Gaming operator LeoVegas has reported €88.9M in revenue for Q3 2020, up just 1% year-on-year. 

Despite the marginal rise in revenue, the operator saw the number of depositing customers increase 26%, from 347,464 to 438,691. EBITDA for the quarter came in at €11.9M, compared to €12.7M in the same period last year, corresponding to a margin of 13%. 

However, October revenue came in at €33M – up a healthy 27% year-on-year, despite regulatory changes in the German market dampening things from the 15th. 

The third quarter was, as expected, affected by the controversial ‘temporary’ COVID-19 crisis restrictions in the Swedish market, but LeoVegas also got a boost from the launch of its GoGoCasino and Livecasino brands in Finland. 

LeoVegas also further increased its stake in esports betting operator Pixel.bet from 51% to 85%, and launched Bingo as a new product category. 

Reflecting on the quarter, LeoVegas Group CEO, Gustaf Haman, said he was optimistic that the company’s growing customer base and ongoing cost savings had put it in a positive position to start the fourth quarter, and that the company would see a strong end to the full year. 

AYO.NEWS says:

When an operator is adding record numbers of depositing customers, but seeing only a marginal increase in revenue, it can only mean people are spending less – which would indicate the draconian ‘temporary’ restrictions in Sweden are biting hard. Of course, with the COVID-19 induced economic crisis deepening, it could also mean customers in some markets are starting to tighten their belts. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

Scientific Games has seen revenue start to recover, growing 23% quarter-on-quarter during Q3 2020.

The Las Vegas-based gaming solutions supplier reported revenue of $698M USD for Q3 2020,  18% down from the $855m reported in the same period last year. Despite this, it was still 23% higher than the $529M generated in the second quarter.

Adjusted earnings dropped 32% to $235m, from $344m for the same period in 2019.

Unsurprisingly, Scientific Games have chalked the difficult year up to the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, which has severely impacted the operation of land-based casinos and sports events around the world.  

However, the company has seen strong growth for its SciPlay, Digital, and Lottery businesses, which all registered an increase in adjusted earnings. 

Reflecting on the quarter, president and chief executive officer of Scientific Games, Barry Cottle, said:

“As a result of our team’s focus on our strategy, our diverse portfolio and our commitment to cost management, we delivered strong cash flow in the third quarter.

“I really am excited around all the great games, products and solutions we have to help our partners navigate the current environment and provide innovative solutions for the future.  

“I’d also like to welcome the proven industry leaders to our board who will augment our focus on de-levering our balance sheet and will help the company prudently and thoughtfully shape our corporate strategy.”

Staying with Scientific Games, last month the company announced it would be adding NetEnt content to its OpenGaming platform in US markets. 

AYO.NEWS says:

Luckily for Scientific Games, despite its significant exposure to land-based operations, it’s online business was already substantial before the pandemic hit. Like other suppliers who are still straddling the land-based/online gaming industries, we expect the crisis will have a significant impact on its future business focus, pushing it much more towards online gaming. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

Live casino provider Evolution has partnered with US-based operator FanDuel. 

The agreement will see FanDuel add Evolution’s live dealer products to its existing casino offering for customers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. FanDuel already offers live games from Ezugi, which Evolution acquired in January 2019. 

Commenting on the news GM of Casino at FanDuel Group, Jesse Chemtob, said:

“We’re really excited to offer our loyal customers more Live Casino games. We see live casino as a key driver for continued online casino market growth in the US and FanDuel will now have access to Evolution’s entire Live Casino portfolio.”

While CEO Malta and CCO at Evolution, Johan Nordstrom, added:

“Late last year we signed a landmark deal with Flutter Entertainment brands Paddy Power and Betfair. Now we are delighted to be working with another Flutter brand, FanDuel, in the fast-growing US market.”

Staying with Evolution, earlier this week the supplier became the first to launch live casino products in the Colombian online gaming market. Meanwhile, in October, FanDuel announced an agreement with Entercom, described as the radio industry’s “largest advertising commitment ever.”

AYO.NEWS says:

In the age of COVID, where human interaction is more coveted than ever, it’s not surprising that Live Casino is booming – with several operators expanding facilities to cope with rising demand. 

Further illustrating the importance of the emerging US markets, just last month, Evolution also entered an agreement to supply its Live Casino products to William Hill in the country. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

Global online gambling content publisher, Yggdrasil Gaming, has entered a Strategic Affiliate Partnership with Game Lounge. 

The agreement with the Malta-based online marketing company is aimed at building a wider reach for Yggdrasil’s content, and will see Game Lounge manage the commercial elements of Yggdrasil’s affiliate site, Yggdrasil Casino. 

Yggdrasil Casino shares official insights about all the titles in Yggdrasil’s games portfolio, including RTP, default bet size, max wins, bet ranges, and slot volatility, as well as guiding players to online casinos. 

Founded in 2015, Game Lounge has established itself as a leader in SEO marketing and now operates over 150 sites across thirteen markets, including the US, Nordics, Germany, UK, and Japan. 

Discussing the partnership CEO of Yggdrasil, Fredrik Elmqvist, said:

“Our partnership with leading affiliate company Game Lounge will strengthen our affiliate site, Yggdrasil Casino, by expanding our capabilities with a world-class affiliate sales team and SEO talent. We are strong ambassadors in playing to each other’s strengths and this deal demonstrates just that.

“Our gaming expertise combined with Game Lounge’s lead generation skills will enable us to bring a truly unique asset to the affiliate space, including unique game IP to customers and operators alike.”

While Founder of Game Lounge, Jonas Cederholm, added:

“We are thrilled to partner with such a strong supplier as Yggdrasil and to help them further push their brand and exciting games portfolio. With their unique products and our vast knowledge and access to numerous markets we are certain this will be a successful collaboration benefiting all parties.”

AYO.NEWS says:

There’s no doubt that the igaming affiliate marketing sector isn’t what it used to be. With constant regulatory changes, and even incoming bans on affiliate marketing in jurisdictions like Germany, it takes a lot of expertise and resources to be successful while remaining compliant. It looks like Yggdrasil has realised this and is opting to offload some of the stress onto specialists. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

Brazil-based esports organisation FURIA has announced online poker operator PokerStars as its new “master sponsor.”

The partnership makes more sense when you consider that André Akkari, a co-owner of FURIA, is one of the most successful Brazilian professional poker players, and a PokerStars Ambassador. As part of the collaboration, Akkari will be leading a new team of poker streamers, including top Latin American female poker professional Lali Tournier, and Rafa Moraes. 

Financial details of the agreement have not been disclosed. 

Commenting on the partnership Akkari said:

“Poker plays a natural part in Furia’s DNA. It’s all about making optimal decisions in the moment for long-term results. The partnership is a natural step for expansion as we look to move beyond eSports.”

While Associate Director of Public Relations at PokerStars, Rebecca McAdam-Willets, added:

“The team at Furia work very hard, lead by example, and are always looking to improve and evolve.

“This approach, as well as their general ethos, sits extremely well with what we aim for at PokerStars. It will be exciting for us to see what we can bring our community and how we can engage new audiences by working together with such a passionate team.”

FURIA is well-known for fielding a particularly potent Counter-Strike: Global Offensive teams, and recently acquired a slot in the Brazilian League of Legends Championship (CBLoL) franchise. 

The organisation also has commercial partnerships in place with Aim Lab, AOC, GamersCard, HyperX, Legion by Lenovo, Nike, Nvidia, Rivalry, and Unilever. 

In April, FURIA also teamed up with Swiss blockchain-based mobile app solution Blocksport to improve fan engagement.

AYO.NEWS says:

While we see partnerships between betting operators and esports organisations, this relationship seems set to take collaboration to a new level, so it will be interesting to see how it pans out, and if it will inspire other esports organisations to get involved with traditional gaming. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

Casino game and software developer Red Tiger has expanded its reach in Central Europe with bet-at-home. 

The operator’s players now have access to the NetEnt-owned provider’s full suite of titles via its popular casino tab. 

Commenting on the deal Commercial Director at Red Tiger, Chris Looney, said:

“Developing games that push the envelope is what we pride ourselves on at Red Tiger, and it is exciting to be entertaining bet-at-home’s legions of fans with our award-winning slots.

“They are one of Europe’s most successful online betting and gaming providers, and we look forward to forging a prosperous business relationship in the years to come.”

While a bet-at-home representative, Claus Retschitzegger, added:

“Our aim is to give customers the most immersive gaming experience possible, and that’s something for which Red Tiger’s innovative suite of slots is industry-renowned.

“With its popular and inventive new games, such as Gonzo’s Quest™ MegaWays™, I’m sure our players will be thrilled with the new partnership.”

Red Tiger’s parent company, NetEnt, recently reported dramatic revenue growth for the 3rd quarter of 2020. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.