Industry News
Evolution Publishes Interim Report for the Third Quarter of 2023
Evolution has published its interim report for the third quarter of 2023.
Highlights
Third Quarter of 2023
- Operating revenues increased by 19.6% to EUR 452.6 million (378.5)
- EBITDA increased by 22.1% to EUR 318.6 million (261.0), corresponding to a margin of 70.4% (69.0)
- Profit for the period amounted to EUR 272.8 million (221.3)
- Earnings per share amounted to EUR 1.28 (1.04)
January-September 2023
- Operating revenues increased by 26.1% to EUR 1,323.3 million (1049.3)
- EBITDA increased by 27.6% to EUR 930.5 million (728.9), corresponding to a margin of 70.3% (69.5)
- Profit for the period amounted to EUR 788.0 million (619.9)
- Earnings per share amounted to EUR 3.69 (2.91)
CEO Comments:
“In the third quarter, Evolution reports revenue of EUR 452.6 million and EBITDA amounting to EUR 318.6 million, corresponding to almost 20 percent top-line growth and 70.4 percent EBITDA margin. This is a good financial performance and the underlying growth drivers for the business remains solid. During the third quarter we released more games than during any earlier quarter. A strong development that I am pleased with as entertaining games and a flawless player experience are the absolute most important factors for our long-term success.
“Our Live Casino revenue grew to EUR 385.8 million for the quarter and we see a higher demand for our product than what we currently can deliver. That is a measure of the phenomenal traction our games have. However, it also means we are not expanding our studios at the right pace. However, it also means we are not expanding our studios at the right pace. We have faced delays, and in some cases not executed fully, in several of our planned studio projects for this year but even more importantly we need to increase the pace of recruitment both in existing studios as well as to support new studios. We are working hard to get back on track in our existing locations and we will continue to invest in our network of studios and add new locations. We opened a smaller studio in Colombia just after the end of the third quarter. We plan to open one new studio in Europe later this year and 3-4 next year in Europe, North America and LatAm.
“RNG revenues amounted to EUR 66.8 million and declined 1.9 percent compared to the corresponding quarter last year. Despite the step back in year-on-year growth it was a quarter when we made progress in our RNG operations. Our release pace is now where we want it to be and all new games are from the third quarter on OSS (One Stop Shop). We are methodically and systematically moving our RNG business forward. Our earlier communicated goal for RNG growth remains but at the moment we focus on showing step-by-step improvements.
“We are focused on factors that are within our control when explaining our financial result. However, this quarter the impact from external factors such as currency effects are more significant than ever. The strengthening of the Euro against most currencies has affected our top line growth negatively during this year. Players deposit and play in many different currencies with our operators, the resulting GGR is converted to Euro which is the base for our invoicing. In the third quarter we estimate 6-8 percentage points negative headwind on revenue growth from currency effects when comparing revenues to the same quarter last year.
“The group EBITDA margin is 70.4 percent during the third quarter. We maintain our guidance of 68-71 percent EBITDA margin for the year. Coming into the final quarter of the year I do expect us to be in the upper end of that interval even with a full focus on expansion.
“Our ability to deliver new and exciting player experiences is one of our main competitive advantages and I am pleased to say that we are on track to exceed our plan of more than 100 games released in 2023. In the third quarter we released 28 RNG titles and 8 Live games. We have had a continued strong development of our disco themed Funky Time which launched this spring, adding new dimensions to our popular Game Show portfolio. At the G2E show earlier in October we presented two new releases: Red Door Roulette — an innovative mash-up of Crazy Time and Lightning Roulette — and Video Poker, a Live Casino game offering the ultimate fusion of nostalgia and player-focused modern gaming technology. We also released many new and exciting slots, some of my personal favorites this quarter are The Crypt from Nolimit City and Max Megaways 2 from BTG. As stated, 2023 will be backend loaded in terms of releases both for Live and RNG and I am excited about what the last months of this year will bring from a product perspective.
“North America is a region that we expect to develop over many years as more US states regulate. The online casino market is still in an early stage of development. We continue to see growth for our Live product quarter to quarter in the existing states, while we in the past quarter take a step back in our RNG revenue compared to the second quarter. Together this results in a 9 percent growth in North America compared to same period last year but a slightly lower revenue in the third quarter compared to the second quarter. Asia and Latin America both grow 35 and 39 percent respectively from last year and Europe shows a steady 10 percent increase. The growth compared to third quarter of last year is organic in all regions as the latest acquisitions were included in the group then.
“In summary, the underlying growth drivers remain unchanged. We face a tougher macro climate today than one year ago and we are underserving the market at the moment, but we will continue to invest, optimize recruitment and, as always, push for growth through focus on product innovation. Our financial strength will continue to serve us well as we can continue to invest without interruption and grow. We remain committed to delivering new thrilling experiences to new and existing players and continue to strive to be just a little better every day. I look forward to the final months of the year and onwards into 2024.”
Asia
SiGMA Asia Awards 2024: Boomerang Partners Nominated for ‘Rising Star Affiliate Program’
The fast-growing Boomerang Partners affiliate program continues gaining global recognition, earning a nomination for the prestigious ‘Rising Star Affiliate Program 2024’ category in the Asia region
With a rapidly growing network of over 5,200 affiliates across 70+ countries, the dynamic Boomerang Partners affiliate program has been recognized as a finalist for the ‘Rising Star’ category at the SiGMA Awards Asia 2024. While Asia is not currently the central focus for brand promotion, this prestigious recognition from SiGMA is a notable honor that inspires Boomerang to fortify its global footprint and industry-leading position.
In 2023 alone, Boomerang’s achievements included paying over €50 million to affiliates, creating 22 exclusive branded games, hosting 82 tournaments across 30 regions, and expanding into 31 new markets. This followed prestigious wins like ‘Casino of the Year’ at the SiGMA Balkans/CIS Awards, ‘Commission Offer of the Year’ at the AffPapa iGaming Awards, and ‘Best PPC Affiliate’ at the SiGMA Europe Awards.
This year, Boomerang Partners is highlighting innovations like a worldwide traffic tournament and has already been nominated at the AffPapa, MAC, and AskGamblers Awards – eagerly awaiting the results across these prestigious voting processes and final selections.
“We actively collaborate with SiGMA, having participated in their events and been honored with SiGMA awards in other regions previously,” said Vitalii Prokofev, CEO at Boomerang Partners. “SiGMA sets the standard with premier industry events and accolades worldwide. This nomination at their Asia awards is valuable recognition that fuels our ambition to raise our global profile further.”
Boomerang Partners invites all affiliate managers and industry enthusiasts to learn more about their award-winning program. Voting for the SiGMA Asia Awards runs until May 20th. Winners will be announced at the June 3rd ceremony during the June 2-5 event in Manila.
Support Boomerang in the ‘Rising Star’ category while voting for other favorites at SiGMA.
The post SiGMA Asia Awards 2024: Boomerang Partners Nominated for ‘Rising Star Affiliate Program’ appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Hard Rock International
The Mirage Hotel & Casino to Begin Transformation into Hard Rock Las Vegas on July 17, 2024
Hard Rock International (HRI) announced its plans to cease operations of The Mirage Hotel & Casino as of July 17, 2024, to begin the transformation of the property into the highly anticipated Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and Guitar Hotel Las Vegas (HRHCLV).
Hard Rock will develop a new integrated resort featuring a nearly 700 ft. guitar-shaped hotel towering prominently in the center of the famous Las Vegas Strip.
“We’d like to thank the Las Vegas community and team members for warmly welcoming Hard Rock after enjoying 34 years at The Mirage. We’d also like to thank the Unions, community leaders, local and state government organizations and the Gaming Commission for their support and fair negotiations over the past year. Also, we are grateful to MGM for assisting with our transition,” Jim Allen, Chairman of Hard Rock International, said.
“While we pause for the incredible transformation of this iconic property, I’d like to thank all team members at The Mirage for their incredible commitment and helping us provide memorable experiences for our guests. We are planning to host collaborative hiring events with other employers in the Las Vegas community over the coming months. Connecting the thousands of talented Mirage team members who provide outstanding service with new employment opportunities is a top priority,” Joe Lupo, President of The Mirage, said.
HRHCLV is expected to double the current number of jobs at The Mirage for the Las Vegas community, while the renovation of the property will generate over 2500 construction jobs. Hard Rock will pay approximately $80 million in severance packages for eligible union and non-union employees remaining with the property through cessation of operations.
Industry News
IGT Reports First Quarter 2024 Results
International Game Technology PLC has reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024.
“Innovative game, hardware, and systems solutions drove better-than-expected Global Lottery and Gaming & Digital performance in the first quarter. As a result, we are upgrading our full-year 2024 revenue and profit goals, which reflect broad-based momentum across key performance indicators in the balance of the year. We continue to make progress on separating Global Lottery from Gaming & Digital and preparing for the proposed transaction with Everi,” Vince Sadusky, CEO of IGT, said.
Key Highlights:
- Announced Gaming & Digital business to be spun off and combined with Everi Holdings Inc.; transaction expected to close in late 2024/early 2025
- Recognised with top honours at ICE London 2024 awards programmes including “Lottery Product of the Year” and “Best Diversity and Inclusion Employer”
- Received a supply contract extension from the UK National Lottery
- Executed licensing agreement with the Maryland Lottery for IGT’s patented Cash Pop draw-based game
- Mystery of the Lamp named “Top Performing New Premium Game” at 2024 EKG Slot Awards Show
- Awarded contract to provide PeakDual 27 video lottery terminals across Quebec
- Launched iGaming content in Rhode Island
- Achieved AAA MSCI ESG rating, the highest rating possible, and earned a gold medal sustainability rating from EcoVadis.
“We delivered a record organic profit performance in the first quarter, if we exclude Separation & divestiture costs. The Company is operating from a position of strength with historically low net debt leverage, ample liquidity, and manageable near-term debt maturities,” Max Chiara, CFO of IGT, said.
The post IGT Reports First Quarter 2024 Results appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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