Earnings+More - Thanksgiving Weekend Edition #74
Thanksgiving Weekend Edition #74Entain looking ripe for MGM bid? Kindred’s regulatory woes, Super Group hits Ontario switch hitch, GAN loses CFO +MoreGood morning. On today’s agenda:
Entain ‘ripe’ for MGM approachAnalysts suggest the backdrop for MGM to make a bid for Entain has “ripened”. Seesaw: The team at Macquarie noted that Entain’s share price fall from its peak of 2,400p has left the company trading at the same level as when MGM made its original takeover bid in Jan21, while MGM’s own shares have risen ~12% over the same period. Additionally, sterling has fallen ~14% against the dollar.
The most recent edition of Deal Talk suggested the tug of war over the future of ownership of BetMGM might run for a while. MGM is regarded as the ‘natural’ buyer for Entain, but there are question marks over both the debt and equity elements of any prospective deal. CEE for milesEntain has completed its €600m deal to buy Croatian operator SuperSport via its Entain CEE JV. The company also recently arranged a €1bn term loan to pay for the deal. ** SPONSOR’S MESSAGE: BettingJobs is the global leading recruitment solutions provider to the iGaming, Sports Betting and Lotteries sectors. Boasting a 19-year track record supporting the iGaming industry, and with a team of experts and world class knowledge, it’s no surprise BettingJobs is experiencing rapid growth with outstanding results. Does your company have plans to expand teams to cope with strong growth and demand? Contact BettingJobs.com today where their dedicated team members will help you find exactly what you are looking for. Kindred’s regulatory woesKindred is fined by the Swedish authorities over AML failures and is reported to be the subject of a legal suit in Poland over accepting gray market players. Lovin’ spoonful: Kindred’s Swedish subsidiary Spooniker has been slapped with a SEK10.9m fine by the Swedish regulator for AML failures between Feb2019 and Feb22. Alongside ATG and PinBet, Spelinspektionen found “serious shortcomings” in its customer interactions.
GAN CFO departureThe operator/supplier has embarked on a search for a CFO after the surprise departure of current finance chief Karen Flores with immediate effect. No flowers: GAN has placed Brian Chang, previously corporate controller, in charge of its finances on an interim basis after it announced that its incumbent CFO has left the company as of today, November 25. The shares fell over 12% initially on the news before recovering some ground to end down 5% on the week. 🚴GAN shares slump on news of CFO departure
Woe Canada for Super GroupAdj. EBITDA swooned in Q3, down 26% to €56.1m on revenues that fell by 2% to €307.8m; FY22 guidance now at the lower end of expectations, at €1.15bn. Dig for victory: On the earnings call, CEO Neal Menashe said the move towards licensed activities in Ontario has been aided by an “excavation and engagement of historic Ontario customers” with the newly licensed operation. Menashe said that “overall” Canada “remains profitable for us”.
Sector watch – ESPNThe future of ESPN and its involvement in sports betting is up for grabs following the re-appointment of former CEO Bob Iger to replace Bob Chapek at Disney. Missed opportunity: Chris Grove was quoted in a Business Insider article on Bob Chapek’s tenure at Disney suggesting that the departing CEO represented an “expensive stasis” on ESPN’s potential involvement in sports betting.
In the EKG Line this week, the team pointed out that Chapek had talked a good game around sports betting without actually delivering. Back in September, Chapek certainly appeared to walk back from the potential of ESPN ‘being the book’ by suggesting the organization would be seeking a partner to further ESPN’s ambitions.
Further reading: Analyst suggests spinning out ESPN would be the “dumbest thing ever”. Earnings in briefCamelot UK: H1 sales topped £4bn for the first time helped by strong growth in draw games, up 7.5% to £2.39bn, driven by the Euromillions rollovers. Online sales grew 13% to £1.84bn. Recall, Allwyn – already set to become the next UK National Lottery provider – announced this week it would be acquiring Camelot UK for a rumored £100m.
Genting Malaysia: Revenue for Q3 rose 174% to RM2.27bn, while losses narrowed to RM8.3m from RM307m in the prior-year period. The company noted the ramp up of its Resorts World NYC operation continued to be a “key focus”. CIRSA: Revenues rose 39.4% YoY to €466.8m with EBITDA up 47.5% to €147.5m, with operations at “practically 100%” following the lifting of pandemic restrictions. Digital increased 115% to €66.8m, enhanced by its recently acquired Italian operator E-Play. OPAP: Q3 revenues were up 6% to €499m following the full return of the group's retail operations, “resilient” consumer demand and “strong online momentum”. EBITDA was up 13% to €197.6m. Analyst takesSportradar: Deutsche Bank noted Sportradar’s FY23 preliminary guidance was ahead of the analysts’ own forecasts. The mid-20% growth rate would imply revenues of close to ~€901m compared to a consensus of $824m. Playtech: Peel Hunt suggested a takeover or break-up of Playtech “has only been put on hold” and added that “once capital markets stabilize, we expect it to participate in value-creating transactions”. Maryland goes live with OSBPromotional offers were on full display as the Maryland market went live yesterday. Magnificent seven: Seven sportsbooks went live on the first day yesterday, including Barstool, BetMGM, BetRivers, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, FanDuel and PointsBet. Caesars had the most eye-catching offer with $1,500 of free bets on offer, followed by BetMGM with $1,000 first-bet insurance.
NewslinesLottery lifeline: Lottery.com’s subsidiary Sports.com has tied up a multi-year content partnership with Berlin-based Data Sports Group. Elys Game Technology has been granted conditional approval for sports gaming licensure from the Ohio Casino Control Commission for a period of five years, effective January 1, 2023. Gaming Innovation Group has signed a five-year agreement to supply its PAM to the casino operator Strike Games. What we’re readingYou can’t always get what you want: “Christian Pulisic the playmaker. It’s what the U.S. want, but is it what they need?” On socialHeartfelt. Why is @Twitter suddenly sending me live score alerts for every single football match? (Not just WC) #spoilers CalendarNov 29: Rivalry Q3 Dec 6: The Startup Month #5 Dec 13: Deal Talk #5 Dec 20: Due Diligence #2 Contact
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DraftKings catches hack flak
Tuesday, November 22, 2022
DraftKings hack issues, Morgan Stanley sector reboot, Bally's Chicago deal +More
Allwyn buys Camelot UK
Monday, November 21, 2022
Allwyn acquires Camelot UK, muted kick-off in Qatar, Caesars the investors choice say analysts, startup focus – ZeroFlucs +More
Weekend Edition #73
Friday, November 18, 2022
Gambling.com revenues double, Lottomatica makes BetFlag offer, analysts warm to FanDuel, Allwyn debt raise +More
FanDuel: ‘On top for a reason’
Thursday, November 17, 2022
FanDuel presents in New York, MaximBet quits the US, DoTrust fundraise, Better Collective, Catena Media earnings +More
Sportradar’s early US profitability
Wednesday, November 16, 2022
Sportradar's first-time US profitability, Aristocrat defies macro woes, Apollo sells up AGS stake +More
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