Latest News
CEO claims Paddy Power Betfair is “well positioned” in USA
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Peter Jackson, chief executive officer of Paddy Power Betfair, said that the company is “well positioned to achieve scale in the US quickly” after a 20 per cent rise in revenue in the second quarter.
The company’s Q2 results were boosted by the activity around Fifa World Cup, as the sales showed a 13 per cent increase. This is encouraging after a weak first quarter showing for the company.
The highlight of the second quarter, though, was the completion of the deal to acquire US daily fantasy sports operator FanDuel.
Although the takeover was only completed last month, after the end of the second quarter, Jackson said in an earnings call that the operator can be justifiably optimistic about growth opportunities in the US, having already established a presence in the country prior to the FanDuel deal.
Sports revenue spiked by 22 per cent in Q2 in the US, with gaming revenue increasing by 18 per cent.
“Fantasy sports will continue to be an important feature in the US market, especially in states where it could take a while for sports betting to be regulated,” said Jackson, who mentioned the “cross-selling” opportunities.
Jackson added that he envisages a “different market construct” in the US in terms of the balance between free-to-play games and sports betting, given the strength of the DFS market.
“Having 100,000 customers in New Jersey is a good starting point,” he said.
“Our US strategy is to go after the B2C market under the FanDuel brand. We have secured market access agreements covering 15 states and 36 per cent of the US population, including markets where regulation is expected by the end of 2019.
“It’s worth remembering that our US business is not a start-up. We have established brands, with FanDuel in sports and TVG in racing, an extensive product suite, operational expertise and we already operate in 45 states, including real-money wagering in 33.”
“Scale is essential for generating sustainable returns in the long term.”
Jackson, referencing the company’s solid base in the US, added: “The group’s strong balance sheet gives us important firepower and could prove to be a competitive advantage.”
In the trading update, Paddy Power Betfair’s profit before tax edged up by 4 per cent to £106m (€118m/$137m), but underlying earnings slipped by 1 per cent.
Additionally, Paddy Power Betfair also said that full-year earnings before deductions and interest, “pre-US sports betting”, is now expected to be between £460m and £480 – down from the previous expectation outlined in the Q1 trading update of between £470m and £495m.
This was attributed to the introduction of point-of-consumption tax and new product fees in Australia and swallowing up Fanduel’s losses “in the high single digits.”
The company added that, with the “infrastructure” already in place to expand in the US, any expenditure in relation to the market would fall under the marketing column.
Jackson added: “In Europe, product enhancements and improved cross sell rates have led to stronger gaming revenue growth over the past few months for both brands, whilst customer satisfaction with the Paddy Power sports app has stepped up.
“Recent marketing campaigns have also been successful with the Betfair brand increasingly identified as having the best odds. The World Cup was a showcase event for Paddy Power, with a series of successfully executed marketing campaigns leading to it being one of the UK’s most talked about brands in social media conversations around the tournament.”
Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network
Latest News
SKS365 keeps investing in people: GROW People Management Program took the next level
11 experienced people managers from the SKS365 group’s 4 locations gathered last week in Belgrade for the new GROW People Management Program. From 15 th to 19 th of April, through trainings, discussions, and social connections, people had the opportunity to further grow individually and as a team, while enjoying Belgrade’s city center and rivers.
Created in 2023 with the purpose of building foundation people management skills across the organization, GROW initiative evolved this year by including a new, advanced program for experienced people managers to further consolidate their skills and prepare for future opportunities.
Building and fostering connections, sharing experiences, and enjoying team building experiences – all these activities have been part of the GROWpmp agenda for the 11 people managers coming from Commercial, Product and Development, Finance, and Sportsbook departments of the group’s 4 locations – Malta, Italy, Austria, Serbia.
GROWpmp included a variety of topics that people managers in SKS365 recognized as the key areas for management development. Topics such as influence through communication, team effectiveness, DEI, through to presentation skills and business topics like understanding finance and management reporting, were delivered with the support of external professionals and internal experts, while designed and organized by the SKS365 People & Culture team.
The post SKS365 keeps investing in people: GROW People Management Program took the next level appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
North Star Network acquires Um Dois Esportes
North Star Network are delighted to announce the acquisition of umdoisesportes.com.br, which becomes the latest addition to NSN’s global sports media portfolio.
Born from the GRPCOM merger of the editorial teams of Gazeta Do Povo and Tribuna do Paraná in 2020, Um Dois Esportes provides in-depth sports coverage and analysis for the Brazilian state of Paraná and beyond.
North Star Network co-founder Julien Josset said: “Thank you to the team at GRPCOM for their faith in us to take the brand forward. Um Dois Esportes is an established and renowned site in Paraná State, and we’re excited about the challenge of developing this asset.”
“We’re happy to maintain the collaboration with the existing editorial team, and look forward to working with them, bringing our unique NSN approach, to take UDE forward.” NSN’s signing of Um Dois Esportes is the media house’s fourth acquisition of 2024, following the recent deals to purchase UK-based SportsMole and MrFixitsTips, as well as Chilean site AlAireLibre, which was announced in March.
The latest addition to the North Star media portfolio joins existing assets including Top Mercato, Afrik-Foot, and Vringe. The Paris-based company already oversees a significant Brazilian operation, delivering over 6 million sessions per month, from the likes of Trivela, Premier League Brasil and Lakers Brasil.
NSN will retain Curitiba-based journalists from the Um Dois Esportes legacy team to maintain the asset’s unique tone and popular coverage of the Paraná sports scene across site and social.
“We were surprised by the interest, and initially had no intention of selling Um Dois, but as the conversations evolved, we realised this was a serious group with good intentions,” said GRPCOM Director Rafael Mello. “We were very happy to see our project being valued by a large international group and going global, demonstrating the quality of the content we produced.”
“We’re also proud that North Star inherited our journalists, who are truly responsible for the success of the product we offer readers every day.”
The post North Star Network acquires Um Dois Esportes appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
BNXT League and PepperMill Casino join forces
BNXT League , the professional men’s basketball league played across the Netherlands and Belgium, and PepperMill Casino, the online casino licensed in Belgium, are pleased to announce their partnership centered around the BNXT League’s Belgian Play Offs.
PepperMill Casino will be a naming partner of the Belgian play offs. For the 24-25 season, PepperMill remains a partner of the BNXT League until the restrictions on gambling advertising take legal effect on January 1, 2025.
The partnership between BNXT League and PepperMill Casino aims to create engaging and customized content that engages and captivates fans on multiple fronts while increasing brand awareness.
“The basketball community is growing and buzzing with excitement and energy,” stated Anthony Rus, General Director of PepperMill Casino. “This partnership allows us to create memorable moments that build brand awareness and capture the hearts of fans.”
“Wim Van de Keere, general manager of the BNXT League, adds, “The playoffs are undoubtedly the sporting highlight of the season. We are delighted to still be able to tie a dynamic partner like PepperMill Casino to us despite the restrictions coming up from 2025.”
The post BNXT League and PepperMill Casino join forces appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
-
Latest News2 months ago
Fairplay Exchange signs as new sponsor of Stephen Hendry’s Cue Tips
-
Latest News2 months ago
2 PEOPLE CAUGHT OPERATING ILLEGAL ONLINE GAMING SITE
-
Latest News3 months ago
Playtech Extends Partnership with BoyleSports Until 2028
-
Latest News3 months ago
Wazdan partners with 711.nl for significant expansion in the Netherlands
-
Latest News3 months ago
OneCasino Partners with Delasport to Also Conquer Sports Betting in the Netherlands
-
Latest News2 months ago
StarGames Named Premium Partner of the International ADAC Truck Grand Prix 2024
-
Latest News2 months ago
Casino Crypto Giant Bitline Partners with Ciphertrace for Enhanced Compliance in Digital Asset Transactions
-
Latest News2 months ago
European Gaming Q1 2024 Meetup: Exploring Innovation, Marketing, and the iGaming Industry Hubs
You must be logged in to post a comment Login