Industry News
Evolution Gaming Reports Positive H1 2020 Results
Evolution Gaming has reported positive H1 2020 results. The company’s operating revenue increased 48% year-on-year to €243.5 million during H1.
EBITDA also increased by 85% to €145.3 million, corresponding to a margin of 59.7% (47,7), while profit for the period amounted to €124,6 million (63,1) and earnings per share amounted to €0.69 (0.35).
During the second quarter, operating revenues increased by 50% to €128.3 million (85,7), EBITDA increased by 90% to €81,1 million (42,7), corresponding to a margin of 63,2% (49,8). Profit for the period amounted to €70,4 million (34,5) and earnings per share amounted to €0.39 (0.19).
Evolution CEO Martin Carlesund said: “The strong development for Evolution continued during the second quarter. The quarter has been eventful with several product launches and a very high demand, partly due to the lack of sports betting games through a large part of the period, but we also see strong underlying growth. At the end of June, we announced a recommended offer to the shareholders of NetEnt with the aim to expand Evolution’s offering with market-leading slots and to continue towards our vision to become the global leading provider of online casino.
“Revenues for the second quarter amounted to EUR 128.3 million (85.7), an increase of 50 percent compared to the corresponding period last year. EBITDA amounted to EUR 81.1 (42.7) with a margin of 63 percent. The margin has been positively affected by high demand and that we have operated fewer tables due to the pandemic. However, the lower number of tables has had a negative effect on revenue both through lower fees from our dedicated environments and through lower capacity than normal. For the January-June period, the margin was 60 percent, meaning we have a good distance to our previous prediction of improving the margin level this year compared to 2019.
“Evolution’s vision is to become the leading B2B provider in online casino. An acquisition of NetEnt means that we can accelerate the pace towards this vision. To add NetEnt’s leading slots to Evolution’s strong Live Casino offering will create a very strong market position significantly faster, especially in the USA, and together with clear synergies we believe this to be a strategic and highly attractive acquisition. A future Evolution with two verticals as the foundation will increase cash flow and reduce risk, while the growth potential increases. The bid process continues according to the previously announced time schedule.
“During 2020, Evolution has continued and strengthened its focus on products and innovation. Our ability to develop new unique games while at the same time creating new variants of traditional games is important to further strengthen our leading position in Live Casino. So far, we have launched 8 out of the 12 games that we will launch this year. After the end of the quarter, we launched another one – Crazy Time – which is the most expensive and time-consuming game that we have developed to date. The reactions were instant, and we are overwhelmed by the positive reception among both players and operators.
“All new titles, especially in the Game Show category, contribute to a generally higher interest in Live Casino. To meet the increasing demand, it is vital that we continue to expand our studio capacity. Our Pennsylvania studio will be our 9th studio. Upcoming additions include a studio in Michigan and an English speaking studio in Lithuania.
“During the quarter we signed an agreement with Golden Nugget that will see Evolution’s US Live Casino services to be added to their existing online offering in New Jersey. The agreement consolidates Evolution’s leading position in New Jersey, while also providing a strategic platform to explore additional opportunities together with Golden Nugget in other states as the regulation of online casino in the USA continues.
“It has been an intense first half of the year impacted by Covid-19, which has entailed here-and-now problem solving. Since a few months back, we have a more stable virus situation and we have been able to devote more time to look forward while also preparing Evolution for a possible future second wave or similar pandemics. We are now working intensively with next year’s product launches and how Evolution will play a role in the continued digitalisation of the casino industry. I believe that our focus on the best game experiences and a relentless approach to always improve as a company will continue to be important pieces as we move ahead. We shall become slightly better each day, and every day shall take Evolution another step forward.”
Evoke, one of the world’s leading betting and gaming companies with internationally renowned brands including William Hill, 888 and Mr Green, announced the establishment of a new Technology Committee of the Board effective immediately.
The Committee will be chaired by Independent Non-Executive Director Susan Standiford. Non-executive Directors Limor Ganot and Ori Shaked will also be members of the Committee.
The Committee will provide Board-level oversight of evoke’s major technology investments and initiatives, ensuring alignment with business strategy, risk management and operational effectiveness.
Jon Mendelsohn, Chairman of evoke, said: “In a world where technology is evolving at break-neck speed and in an industry where technology leadership is a core driver of sustainable success, our Technology Committee will play an important role in strengthening the Board’s governance and long-term strategy development. The Committee will focus on providing transparency and insight across our product, technology, data and operational initiatives as well as informing the Board and executive leadership on technology trends with the potential to shape the Group’s long-term competitive advantages.”
The post Evoke Announces the Establishment of a New Technology Committee appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Welcome to our weekly roundup of American gambling news again! Here, we are going through the weekly highlights of the American gambling industry which include the latest news and new partnerships. Read on and get updated.
Latest News
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa has been named the luckiest casino in the US according to a recent study conducted by Casinos.com. The resort claimed the top spot based on an in-depth analysis of Tripadvisor reviews, measuring the frequency of luck-related keyword mentions. With a 25.49% luck rate, Seminole Hard Rock Tampa topped the list thanks to glowing guest feedback, including frequent mentions of jackpots, hand pays and bonus wins. 50 reviews mentioned the word “jackpot,” and 19 even referenced a “hand pay.” Casinos.com tracked keywords such as lucky, luck, won, winning, success, jackpot, hand pay, winner, bonus, profit to determine which U.S. casinos inspired the most winning moments among visitors.
The Missouri Gaming Commission has announced that it has officially begun accepting applications for sports betting license. The Commission made the announcement following the unanimous approval of a resolution drafted Tuesday that approved the licensing process. The resolution passed after Gov. Mike Kehoe’s office reviewed it. The licensing period opens roughly six months after Missouri voters narrowly approved a constitutional amendment legalising sports betting. The measure passed by less than half a percentage point, with a margin of less than 7500 votes.
Underdog Fantasy has relaunched its draft-style daily fantasy sports (DFS) games in New York, nearly two months after it withdrew all of its DFS competitions from the Empire State. The decision to withdraw all DFS contests from New York in March came after a ruling from the New York State Gaming Commission in which the commission determined Underdog was not in line with the state’s current DFS law. An Underdog Fantasy spokesperson confirmed the company is still working under a temporary license. The New York State Gaming Commission agreed to allow the company to offer its draft DFS games with the temporary license. Most DFS companies in New York operate with a temporary license.
New Partnerships
Pollard Banknote Limited has congratulated the West Virginia Lottery on the successful launch of Royal Court Riches, its first eInstant game from the Pollard Digital Games Studio. Royal Court Riches has already demonstrated strong performance in multiple markets—in its first international launch, it achieved that jurisdiction’s highest tickets sold, total sales and gross gaming revenue within its first 30 days of release. Royal Court Riches is the first in a series of games from the Pollard Digital Games Studio slated to launch in West Virginia this year.
SYNOT Games has announced a new partnership with Caliente, one of Mexico’s top gaming platforms. This collaboration marks an exciting expansion for SYNOT Games, as it brings its acclaimed portfolio of gaming content to the Mexican market. It enhances Caliente’s offerings with an extensive array of high-quality slot games such as Respin Joker, Book of Secrets, Realm of Lions and Forest Maiden, designed to captivate players and boost engagement. Caliente with its strong presence in Latin America, is the perfect partner for SYNOT Games’ expansion into the region. The partnership aims to deliver an exceptional gaming experience, combining SYNOT’s visually rich, innovative games with Caliente’s extensive reach and reputation.
The post Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – May 19-25 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Industry Awards
Betsson Group Nominated in 14 Categories at the Women in Gaming Diversity Awards 2025
Betsson Group has been nominated in 14 categories at the Women in Gaming Diversity & Employee Wellbeing Awards 2025, hosted by Clever Duck Media. These include five company-wide nominations and nine individual nominations for eight of its employees.
These annual awards celebrate excellence in equality, diversity, inclusion and employee wellbeing across the global gaming industry. Since its launch in 2010, the event has solidified its position as one of the global gaming industry’s most respected diversity accolades.
The categories in which Betsson Group and its employees have been shortlisted include:
Company Category Nominations:
Best Diverse Place to Work
Community Engagement
Company of the Year (Operator)
Diversity & Inclusion
Great Place to Work Award
Individual Category Nominations:
Affiliate Leader – Shakyra Jonsson
Employee of the Year (Operator) – Lisa Mifsud
Excellence in Customer Service – Gabriella Larsson
HR Champion (Operator) – Tamara Klibadze
Innovator – Lena Nordin
Inspiration of the Year (Operator) – Lena Nordin
Positive Role Model of the Year (Operator) – Lara Lombardi
Star of the Future (Operator) – Jessica Carrillo Miranda
Young Leader of the Year (Operator) – Chellyanne Cassar
These nominations reflect the company’s ongoing dedication to creating a workplace where employees feel valued, respected and empowered to succeed. At Betsson Group, diversity, equity and inclusion are more than buzzwords; they are embedded in the company’s culture, values and daily actions. In previous years, Betsson has been recognised at the WiG Diversity Awards for Best Diverse Place to Work (2022 and 2024), Company of the Year (2019 and 2022) and for Diversity & Inclusion (2021). For the individual categories, Betsson employees have previously won Excellence in Customer Service, Star of the Future and Young Leader of the Year.
The post Betsson Group Nominated in 14 Categories at the Women in Gaming Diversity Awards 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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