Central Europe
ZEAL Announces Successful Start to Fiscal Year 2023
ZEAL, the leading German online provider of lottery products, has made a successful start to fiscal year 2023. This is evidenced by the key figures from the company’s first quarterly report.
ZEAL continued to expand its customer base by adding 143 thousand registered new customers. The CPL (cost per lead) of EUR 36.77 fell slightly year-on-year (2022: EUR 38.09).
The transaction volume increased by 11% to 201.2 million euros (2022: 181.2 million euros). This resulted in sales revenues of 26.7 million euros – an increase of 6% compared to the previous year. The company’s gross margin of 12.4% was 0.5% below the previous year’s level (2022: 12.9%) due to the product mix. Overall, ZEAL was able to increase EBITDA by 0.4 million euros to 9.3 million euros (2022: 8.9 million euros). EBIT also exceeded its prior-year figure at 7.1 million euros (2022: 6.8 million euros). Due to a EUR 0.8 million increase in tax expenses, net profit for the period decreased to EUR 4.4 million (2022: EUR 5.0 million).
The dividend proposal of 3.60 euros per share was also adopted at ZEAL’s Annual General Meeting on May 9, 2023 in Hamburg.
Probably the most important highlight for the ZEAL Group so far in 2023 was the long-awaited granting of permission to offer virtual slot games (online games) by the Joint Gaming Authority of the Federal States (GGL). With the granting of the permit, the market leader for online lotteries in Germany enters a new market segment and achieves an important milestone for the further expansion of its business.
Another milestone for ZEAL is the company’s membership of the World Lottery Association (WLA). The WLA is a world organization of state-licensed lotteries, sports betting providers and suppliers. Admission to this circle demonstrates the online market leader’s high industry reputation and commits the company to compliance with WLA standards for social responsibility, responsible gaming, security and risk management.
For the fiscal year 2023, ZEAL still plans to expand its market leadership as an online provider of lottery products and to launch new products, including virtual slot games under the newly obtained license. In this context, the company continues to expect a billings volume in the range of EUR 800 million to EUR 830 million for the Germany segment – assuming an average jackpot development. In addition, ZEAL continues to expect revenues to be in a range of EUR 110 million to EUR 120 million in fiscal year 2023. For EBITDA, the company expects a range of EUR 30 million to EUR 35 million. The online market leader again plans to invest significantly more in new customer acquisition than in the previous year and expects marketing expenses of between EUR 34 million and EUR 39 million.
“We are pleased with the strong start of the year and are proud of the milestones achieved and the positive development of our key figures. In particular, receiving the long-awaited permission to offer virtual slot games opens up new opportunities for us to further expand our business,” Jonas Mattsson, Chief Financial Officer of ZEAL Network SE, said.
Euro Games Technology will partner with the Casino Operations Summit for another year in a row. The Bulgarian gaming equipment manufacturer will be a gold sponsor of this year’s event, taking place from May 13 to 15 in Nova Gorica, Slovenia.
The conference is tailored to European multi-channel casino operators and will traditionally bring together keynote speakers who will elaborate on the latest topics in the industry. This year’s main themes will focus on how land-based casinos can successfully address the challenges of the modern world, remaininng relevant and attractive to players, and navigate the ever-growing importance of Casino Online Systems and Casino Management Systems.
In addition, attendees will be able to enjoy a selection of EGT’s newest high-potential products. Among the highlights will be the S 32-32 ST cabinet, which is part of the latest Supreme slot series. Following the contemporary design trends with its 2 high-resolution 32-inch UHD 4K monitors and a frameless UHD 4K display, this model will offer visitors an engaging gaming experience thanks to its numerous ergonomic features. It will also present the Supreme Red Selection and Supreme Bonus Prize Bonus Buy Selection multigames. The mixes offer a rich variety of well-known and brand-new slot titles from the company’s portfolio, allowing everyone to find their preferred type of game.
The slot display will be complemented by the jackpot top performer Bell Link with the multigame Bell Link 2, Bell Link Boost, as well as the popular cabinet G 50 J2 ST.
The post EGT will be a gold sponsor of Casino Operations Summit 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Ani Mkrtchyan, Digitain’s Chief Sales Officer, commented: “We are excited to expand the partnership with Gamingtec and support Betters.pl in delivering an outstanding sports betting experience in Poland. This collaboration aligns with our commitment to expanding in regulated markets and is yet another example of how we partner with industry leaders in gaming excellence—perfectly reflecting Digitain’s new brand slogan: ‘BUILT TO LEAD.’”
The post Digitain Partners with Gamingtec to Expand Presence in Europe appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Leading sportsbook technology provider grows European footprint with major local operator
Altenar, a leading sports betting and iGaming software provider, has signed an agreement to provide its fully-managed sportsbook solution to Czech operator MerkurXtip.
The Merkur brand, formerly known as the Gauselmann Group, was founded in the 1970s. Its Czech online brand MerkurXtip CZ launched in 2022 and provides more than 200 slots and sports betting across a wide variety of sporting events..
Altenar’s sportsbook solution will replace the existing sportsbook product on the operator’s merkurxtip.cz website, providing a range of innovative features to elevate the betting experience for players, enhance retention rates and increase revenue.
The agreement strengthens Altenar’s position in the Czech market, where it secured its first deal in 2024. It has enjoyed successful ongoing partnerships with Kingsbet CZ and DATA.BET.
Sam Hill, Sales Director at Altenar, said: “The Merkur Group is a fantastic business with real heritage across the industry.
“To be trusted to take their brand forward in the Czech market is testament to the quality of product and service that Altenar provides today across numerous regulated markets. We can’t wait to get started and look forward to the development of our partnership with the Group.”
Stanislav Sopko, CEO of MerkurXtip CZ, said: “This collaboration marks the start of a promising journey together. Through this partnership, we aim to provide MerkurXtip’s customers with exceptional sports betting products from Altenar and deliver the best-in-class gaming experience in the market.
“We will combine our strengths and expertise to create new opportunities, improve offerings, and drive forward innovation. Stay tuned for more updates as we embark on this exciting venture together. We look forward to achieving great things in the months and years ahead.”
The post Altenar delivers sportsbook solution to MerkurXtip in Czech market appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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