Casino & games Archives

September 13, 2023

Online casino included in imminent Brazil gambling regs

Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies is set to vote today on the latest set of sports betting regulations, which leaves in place the high tax regime put in place by the provisional measure (PM), but includes the legislation of online casino.

Bill No 3626/23 amends PM No 1,182 issued by Brazil president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in July. If passed, the law would keep in place the high tax regime brought in by the PM. This will maintain the original 18% tax on gross gambling revenue.

However, commentators previously pointed out that once additional mandatory contributions are accounted for the effective tax rate will run between 31% and 34%.

On top of this, the law will impose a 30% tax on prizes won over R$2,112 (£342/€398/$427).

the bill keeps in place the high tax regime imposed in lula’s provisional measure

The maintenance of the high tax rates no doubt will be a blow to Brazil’s gaming industry. The sector largely responded negatively to the original PM, with many criticising the tax r..

September 1, 2023

Ontario: The state of play

More than a year on from the regulation of the Ontario gaming sector, gambling businesses have each adapted to the market in their own way. But how can operators stand out from the crowd in North America’s most competitive market?

With every gold rush comes the prospectors.

In the 16 months following the regulation of the gaming sector in Ontario, gambling operators of all shapes and sizes have thrown the dice to get a slice of the biggest and most dynamic market in North America.

Those involved range from former grey market players trying to make the regulated transition, the big European operators, media brands which have grown a betting wing and land-based companies trying to get in on the action – plus everything in between.

The landscape

Ontario has become an incredibly competitive market, with iGaming Ontario recording 46 companies operating 71 brands as of Q1 2023.

However, one trend to note is its diversity. This is especially striking when compared to the US which, butt..

August 18, 2023

Pennsylvania gambling revenue up 8.9% to $467m in July

Gambling revenue in Pennsylvania increased 8.9% year-on-year to $467.0m in July, driven by growth across the igaming and sports betting segments.

Monthly revenue in Pennsylvania was ahead of $429.1m in July 2022 and 6.0% higher than $440.5m in June this year.

Retail slots remained the primary source of revenue by some margin, generating a total of $214.7m during the month. This was 0.4% higher than in the previous month. In contrast, retail table games revenue slipped 3.8% to $83.4m.

Turning to igaming and revenue in this market increased by 34.8% year-on-year to $132.9m. This included $94.9m in online slots revenue, up 31.9%, and $35.4m in internet table games revenue, a rise of 48.0%.

Hollywood Casino at Penn National continued to lead this segment with $54.4m in igaming revenue. Valley Forge Casino Resort placed a distant second on $29.2m, then Rivers Casino Philadelphia with $26.8m.

Pennsylvania July sports betting revenue hits $32.1m

Elsewhere, there was also an increase in ..

August 18, 2023

Italy igaming dashboard

Presenting iGB’s Italy dashboard with data provided by Ficom Leisure. Track all the movements in Italy’s online market since 2019, as well as the shifting revenue shares over the period.

August 17, 2023

New Jersey gambling revenue surpasses $500m in July

Gambling revenue in New Jersey exceeded $500.0m in July following year-on-year growth in almost all areas of the market.

Revenue for the month amounted to $506.2m. This was 5.3% up on last year and also 10.7% higher than New Jersey’s total in June of this year.

Land-based casino gambling drew $290.0m in revenue during the month, down 3.0% on July 2023. This was due to a 13.2% drop in table games revenue to $72.2m. In contrast, revenue from physical slot machines, the largest source of revenue in the state, edged up 0.9% to $217.8m.

Turning to online gambling and overall revenue in this segment was 13.5% higher year-on-year at $155.2m. Online slots revenue jumped 13.4% to $152.5m while peer-to-peer poker revenue was 18.5% higher at $2.7m.

Breaking down this market, Borgata moved into top spot with $43.0m. This was higher than Resorts Digital on $40.6m and Golden Nugget, which led the market in June, with $39.8m.

New Jersey sports betting revenue up over 35%

Looking at sports wager..

August 17, 2023

Impairments push Rank Group to FY loss despite land-based recovery

Rank Group posted a 5.9% increase in revenue to £681.9m (€798.0m/$868.1m) in its 2022-23 financial year, although increased impairment costs led to a statutory net loss.

The operator reported year-on-year growth across all operating segments in the 12 months to 30 June. This included the Rank-owned Grosvenor, Mecca and Enracha land-based businesses, which endured a challenging few years during the pandemic.

There was also notable growth within Rank’s digital business, with revenue rising 10.4% to reach £202.9m.

However, higher impairment charges, together with increased operating costs, meant the business posted a net loss.

O’Reilly believes economic pressures are easing

Chief executive John O’Reilly acknowledged the higher costs during his evaluation of the FY performance. However, he said with certain costs now stabilising and inflation easing, this will allow for revenue and profit growth moving forward.

After Covid and economic headwinds, rank is positioned to drive profit ..

August 16, 2023

Massachusetts sports betting handle dips below $300m in July

Player spending on sports betting in Massachusetts fell for the fourth consecutive month in July, while revenue was also down month-on-month.

Total handle for retail and online sports betting reached $294.9m. This was 11.3% less than $332.0m in June and the lowest monthly total since the launch of legal online betting in April.

It was also the first time that combined land-based and internet betting spend fell below $300.0m.

Online wagering accounted for $288.1m, down 10.9% month-on-month. Retail betting also fell 20.0% to $6.8m.

Handle dip leads to revenue decline

Taxable revenue from sports betting also declined in July. The combined total from retail and online wagering reached $29.4m, a drop of 8.7% from June’s $32.2m.

Of this total, $28.8m came from online betting, down 10.3%. The remaining $576,139 was generated by retail wagering, which was 274.3% higher than June.

Looking at individual operators, DraftKings remained the runaway online leader, posting $14.4m in revenue of..

August 16, 2023

Online growth drives US gaming revenue to record $16.1bn

US commercial gambling revenue reached a Q2 record of $16.07bn, the 10th consecutive quarter of growth, according to the American Gaming Association (AGA).

This represented an 8.1% increase from the total US gaming revenue recorded in Q2 2022 and is the second-highest grossing quarter in industry history, with only Q1 this year reporting a higher figure.

Overall, the US gambling industry generated $32.71bn in commercial gaming revenue for the six-month period, up 11.9% from last year.

AGA estimated the results led to $7.28bn in gaming tax revenue for state and local governments, a 12.9% increase from 2022. The trade body highlighted the industry is on track to contribute the highest total in tax revenue it has done in its history.

“While commercial gaming is on track for an unprecedented third consecutive year of record revenue, the lasting impact we’re making on our communities through this record growth is even more impressive,” said AGA president and CEO Bill Miller.

Online gam..

August 10, 2023

Wynn talks up “substantial” UAE growth potential as Q2 revenue rises

Wynn Resorts CEO Craig Billings said the operator is edging closer to securing a licence for its new integrated resort in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), while the business posted a 75.8% rise in Q2 revenue to $1.60bn (£1.26bn/€2.46bn).

The business first announced plans to open Wynn Al Marjan Island in early 2022. The Wynn Resorts facility will be located on the man-made Al Marjan Island in the Emirate of Ras Al-Khaimah and will cost approximately $3.90bn.

The venue is not due to open until early 2027 but Wynn is already busy making plans for the casino. Construction partners were appointed in March, initial designs were revealed shortly after and Thomas Schoen was recently named project president.

“We have everything we need to operate gaming in Al Marjan”

Wynn released renderings of its property in Ras al-Khaimah earlier this year

In addition, the operator is pushing to secure early approval ahead of the planned opening. Speaking on its earnings call, he said Wynn expects to re..

August 9, 2023

Jackson highlights scale, product as profit drivers for Flutter

Peter Jackson, CEO of leading online gaming conglomerate Flutter Entertainment, highlighted the business’ scale and subsequent ability to invest in its products as being behind its crossing of the profitability threshold.

In H1 2023, the Flutter reported profitability on both a US and group-wide basis. In the company’s earnings call, Jackson highlighted the business had previously expected 2023 to be the year in which the threshold was met.

“I think it’s important we remember the context a few years ago,” Jackson said. “We knew this year would be the tipping point, we reached that milestone earlier because the business is bigger than we anticipated.

“We knew this year would be profitable, we’ve proved the model works, we will continue to acquire and invest in as many companies as we possibly can.”

Jackson emphasises the importance of scale

The executive emphasised Flutter’s size, revenue and market share as the business retained its title as the largest online gaming business in t..

August 9, 2023

Flutter’s US business reaches “profitability inflection point” in H1

Flutter Entertainment has revealed its US business reached a “profitability inflection point” during the first half, with CEO Peter Jackson describing the period as “pivotal”.

Group revenue was up 41.9% in the six months to 30 June, while net loss also flipped to a profit. Much of this, Flutter said, was down to the performance of its US segment, namely the FanDuel Group brand.

Since taking ownership of FanDuel in May 2018, the brand has gone from strength to strength. FanDuel has moved far from an initial daily fantasy sports offering to now deliver sports betting and online casino in states across the US.

FanDuel investment coming in H2

US is Flutter’s star performer in H1

A strong six months for European operations

Australia disappoints

Working down the balance sheet

FanDuel US listing nears

Flutter CEO: Profits will fuel H2 investment for FanDuel

With CEO Jackson revealing that the US business took on more than two million new players in the first half, there is little ch..

August 3, 2023

BetMGM close to profitability as MGM hits record revenue in Q2

Land-based and online gaming operator MGM Resorts International reported all-time record revenue in Q2, as the company’s online business BetMGM announced its first EBITDA positive quarter.

MGM recorded $1.95bn in revenue in Q2, up 43.4% from the same quarter the previous year. The operator put the increase down primarily to the removal of Covid-19 related entry restrictions in Macau.

MGM CEO and president Bill Hornbuckle also chose to highlight the progress made by its online joint venture with Entain, BetMGM.

“BetMGM reported that it achieved its first positive EBITDA quarter and remains on track to achieve its next milestone of second half profitability,” he said.

However, despite this, the online gaming platform still recorded a $22.5m loss during the quarter. This represents a 68.4% fall in losses compared to the $71.2m reported in the same quarter the previous year.

MGM reports steady profits in Q2

On this total, the business announced it achieved an operating income of $37..

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Tag: Casino & games