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Evolution Gaming Reports Positive H1 2020 Results

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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).

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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.

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“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.”

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Blake Sartini

Golden Entertainment Announces Leadership Changes

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Golden Entertainment Inc. announced that effective March 20, 2024, Blake Sartini II, Golden’s Executive Vice President of Operations, became the Company’s Chief Operating Officer.

“Blake has worked in every capacity throughout our organization since he started at Golden almost 17 years ago. His unique knowledge of our Company’s culture, commitment to operational excellence, and strong leadership skills make him the ideal individual to be given responsibility for all our Nevada casino resorts, locals properties, tavern operations and related corporate functions,” Blake Sartini, Chairman and CEO of Golden, said.

Blake Sartini II initially joined Golden in June 2007, working with Golden’s tavern operations and building what is now the largest branded tavern portfolio in Nevada with 69 locations. Currently, as Executive Vice President of Operations, in addition to oversight of Golden’s taverns, he has direct responsibility for the Company’s five local casinos in Las Vegas and Pahrump.

Steve Arcana, Golden’s current Chief Operating Officer, became the Company’s Chief Development Officer also effective March 20, 2024. In this newly created role, Mr. Arcana will be responsible for all new tavern development, finding new third-party food and beverage concepts for the Company’s casino resorts, and exploring opportunities to unlock value in the Company’s excess real estate in Las Vegas, Laughlin and Pahrump. Mr. Arcana initially joined Golden in 2003 and has overseen the Company’s operations as it has grown from a privately held, 900-slot machine route operation to a publicly traded gaming company with casinos in Las Vegas, Laughlin and Pahrump in addition to its significant tavern portfolio.

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“Steve has been with Golden for over 20 years and has been an integral part of growing our business and guiding us through many challenges. Steve has established a strong operating team and has been a consistent leader throughout his decades at Golden. His long history and extensive experience in the industry will continue to benefit the Company in his new role focused on creating value from new tavern development and unused assets in our casino portfolio,” Mr. Sartini said.

“These management changes will allow Golden to focus on maximizing performance in our core operations while exploring opportunities to drive future improvement by bringing potential new concepts to our existing portfolio. I am confident the changes to Blake and Steve’s roles with the Company will position us well to create additional shareholder value,” Mr. Sartini added.

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Barclays Capital Inc

MGM Resorts International Announces Proposed Senior Notes Offering

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MGM Resorts International announced that it proposes to offer $750,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of senior notes due 2032.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering of the notes to repay existing indebtedness, including its outstanding 6.750% senior notes due 2025. Pending such use, the Company may invest the net proceeds in short-term interest-bearing accounts, securities, or similar investments.

The notes being offered will be general unsecured senior obligations of the Company, guaranteed by substantially all of the Company’s wholly-owned domestic subsidiaries that guarantee the Company’s other senior indebtedness, and equal in right of payment with all existing or future senior unsecured indebtedness of the Company and each guarantor.

Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., BofA Securities, Inc., Barclays Capital Inc., BNP Paribas Securities Corp., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Citizens JMP Securities, LLC, Fifth Third Securities, Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Scotia Capital (USA) Inc., SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc., and Truist Securities, Inc. will act as joint book-running managers and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, PNC Capital Markets LLC, U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc., and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC will act as co-managers for the proposed offering.

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The Nomination Committee’s Proposal of Catena Media’s Board of Directors at the Annual General Meeting 2024

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The Nomination Committee of Catena Media proposed re-election of the following members of the Board of Directors:

Øystein Engebretsen

Theodore Bergquist

Adam Krejcik

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Sean Hurley

The Nomination Committee proposed that Erik Flinck and Dan Castillo be elected as new members of the Board of Directors.

Göran Blomberg, Esther Teixeira-Boucher and Austin Malcomb have declined re-election as board members.

The Nomination Committee proposed that there will be six (6) members of the Board of Directors, changed from seven (7).

The Nomination Committee also proposed Erik Flinck to be elected as Chairman of the Board of Directors.

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Erik Flinck, born in 1980, currently provides high end business consulting combined with serving as Chairman for the digital health startup, dr HUD. Mr Flinck previously served as Head of BCG Sweden and has extensive experience from corporate management, growth and turnarounds from nearly 20 years of Management Consulting and serving as Head of Group Strategy and M&A at Sandvik AB. He has a Masters Degree in Engineering (Software development and Financial Mathematics) from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm and a Masters Degree in Business and Administration from Stockholm University and Stockholm School of Business.

Born in 1980, Dan Castillo has accumulated over 20 years of experience across startups, growth companies and turnarounds. Since 2015, Castillo has invested in Catena Media, maintaining a close watch on its progression, especially after its IPO in 2016. He has previous experience of listed board work in Kotipizza which Orkla acquired in 2018. He currently serves on the boards of five companies in different sectors, including Quartr.com in Fintech and Hope Studios in movie production. His academic background includes studies in Finance and Economics at Linköping University.

The Nomination Committee of Catena Media consists of:

Nicklas Paulson, representing Investment AB Öresund (chair of the nomination committee)

Marianne Stenberg, representing Second Swedish National Pension Fund

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Martin Zetterlund, representing Niklas Karlsson

Göran Blomberg, chairman of the board of Catena Media.

The post The Nomination Committee’s Proposal of Catena Media’s Board of Directors at the Annual General Meeting 2024 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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