Gaming Archives

August 2, 2023

Caesars Digital becomes EBITDA positive in Q2

Caesars Entertainment has posted the first quarter of positive adjusted EBITDA for its digital business since rebranding to Caesars Sportsbook in the summer of 2021.

The group launched its new-look sportsbook app in August 2021, following its acquisition of William Hill earlier in that year. Caesars acquired William Hill for £2.90bn (€3.37bn/$3.71bn) in April 2021 after a deal was agreed in September 2020.

In the months and years that followed, Caesars Sportsbook was rolled out across a total of 20 of states. However, despite this extended reach, EBITDA did not turn positive until the second quarter of this year.

EBITDA from Caesars Digital in Q2 reached $19.0m. In May this year, Caesars set a digital EBITDA target of $500.0m within the next two years.

Eric Hession, president of Caesars Sports and Online Gaming, welcomed the landmark. He highlighted the growth of both online sports betting and casino.

“Our performance this quarter continues to demonstrate the effectiveness of our ..

August 1, 2023

Bet-at-home H1 cost-cutting pushes earnings despite revenue decline

German-facing sports betting and igaming operator Bet-at-home.com announced the business’ cost-cutting measures has tripled the company’s EBITDA, despite an overall decline in revenue.

Bet-at-home’s gross gambling revenue stood at €24.2m in H1 2023. This was a 9.3% fall from the €26.7m the business achieved in the same period the previous year.

The FL Entertainment-owned company said this resulted from regulatory developments in Germany. It represents the operator’s largest single source of revenue.

In particular, Bet-at-home highlighted the impact of the monthly betting limits Germany implemented from 1 July 2022.

These limits – which were implemented as part of the country’s Fourth State Treaty on Gambling – include a €1 per spin stake limit for online slots.

The operator also highlighted a weaker than expected development of the online gaming segment. This is a trend it also blamed on enhanced regulation from the previous year.

Impact of strict cost-cutting

However, during H..

July 31, 2023

Sports betting decline hits Michigan igaming revenue in June

Reduced sports betting activity in Michigan in June led to a month-on-month drop in overall online gambling revenue for the state.

Combined gross igaming and sports betting receipts in Michigan amounted to $169.3m. This was down 8.9% from $185.5m in May this year, representing the third consecutive month of decline in the state.

However, the total was some 23.7% ahead of $136.9m in June 2022.

Online casino gaming gross receipts amounted to $151.0m, a year-on-year climb of 24.2% and marginally ahead of May. Gross sports betting receipts also increased 18.8% from June 2022 to $18.3m, but this was 48.0% lower than $35.2m in May.

Read the full story on iGB North America

July 28, 2023

Illinois approves Hard Rock Casino sportsbook

The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) has approved the launch of a new sportsbook at the Hard Rock Casino in Rockford.

The authority granted 815 Entertainment – doing business as Hard Rock Casino Rockford – a sports wagering operator licence. Seminole Hard Rock Digital was also approved as a sports wagering management service provider.

The casino “must comply with IGB rules before offering in-person and online wagering”, the regulator said. It is understood that the casino is hoping to begin offering sports betting within the next two months.

Read the full story on iGB North America

July 25, 2023

Kindred leading in Netherlands as revenue up 29% in Q2

In its Q2 financial report Kindred posted a 29% year-on-year increase in revenue to £307.3m (€356m/$394m).

Kindred’s Q2 focus on cost controls amid an ongoing strategic review and a strong performance in the Netherlands are keeping the business on track to surpass full-year earnings expectations, according to interim CEO Nils Andén.

A total of £63.6m of sales was generated in the Netherlands. Andén said in an earnings call today that he believes Kindred is now the market leader in the country.

Sports betting growth drives revenue

Performance was positively impacted by an increase in sports betting, favourable results and lower bonus costs. Sports betting gross margin after free bets was 11.3% in Q2. This was up from 9.3% in the previous year and above the group’s long-term average of 9.6%.

However, excluding the Netherlands, active customers and gross winnings revenue remained relatively flat. The business said this was due to headwinds in Belgium and Norway offsetting growth in ..

July 19, 2023

Pennsylvania gambling revenue records tumble in 2022-23

Pennsylvania set a series of new gambling revenue records during the 2022-23 fiscal year, while the state also reported year-on-year growth in June.

Total gambling revenue in 2022-23 reached $5.51bn, according to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB). This was an all-time high for the state, beating the previous record of $5.04bn set in 2021-22 by 10.0%.

Retail slots were the main source of revenue by some margin. The $2.45bn generated was 1.7% ahead of last year and the second-highest annual total in history, behind $2.48bn in 2011-12.

However, land-based table games revenue slipped 4.1% year-on-year to $974.0m.

Read the full story on iGB North America

July 18, 2023

Delaware igaming spend slips to year-low in June

Consumer spending on online gambling in Delaware fell to a calendar year-low of $37.9m in June, although sports betting handle improved month-on-month.

June’s igaming spend was 8.3% higher than $35.0m in the same month last year but 14.3% behind the $44.2m bet in May 2023.

Online video lottery accounted for $23.9m of all spend, while players also wagered $14.0m on table games.

Revenue from igaming during the month amounted to $1.1m. This was up 35.9% year-on-year but 8.3% lower than $1.2m in May.

Read the full story on iGB North America

July 17, 2023

NJ gambling revenue up 13.9% year-on-year in June

Gambling revenue in New Jersey increased 13.9% year-on-year in June, although the state experienced a month-on-month decline.

State-wide revenue for the month amounted to $457.2m. This was up from $401.5m in June of 2022 but 13.9% down from $401.5m in May this year.

Land-based gambling remained by far the primary source of revenue during the month. This area of the market generated $241.6m in revenue, 5.4% more than last year.

Slots accounted for $183.0m of all land-based revenue, a rise of 7.0%, while table games revenue climbed 0.9% to $58.1m.

Read the full story on iGB North America

July 13, 2023

Gambling Commission fines Star Racing £594,000

The GB Gambling Commission has issued a fine to Star Racing Limited for a series of anti-money laundering (AML) and social responsibility failings.

Star Racing, trading as Star Sports, will pay a penalty of £594,000 (€693,376/$772,840). It was also handed an official warning and had extra conditions added to its licence.

Setting out the charges, the Commission listed a number of failings that occurred between March 2020 and May 2021.

AML failures included having ineffective policies, procedures and controls in place at the time. Star Racing also allowed customers to deposit large amounts before obtaining source of funds information and failing to analyse source of funds information when it was obtained.

In terms of social responsibility failures, these included not demonstrating an understanding of the impact and effectiveness of customer interactions in terms of the minimisation of customer risk.

Licence breaches

Specific breaches noted in the case included Paragraphs 2 and 3 o..

July 12, 2023

Kindred expands US presence with tech platform launch in PA

Kindred Group has announced the launch of its proprietary tech platform in the US state of Pennsylvania.

Customers in the state can now access the Kindred-owned Unibet casino and sportsbooks apps.

Unibet has been active in Pennsylvania since September 2019. The brand initially launched as a retail sportsbook in partnership with Mohegan Sun Pocono.

Kindred said the platform provides customers with a better experience, personalised content and products, as well as improved analytics.

Read the full story on iGB North America

July 6, 2023

Bplay and GiG expand in Argentina with Mendoza launch

Gaming Innovation Group (GiG) has supported the launch of Boldt Group brand Bplay in the Argentine province of Mendoza.

Bplay initially went live with an igaming offering on GiG’s B2B platform. This will be expanded to also include an online sportsbook in the third quarter.

The launch marks the fifth Argentine jurisdiction in which Boldt Group has partnered with GiG. The two parties were already active in Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and the city of Buenos Aires.

“Bplay continues to provide the best gaming experience for our clients in Latin America,” Boldt Group business unit manager José del Pino said. “This leads not only in the launch of new licences, incorporating new and great games and products, but also improving user satisfaction.”

The roll-out also means GiG is regulated in 30 markets worldwide, with a further seven in development.

GiG commercial director David Bonnefous Saavedra added: “Our excellent relationship with the Boldt Group and the continuing expansion ..

July 5, 2023

Soft2Bet to enter Romania with new licence

Online gambling operator Soft2Bet is to expand into Romania after securing a new licence in the country.

Issued by national regulator Oficiul National pentru Jocuri de Noroc (ONJN), the licence will cover online casino and sports betting.

Soft2Bet said the licence would support its ongoing expansion into regulated markets across Europe and worldwide.

The operator also recently secured approval in Greece, Ireland, Denmark and Sweden,

“We consider the Romanian market as one of the pivotal markets for establishing our foothold in Eastern Europe,” Soft2Bet’s general counsel, David Yatom said.

“Acquiring a local Romanian operating licence marks an important step in our strategic expansion, building upon Soft2Bet’s success in other European markets.

“Stay tuned for more exciting developments in the near future.”

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Tag: Gaming