‘Priority USA’ – DraftKings’ home turf ambitions
‘Priority USA’ – DraftKings’ home turf ambitionsDraftKings call and reaction, by the numbers – NJ and NY, startup focus – LiveDuel +More
Anything you want, we got right here in the U.S.A. DraftKings’ cash pile optionsBack in the USA: Asked about the internal discussions over what DraftKings will do with the capital “accumulating on our balance sheet,” Robins said “priority A is winning in the US and I think [the acquisition of] Jackpocket is absolutely in line with that.”
Buybacks alert: Robins emphasized DraftKings would be “strategic” and “super disciplined” on further M&A. “I don't think you’ll see us go in this rash of buying companies left and right,” he said. “This is one we did a ton of diligence on.“
Piling up cash: CFO Jason Park noted DraftKings had $1.6bn in cash at the end of the year before taking into account the cash element of the Jackpocket deal. He repeated that the company would be free cash flow positive as of the end of 2024. “We’re obviously going to be accumulating cash very quickly,” he said.
Step carefully: Robins noted the so-called ‘courier’ lottery was a product that didn’t need legislative action but merely the nod of the state lottery director. And while he said Jackpocket was “well-positioned” for iLottery, the regulatory process was “more of a slower burn.”
But the team at Regulus added a word of caution. The attempt to “use a lottery workaround product” to leverage sports betting and iCasino is “also likely to turn up the regulatory and safer gambling heat,” they argued.
We need to talk about Dave: The new partnership with Barstool got a mention, with Robins noting DraftKings was “really thrilled” to be working once more with the company as an exclusive marketing partner.
EveryMatrix delivers iGaming software, solutions, content and services for casino, sports betting, payments, and affiliate/agent management to 300+ global Tier-1 operators and newer brands. The platform is modular, scalable, and compliant, allowing operators to choose the optimal solution depending on their needs. EveryMatrix empowers clients to unleash bold ideas and deliver outstanding player experiences in regulated markets. +MoreBetsson has acquired Netherlands operator Holland Gaming Technology as well as games developer Holland Power Gaming for €16m in cash upfront and deferred payments of €9m and €2.5m to be paid after six and 12 months. The first ESPN Bet-branded retail sportsbook is set to open at Penn Entertainment’s Hollywood Casino at Greektown in Detroit in April. The week aheadCaesars Entertainment has already given a good idea of how it performed in Q4 after pre-announcing its earnings at the time of its recent debt announcement in January. The company said then that revenue would come in at $2.82bn-$2.84bn while adj. EBITDA is predicted to be down 3% at the estimated midpoint of $930m.
Also reporting this week are sportsbook supplier Kambi (on Wednesday) and Better Collective (Thursday). Better Collective has also pre-announced its numbers, just last week, saying revenue would be ahead of target at €327m but with adj. EBITDA coming in bang on the mid-range of its target at €111m.
Careers+MoreThe big move: On the earnings call on Friday, DraftKings’ Jason Robins spoke about the recent hire of Mary Donoghue as the new chief business and growth officer at the company. Donoghue joins from Amazon Prime where she was VP of global sports video, exciting speculation that DraftKings might enter the market for live sports streaming rights.
By the numbers – New JerseyAwks: The day a much-distributed report from EKG rubbishing the idea there is any cannibalization of B&M gaming by iCasino came out, New Jersey released its latest dataset for January showing the state getting off to a roaring start in 2024 with the exception of land-based casinos.
🚛 The iCasino juggernaut in New Jersey New YorkNo safety: BetMGM suffered something of a shellacking during the week of the Super Bowl, posting a negative GGR of $9.6m for the period to Feb 11, with the game itself costing it $4.8m. Caesars was also in negative territory, both for the week – down by $1.3m – and for the game itself where it lost $970k.
Maryland promos: Jefferies noted that Maryland was the first state to disclose promo data for January, showing overall spend up 3% YoY and 14% MoM but with spend as a proportion of GGR down by 9 ppts YoY.
By way of contrast, FanDuel effectively doubled free bet spend MoM in January to the highest level since market launch. Yet, despite this, Jefferies reported FanDuel was still able to grow NGR by +30% YoY and retained its #1 position with 56% NGR market share. Brazil, Peru, Mexico, Colombia and of course Argentina… Latin America is probably the hottest region in the world for iGaming currently, which is why we’re delighted to welcome Nicolas Campano as Soft2Bet’s new Sales Director LATAM. Nicolas has acquired fantastic industry experience thanks to previous roles with Play’n Go and Yggdrasil and will drive our sales and growth efforts in the region’. Startup focus – LiveDuelRoute one: Founded by Will Martin, the Cork, Ireland-based LiveDuel is a decentralized sports-betting exchange. Foregoing complex pricing, LiveDuel “simplifies the betting experience,” says Martin, offering straightforward options for home, away or draw bets on soccer games instead of 18 options on traditional exchanges.
Net income: Backed by prominent investors including Techstars, Adidas Family Office and Avalanche, LiveDuel is currently raising a $2.5m seed round. Cup runneth over: Through leveraging viral TikTok filters it designed and developed, “the company’s commitment to community and content sets it apart,” claims Martin. The 2022 World Cup saw more than half-a-million creators use LiveDuel’s filters to make a video, generating over half-a-billion views and 3k signups on zero spend.
World class: Focused initially on soccer, LiveDuel’s aim is to go “deeper than anyone else” into the world’s most popular sport to give fans a “unique experience to engage with.”
Trophy lift: The company's recent win at the Pitch ICE competition and strategic partnerships underscore its momentum. With the upcoming launch of real-money bets this year and an innovative new approach to bet builders, LiveDuel is “poised for success,” says Martin.
Growth company newsYou keep me hangin’ on: New York-based iCasino games provider Supremeland Gaming has gained its first-ever license approval in the state of Pennsylvania. Executive chair Johan Apel said the company will unveil multiple titles in the coming months designed by the in-house design studio, Powderkeg. Australian-based betting operator Dabble has become the official and exclusive wagering partner with the Repco Supercars Championship. Huddle has been named as the official betting technology partner to the Canadian Elite Basketball League, working alongside official data provider Sports Info Solutions. Calendar
Kambi Group is the leading provider of premium sports betting technology and services, empowering operators with all the tools required to deliver world-class sports betting and entertainment experiences. The Group’s services not only include its award-winning turnkey sportsbook but also an increasingly open platform and a range of standalone sports betting services from frontend specialists Shape Games, esports data and odds provider Abios, and AI-powered trading division Tzeract. Together, we are limitless. For more info, go to www.kambi.com An +More Media publication. For sponsorship inquiries email scott@andmore.media. |
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