Earnings+More - Charged atmosphere
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Over and aboveCraftyKings: “Every company has to do what's best for their own business,” said DraftKings CEO Jason Robins, when starting off the Q&A section of the company’s Q2 earnings call on Friday, after it had announced the previous evening a new customer surcharge in high-tax states. Robins Hood: Under the plan, as of January 1, customers in high-tax states New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Vermont will pay what the company insists will be a “nominal fee” on their winning bets to cover tax rates that are above what DraftKings reckons as a reasonable rate of 20%. The company believes the move will drive additional adj. EBITDA.
Knowing my fate is to be with you: Truist added that FanDuel’s reaction – Flutter is slated to release its own earnings on August 13 – “will likely determine how successful this initiative will be.” But sources suggested Flutter will, publicly, be non-committal on its rival’s move.
Non-stick: In an interview on Friday with Sportico, Robins doubled down on the suggestion from the call that the “vast majority” of customers would “not be very sensitive” to a charge on their winnings.
DaftKings: But the analysts at Regulus Partners were skeptical. With “no structural reason” for competitors to copy DraftKings “it means they won’t, leaving DraftKings exposed as palpably offering worse value to customers with winning bets,” the team argued.
The upside: Yet, across at Macquarie the analysts put forward a scenario where DraftKings could lose 30% market share in its high-tax markets, invest more in marketing and still maintain EBITDA margins “similar” to that of a 20% tax state.
Yes, but: However, regardless of the EBITDA upside, the social media stir caused by the move was enough to precipitate a near-10% fall in the share price on Friday, albeit on a bad day for the market across the board. 💥 DraftKings takes a hit on Friday Taxi for Robins: On the call, Robins suggested such customer surcharges are “typically done in other industries,” citing the case of Uber. “It’s typically line itemed out separately and usually 100% passed along to the consumer,” he told the analysts.
To change the mood a little: The surcharge questions dominated the call, but Robins was asked about a range of other matters including M&A prospects. Asked specifically about any plans to buy its way into LatAm, he said DraftKings was “really focused on winning the US online gaming opportunity.”
Venture capital firm Yolo Investments manages in excess of €500m in capital across 100 exciting fintech, gaming and blockchain companies. The Yolo Investments' Gaming fund, regulated by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission, has taken positions in fast-growth suppliers and operators, including Dabble and Enteractive. Yolo Investments (yolo.io) wants to hear from readers of this newsletter. Get in touch with your pitch, or for a chat about innovative products which can plug into our investment ecosystem. +MoreNew Coates of paint: Bet365 has demerged from the EFL soccer club Stoke City, with John Coates, co-CEO of bet365 and chair of Stoke, taking over full ownership of the club and stadium. In a press release, Stoke said the move was made for “licensing reasons.”
The week aheadAll eyes will be on Penn Entertainment, which reports on Thursday BMO, as rumors persist of a potential joint bid for the company from Boyd Gaming and Flutter. On the same day, Entain interim CEO Stella David will get one last crack at the earnings whip before she hands over to incoming permanent CEO Gavin Isaacs at the start of September. Also this week, Wynn Resorts reports on Tuesday and is sure to face questions about its positioning in the UAE after the country announced the first details of its regulatory body.
Career pathsCiaran O’Brien has joined Entain as its new head of UK & Ireland public affairs. MGM Resorts subsidiary LeoVegas has appointed Carl Brincat as director of policy and regulatory affairs. Brincat previously served as CEO of the Malta Gaming Authority. Sector PR specialists Square in the Air has appointed Ben Cleminson as CEO to replace founder Bill Esdaile, who becomes chair. At the same time, Ollie Drew is the new COO and Robin Hutchinson becomes CCO. Just a Clic awayGaining ground: After the “conquest” of new customer acquisition during the recent Euro 2024 soccer tournament, Banijay CEO François Riahi said the company’s betting and gaming business was gaining market share in its main market of France.
Profits weren’t broken out but group adj. EBITDA rose 11% to €368m. Asked on the call with analysts whether “all the growth” was coming from betting and gaming, Riahi said it was coming from across the business but refused to break it down any further.
Earnings in briefBet–at-home: The wholly owned Betclic subsidiary said H1 revenues were up 5% to €25.4m but adj. EBITDA fell almost three-quarters to €1.2m. The company also warned that a decision in a Swiss court regarding a potential obligation to pay VAT could affect its FY24 adj. EBITDA outlook of a negative €1m to a positive €2.5m. Unlock new jurisdictional licensing in weeks, not months with OneComply! Your gateway to effortless licensing and compliance management. Say goodbye to the complexity of submissions and hello to 95% efficiency from start to finish! Complete your first licensing application 50% faster, get real-time alerts for immediate compliance actions, and slash legal fee costs by up to 90% with no more duplicate tasks. Click here to connect with us and discover how much more you can accomplish with OneComply. The REIT directionStraight and narrow: VICI will not deviate from its belief in the rightness of investment in experiential real estate despite the stock price being buffeted by cyclical factors outside its control, said CEO Ed Pitoniak on the call with analysts last week.
Hunger games: Still, VICI remains convinced about Las Vegas, where it collects ~45% of its rents, with COO John Payne quoting an airline executive as suggesting there was an “insatiable appetite” for people wanting to visit.
Venture playgroundLearn first-hand experiences from gaming founders on high-growth tips and network with the most influential investors, founders and leaders. Click here to register. Funding newsDuelNow, a decentralized betting exchange, has secured $10m of backing from Bahamas-based digital asset investment firm called GEM Digital as well as a further $1m from various angels including Charlie Lee, creator of Litecoin; Richard Ma, founder of Quantstamp; and Billy Markus, the creator of Dogecoin. Growth company newsProphetX; The sweepstakes betting-based sports exchange said via social media last week it is “very close” to launching in 40+ states. ProphetX has been born out of the ashes of Prophet Exchange, the New Jersey-licensed betting exchange, which closed in May. Sports Betting Exchange or SBX told SportsHandle it is moving towards a launch in Colorado, while Arizona has announced that Sporttrade has won one of two newly available licenses. It and Plannetech – which runs the Prime Sports brand – are taking the berths vacated by Unibet and WynnBet. EventThe Challenger Series: GeoComply has announced the initial details for its next Challenger event taking place during G2E in Las Vegas. The half-day series of panels and discussions will take place on the afternoon of Monday October 7 at the Fontainebleau. Click here for more info. Startup focus – Birches HealthWho are you? New York-based Birches Health was founded 18 months ago by Elliott Rapaport after he spent two-and-a-half years scaling a virtual behavioral healthcare business nationally. What's the big idea? Birches is a behavioral addiction treatment provider, specializing in treating gambling and gaming disorder through telehealth care.
What they say: “Problem gambling treatment in the US is rooted in incumbent models, such as in-person peer support groups,” says Rapaport. “While incredibly powerful for many, these methods are not a perfect fit for every American struggling with gambling disorder.”
Funding backgrounder: The company last year raised a seed round, led by institutional investors focused on healthcare, gaming and wellness. 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 Calendar
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Older messages
😬 This is… nuts?
Friday, August 2, 2024
DraftKings to impose player surcharge in high-tax states ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Take me to the Rivers
Thursday, August 1, 2024
Rush Street impresses investors with beat and raise ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Reign over
Wednesday, July 31, 2024
DraftKings pulls the plug on its NFT experiment ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Ain’t nothin’ goin’ on but the rent
Tuesday, July 30, 2024
Gaming REIT 'could not withhold consent' on Boyd bid for Penn ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
🚀Apollo into orbit
Monday, July 29, 2024
IGT/Everi combination snapped up by private equity giant ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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