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International News

Caesars Entertainment’s William Hill Acquisition: strategic move for the US market?

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Caesars Entertainment’s William Hill Acquisition: strategic move for the US market?

 

Caesars Entertainment’s offer for the William Hill acquisition, which began months ago, would see the company pay $376.15 for a single share which, according to Chairman Roger Devlin: “The William Hill board believes this is the best option for William Hill at an attractive price for shareholders”, as well as: “It recognizes the significant progress the William Hill Group has made over the last 18 months, as well as the risk and significant investment required to maximize the US opportunity given intense competition in the US and the potential for regulatory disruption in the UK and Europe”.

However, the offer needs antitrust and gaming regulatory approvals which Caesars is certain to secure.

Caesars will use existing cash, $2.0Bn of new non-recourse debt facilities, which it intends to secure against William Hill’s non-US businesses, such as on the Italian gambling market, as well as the proceeds of an equity capital raise.

Is Caesars the only bidder?

William Hill recently explained that after an initial proposal by Apollo Global Management received on August 27th, the online betting and gambling sportsbook then received another offer from Apollo, while Caesars made its own offer.

However, Caesars’ has a 20 percent stake in a joint venture struck by Eldorado Resorts with William Hill, which holds 80 percent, and has already stated that any William Hill acquisition agreement with Apollo Global Management would terminate William Hill’s rights to manage online sports betting operations through Caesars’ marketplace, retail sports betting at both Caesars’ and other casino properties in the United States.

New opportunities with the William Hill acquisition

Should Caesars be successful with the William Hill acquisition, it said it will go after improving the customer experience and maximizing the opportunity in the gaming and sports betting industry now that the US markets are opening up for the online gambling world.

Caesars also claims that a combined business with William Hill would help improve services for the U.S. customer base, increase its in-country market presence as well as provide a unified customer experience by consolidating portfolios and applications. The deal would give Caesars a great portfolio of assets and access to existing relationships with events and teams, including being the exclusive casino partner of the National Football League.

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Should the William Hill acquisition prove successful, the company will also gain access to Caesars’ loyalty program, which would benefit loyal customers from both companies.

As Caesars’ Chief Executive Tom Reeg stated, the sports betting expertise of William Hill will complement Caesars’ offering, enabling the combined group to better serve their clients in the growing US sports betting and online market.

Mr. Reeg also added that they look forward to working with William Hill, and that they aim to support future growth in the US by providing customers with a comprehensive experience across all areas of gaming, sports betting and entertainment.

Reasons why the William Hill acquisition is taking so long

The reason behind the acquisition taking this long is that GMV and then HBK (at March 31 UK Scheme Court hearing) argued against the deal, and through a letter to the William Hill shareholders they stated their opposition is based upon their belief that shareholders voting on the Scheme did it without all the necessary information that would have allowed them to weigh up the whole agreement.

They also said that it is their idea that the terms of the joint venture agreement entered into between William Hill and El Dorado (now Caesars) dated 6 September 2018 were not fully disclosed by William Hill.

What are GMV’s and HBK’s claims?

HBK and GMV are claiming a lack of transparency related to the list of potential buyers for the William Hill acquisition that the US-based company could consider “restricted”. At the EGM/Court meeting, after being questioned by HBK, William Hill has revealed that there can be a maximum of six names on the list, and Caesars can replace one name every six months.

HBK mentioned that Caesars is moving to include private equity firm Apollo Global Management in this list. The Harrah’s operator has publicly warned William Hill against accepting Apollo’s offer, saying it could effectively end the U.S. deal with Caesars.

When should the agreement be finalized?

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Caesars had previously hoped to complete the William Hill acquisition during the second quarter of 2021, and an update published on the 10th of March suggests this timetable should be correct.

William Hill added that Caesars expected to receive all the remaining approvals from the relevant US authorities and other gambling regulators before the end of March of 2021. They also had scheduled a Scheme Court Hearing on the 30th of March, at which the court will be asked to sanction the acquisition. The idea was that if Caesars Entertainment Inc. and William Hill satisfied all the conditions, and the court approved the deal, the acquisition was expected to be completed on the 1st of April with William Hill’s shares cancelled on the 6th of April 2021.

International News

Bragg Gaming Group Reports 7.1% First Quarter 2025 Revenue Rise to EUR 25.5 Million (USD 28.6 Million); 27% Revenue Growth Achieved Excluding the Netherlands

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Bragg Gaming Group Reports 7.1% First Quarter 2025 Revenue Rise to EUR 25.5 Million (USD 28.6 Million); 27% Revenue Growth Achieved Excluding the Netherlands

 

Triple-digit revenue growth in the U.S.; significant increase in profitability through improved product mix

  • 27%1 Revenue Growth Excluding the Netherlands, Driven by U.S. Revenue Growth of 150%
  • Gross Profit Margin Jumps to 56.0%, Driven by Proprietary Content Growth
  • Adjusted EBITDA Rises 19.7%, Reflecting Strong Operational Leverage
  • Robust 63.5% YoY Growth in Cash from Operations, to EUR 4.5 Million (USD 5.0 Million)
  • 62% YoY Proprietary Content Revenue Growth, Reaching a Record 15.5% of Total Revenue

Bragg Gaming Group announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2025. The Company delivered diversified revenue growth, significant margin expansion, and strong cash generation, driven by its strategic focus on proprietary content and expansion in key growth markets.

Summary of Financial and Operational Highlights

Euros (millions)(1) 1Q25 1Q24 Change
Revenue € 25.5 € 23.8 7.1 %
Gross profit € 14.3 € 11.9 20.3 %
Gross profit margin 56.0 % 49.9 % 612 bps
Adjusted EBITDA(2) € 4.1 € 3.4 19.7 %
Adjusted EBITDA margin 16.0 % 14.3 % 169 bps
Operating Income (Loss) € (1.7) € (1.3) 32.5 %

 

(1) Bragg’s reporting currency is Euros. The exchange rate provided is EUR 1.00 = USD 1.12. Due to fluctuating currency exchange rates, this reference rate is provided for convenience only.

(2) “Adjusted EBITDA” is a non-IFRS measure. For important information on the Company’s non-IFRS measures, see “Non-IFRS Financial Measures” below.

 

“We are thrilled to be reporting a strong start to 2025, showing that we are executing on our strategy and moving the metrics that we believe are most important to shareholder value,” Matevž Mazij, CEO of Bragg commented: “During the quarter we continued to improve our product mix, generating a greater proportion of revenue from high-margin proprietary content. In turn, this contributed to a higher Adjusted EBITDA margin, which combined with careful cost controls demonstrate operational leverage and increased cash generation.

“As is widely reported, the Netherlands market has slowed in recent quarters due to regulatory pressures, a challenge faced by Bragg as with all operators and suppliers who serve this regulated market. I’m pleased that Bragg has shown resilience under these pressures and is reducing its exposure to the Netherlands while seeing strong growth in markets such as the United States and Brazil. Excluding the Netherlands, revenue growth year-over-year came in at a robust 27%1, driven in part by triple-digit growth in the U.S.”

127% YoY revenue growth excluding revenue derived from Bragg’s customers licensed and operating in the Netherlands jurisdiction

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Key Highlights:

  • Improved Margins and Cash generation: Adjusted EBITDA margins increased 169bps year over year; excluding non-recurring exceptional costs and FX impacts, EUR 0.9 million of free cash generated.
  • Improved Revenue Diversification: Continued decreasing reliance on the Netherlands and lower-margin BetCity, replaced by growth in margin-accretive revenue in new markets.
  • US Market Growth: Bragg experienced triple-digit growth in U.S. revenue derived from its proprietary and exclusive online casino content, significantly outpacing the overall market growth; U.S. expected to contribute up to 15% of revenue this year.
  • Brazil Launch: Successfully launched content in the newly regulated Brazilian iGaming market, a key strategic territory expected to contribute up to 10% of revenue this year.
  • Strategic Partnerships: Announced a games development and remote games server technology leasing agreement with Caesars Digital, and invested in RapidPlay, a specialist Brazilian casino content studio.
  • Key milestone: first game launched, Caesars Palace Signature Multihand Blackjack Surrender, under recently announced games development and technology partnership with Caesars Digital.
  • Leadership Appointments: Appointed Holly Gagnon as Chair of the Board.
  • Debt Reduction: Repaid USD 5 million of its secured credit note and is on track to finalize a new credit facility with improved terms.

2025 Outlook

Bragg remains focused on expanding its presence in regulated markets, enhancing its proprietary and exclusive content offerings, and leveraging its technology to drive continued growth and profitability in 2025 and beyond. The Company is actively advancing a robust pipeline of opportunities to drive strong momentum in the business.

The Company anticipates double-digit growth in Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA in the full year of 2025, with revenue guidance projected at between EUR 117.5 million and EUR 123.0 million, and Adjusted EBITDA in the range of between EUR 19.0 million and EUR 21.5 million, driven by a strategic focus on proprietary and exclusive content, and continued momentum in growth markets such as the U.S. and Latam.

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International News

Quick Custom Intelligence (QCI) Expands Global Footprint to 17 Countries, pursues Business Development in 10 More

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Quick Custom Intelligence (QCI) Expands Global Footprint to 17 Countries, pursues Business Development in 10 More

 

Quick Custom Intelligence (QCI) continues its rapid expansion, now operating in 17 countries while actively developing business opportunities in 10 additional markets. This growth, combined with QCI’s presence across 30 U.S. states and 90 tribal nations, cements the company’s position as a global leader in casino and resort intelligence.

“Our expansion into 17 countries is a testament to the universal value of our solutions,” said Andrew Cardno, CTO and Co-Founder of QCI. “We are seeing a clear validation of our business model across diverse markets, proving that our technology can adapt to regional needs while maintaining its core strength in data-driven decision-making. As we continue to grow, our focus remains on delivering unparalleled analytics that drive operational excellence.”

A key factor in QCI’s success has been the introduction of generative cognitive offloading, allowing operators to streamline complex decision-making by leveraging real-time data intelligence without the burden of manual query building. The Chatalytics™ graph and query builders have been particularly well received, providing a revolutionary way for operators to interact with their data using natural language and intuitive visualizations. This next-generation tooling ensures that decision-makers can effortlessly explore insights, refine queries, and drive actions with unprecedented speed and accuracy.

QCI’s expansion is bolstered by its strong partnerships, including Modulus, a leading international technology firm.

“This level of global adoption underscores the effectiveness of QCI’s platform in optimizing gaming and hospitality operations,” said Marc Attal, COO of Modulus. “We are excited to see QCI’s solutions enhancing data activation, operational efficiency, and customer engagement across multiple continents. The ability to offload complex analytical tasks onto generative cognitive models, coupled with Chatalytics’ intuitive graph and query builders, is transforming how operators interact with their data.”

With an increasing presence across North America, Europe, Asia, and beyond, QCI is at the forefront of innovation, empowering gaming and resort operators with generative cognitive offloading, intuitive query-building tools, and real-time data activation.

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Conferences

SOFTSWISS Invites Partners to ‘Grab Success’ Together at SiGMA Europe

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SOFTSWISS Invites Partners to ‘Grab Success’ Together at SiGMA Europe

 

SOFTSWISS, an international tech company with over 15 years of experience in iGaming, announces its participation in the SiGMA Europe Summit 2024. 

SiGMA Europe Summit will be held in Malta at the Malta Maritime Hub from 12 to 14 November. With 1,000 exhibitors, the event will host 27,000 delegates from the iGaming industry and beyond.

Creative Concept

After a resounding celebration of its Grand Anniversary in Portugal, SOFTSWISS is returning to Malta with the award-winning concept, ‘Grab Success in iGaming’. The campaign’s slogan fully reflects the industry’s rapidly evolving character. SOFTSWISS incorporated the Maltese crab, inspired by the region’s natural beauty, as a striking visual element in its marketing campaign. This creative approach was recognised and rewarded at the prestigious EGR Marketing and Innovation Awards 2024. 

Innovations 

During the SiGMA Europe Summit, SOFTSWISS will showcase three new innovative solutions alongside its other well-established products.  Recently launched products include the Lotto Software, the Retail Betting Solution, and the Horse Racing Module. Additionally, Affilka by SOFTSWISS’ team will reveal a new feature for its affiliate software – Geo-Distributed Redirect Application

Vitali Matsukevich, Chief Operating Officer at SOFTSWISS, shares: “Working at the heart of the industry, in Malta, for many years, SOFTSWISS see the SiGMA Europe Summit growing and constantly bringing together industry leaders, experts, and prominent players in the market. SOFTSWISS looks forward to meeting its partners and friends at the last big event of the year to finalise current projects and prepare a basis for next year’s collaborations”.

Public Speaking 

During the SiGMA Europe Summit, SOFTSWISS experts will also share their profound professional experience. Vitali Matsukevich will shed light on the important theme ‘How to choose a secure and safe crypto casino’ for those who want to learn more about selecting a trustworthy crypto casino by focusing on licensing, security, and spotting red flags.

Partners and potential clients can book a meeting with the SOFTSWISS team at the company’s stand 2145 via the link to discuss mutual projects and the newest iGaming trends.

 

About SOFTSWISS

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SOFTSWISS is an international technology company with over 15 years of experience in developing innovative solutions for the iGaming industry. SOFTSWISS holds a number of gaming licences and provides comprehensive software for managing iGaming projects. The company’s product portfolio includes the Online Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with over 23,500 casino games, the Affilka Affiliate Platform, the Sportsbook software and the Jackpot Aggregator. In 2013, SOFTSWISS revolutionised the industry by introducing the world’s first Bitcoin-optimised online casino solution. The expert team, based in Malta, Poland, and Georgia, counts over 2,000 employees.

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