisions.

“Data is becoming increasingly important for customers, not just operators, and the insights these tools offer will serve to make Altenar’s partners the most competitive on the market.”

Source: “Altenar releases trio of betting widgets to enhance customer engagement’’. European Gaming. April 18, 2024.

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