Earnings+More - PointsBet’s US fire sale
PointsBet’s US fire salePointsBet was in a corner in the US, analysts react to Aristocrat/NeoGames deal, Kindred for sale +MoreGood morning. In this month’s Due Diligence:
Everybody knows the pain; anyone in this place can tell you to your face. Value destructionThe price tag for PointsBet’s US business says a lot about the value of the business. Save yourselves: PointsBet CEO Sam Swanell told the Australian Financial Review in the wake of the sale of his company’s US business to Fanatics for US$150m yesterday that the deal wasn’t just about the low price tag.
TINA: Yesterday’s statement suggested that PointsBet felt it was effectively a forced seller.
Dilution: Add in “presently very challenging” market conditions and any equity capital raised right now “would likely need to be raised at a substantial discount to recent market prices”.
Cash crater: Still, the $150m sale price and the $21m cap on further losses mask the scale of the losses caused by the US venture. Since listing in June 2019, PointsBet has raised close to A$850m.
Bottom line: Against the money raised must be listed PointsBet’s losses. In FY21 pre-tax losses hit A$448m, in FY22 it was A$268m and by H123 losses came in at A$178m.
Buy the rumor, sell the fact: The extent to which investors in PointsBet were aware of the value destruction was evident in the reaction of the share price yesterday, down over 20% and reversing the gains from the past fortnight.
Eyes on the prize: The team at EKG said that the inclusion of the Banach trading business as part of the deal was a “core driver”, thanks to its potential to provide “differentiated, price-driven products” such as micro-betting, no delay in-play and in-house SGP.
Theme park: The coincidence of the Fanatics/PointsBet and Aristocrat/NeoGames deals provides fodder for those who believe a period of sector-defining M&A is overdue. “M&A will re-emerge as a theme in 2023 alongside wide variances between large-cap and small-cap iGaming valuations,” said the team at Roth MKM.
** SPONSOR’S MESSAGE** BettingJobs is the global leading recruitment solutions provider to the iGaming, Sports Betting and Lotteries sectors. Boasting a 20-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. Analyst takes – Aristocrat/NeoGamesWhether Fanatics stole Aristocrat’s thunder or vice versa, Aristocrat’s bid for NeoGames gained the analyst plaudits. Ground control: The $1.2bn offer for NeoGames gives Aristocrat a foothold in three key online supply markets, namely iLottery, OSB and online gaming, and also a business that, as the team at Macquarie pointed out, has been “profitable for a while”.
Value proposition: Both JMP and Jefferies noted the ~14/15x prospective 2024 EBITDA valuation demonstrated the value in B2B and content provision. In the words of the latter, the deal “validates” their view that the digital online sector is “undervalued by the US market at present levels”.
Kindred’s Corvex complexityActivist investor Corvex is crucial to any discussion of Kindred’s ‘strategic alternatives’. Up for grabs: The news in late April that Kindred was undertaking a “strategic review of alternatives” should come as no surprise given the presence of activist investor Corvex among the shareholder register. The investment manager owns 15% of Kindred.
Early doors: The process is in its early stages and Kindred has stated that either a full or partial sale was possible so that it could “maximize the value” of its assets. But with the blue touch paper of M&A having been lit once again this week, it is easy to foresee events elsewhere having an impact.
Kindred spirits: The bookmaker’s most recent figures suggested it has turned a corner following a tough Q4 and disappointing post-World Cup trading. Revenues were up 24% YoY to £306m and underlying EBITDA jumped more than 100% to £49m in Q1. But issues persist.
The last turkey in the shop: Still, as one source put it, Kindred remains “one of the last big, mature, multichannel, pan-European operators” with a wide European footprint. However, the US position is literally nothing to write home about (the cost of the airmail would likely exceed current revenues).
** SPONSOR’S MESSAGE ** Tried, tested and proven over a decade in the highly-regulated US market, and continuing to expand across Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa. GeoComply harnesses the power of its market-leading geolocation technology to protect against fraud, including fake account creations, bonus abuse, account takeovers, stolen identities, money laundering, and more. Visit geocomply.com. Analyst takesGolden Entertainment: The disruption caused by the ongoing renovations at the Strat are a near-term headwind, suggested the team at JMP. While similar disruptions will have continued in Q2, looking into the back half of the year the team believes these headwinds will subside. Inspired: The analysts at B Riley believe Inspired’s business mix “should carry a premium versus brick-and-mortar weighted supplier peers”. The team added that they believed Inspired “remains in close discussions” with existing and multiple new lottery customers about its NFL virtual sports license. AGS: Credit Suisse said that there continues to be a disconnect with AGS shares vs its peers, but the team added that until the economic picture becomes clearer that is likely to persist. “It may be difficult for shares to re-rate until the macro is more certain,” they said. Calendar
An +More Media publication. For sponsorship inquiries email scott@andmore.media. Earnings+More is free today. But if you enjoyed this post, you can tell Earnings+More that their writing is valuable by pledging a future subscription. You won't be charged unless they enable payments. |
Key phrases
Older messages
Deal Monday: Fanatics/PointsBet and Aristocrat/NeoGames
Monday, May 15, 2023
Fanatics' PointsBet US acquisition, Aristocrat's Neo surprise, affiliates move to center stage, analysts takes, startup focus – Pro League Network +More
Codere’s Brazilian no-show
Friday, May 12, 2023
Codere talks down Brazil op, GAN's share slump, analyst takes, sector watch – social gaming +More
Wynn flush both east and west
Friday, May 12, 2023
Wynn reinstates dividend, A's switch team, Light & Wonder on Oz +More
Fanatics prepares to challenge
Friday, May 12, 2023
King lays down the gauntlet, Sportradar's AI move, GAN's refocus, NeoGames on the rise +More
Bally’s shuffles the pack
Tuesday, May 9, 2023
Bally's Corp results, Betr buys FansUnite source code, IGT's instants success, Genius nears true profitability +More
You Might Also Like
How PE cash flows have changed
Saturday, April 27, 2024
Also: Global M&A dealmaking on the mend after two years of decline; Our insights from Paris Blockchain Week; Emerging Space Brief: Quantum Sensing... Read online | Don't want to receive these
'Do Things That Show You Care'
Saturday, April 27, 2024
We spoke with former Siena College Basketball Head Coach and Daily Coach Network member Carmen Maciariello about the fast-evolving nature of the profession and the importance of paying back those who
Migrant labour marches into the line of fire
Saturday, April 27, 2024
Indian migrant workers have a long history of repression and poor treatment. In 2024, nothing has changed. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Opt-in form for Medium posts
Saturday, April 27, 2024
Today's hack Opt-in form for Medium posts: make a PNG printscreen of your opt-in form, embed it with a link to the opt-in page While looking for the next tasty hack, I was reading this article,
This 19-page website is on track to earn $200,000 in its first year
Friday, April 26, 2024
...mostly on auto-pilot
Videos that drive results
Friday, April 26, 2024
Today's Guide to the Marketing Jungle from Social Media Examiner... Presented by Social Media Marketing World logo It's 🥨 National Pretzel Day, Reader! Do you like them soft or crispy? In
Meet the Man Killing Google Search...
Friday, April 26, 2024
Who is responsible for Google's core product...search? Google's head of search has recently been in the news as he called an all hands on deck meeting to tell Google employees of a new
Reader, your $1,000 discount expires today.
Friday, April 26, 2024
Hey Reader, For our first 2024 EcomCrew Premium launch, we're offering new members 50% off ALL our plans. The offer comes with a 30-day, no-questions-asked money back guarantee, but you should sign
LUC #51: Domain-Driven Design Demystified: Bridging Development and Business Needs
Friday, April 26, 2024
Plus, how elasticsearch works, what makes an API RESTful, and server-sent events explained
Consensys Sues SEC Over Ethereum Classification
Friday, April 26, 2024
Plus FBI Highlights Risks in Crypto Mixing Post-Samourai