Gambling in the USA
Gambling.com Group Reports 2021 Financial Results
Gambling.com Group Limited, a leading provider of digital marketing services for the global online gambling industry, today announced its operating and financial results for the year and the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2021.
2021 Financial Highlights
- North American revenue grew 89% to $7.5 million compared to $4.0 million for the prior year
- Revenue of $42.3 million grew 51% compared to $28.0 million for the prior year
- Net income of $12.5 million, or $0.37 per diluted share, compared to a net income of $15.2 million, or $0.49 per diluted share, for the prior year
- Adjusted EBITDA of $18.4 million increased 26% compared to $14.6 million for the prior year, representing an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 43%1
- Free cash flow of $8.4 million decreased 22% compared to $10.8 million for the prior year1
Fourth Quarter 2021 Financial Highlights
- North American revenue grew 56% to $2.2 million compared to $1.4 million in the same period for the prior year
- Revenue of $10.3 million remained consistent to $10.3 million in the same period for the prior year
- Net income of $0.9 million, or $0.02 per diluted share, compared to a net income of $8.5 million, or $0.35 per diluted share, in the same period for the prior year
- Adjusted EBITDA of $2.3 million decreased 63% compared to $6.1 million in the same period for the prior year, representing an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 22%1
- Free cash flow of $(1.8 million) compared to $3.5 million for the prior year1
Business Highlights
- Completed successful public listing of ordinary shares on the Nasdaq Global Market in July 2021 under the ticker symbol “GAMB”
- Named the 2021 EGR Affiliate of the Year and 2021 SBC North America Casino Affiliate of the Year
- Delivered 117,000 new depositing customers in 2021 compared to 104,000 in 2020
- Launched several new U.S.- facing websites during 2021 and acquired an incredibly strong portfolio of U.S. specific domain names
- Announced the acquisition of RotoWire.com – a leader in U.S online fantasy sports – in December 2021 to leverage RotoWire’s high-quality traffic and drive substantial incremental sports betting affiliate revenue in the U.S., the acquisition was completed on January 1, 2022
- Announced media partnership with McClatchy in January 2022 to monetize the McClatchy portfolio of digital media assets through sports betting in 29 markets across 14 states
- Successfully entered the New York and Louisiana markets in January 2022
- Announced acquisition of BonusFinder.com in February 2022 to better position the Group for the upcoming market launch in Ontario and further strengthening the Group’s North American presence
“We grew our revenue in 2021 by 51% compared to the prior year, delivered an EBITDA margin of 43% and generated over $8 million of free cash flow as many other industry players struggled to find a path to sustainable profitability,” said Charles Gillespie, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Gambling.com Group. “As we look towards 2022, we are encouraged by the strongest start to a year we have seen in our 15-year history. Helped by launches in New York and Louisiana, January was our best-single month performance ever – even before consolidating financial results from our recent acquisitions. Just in January, we have seen the total addressable market in North America expand by leaps and bounds and there is a clear path to additional state launches this year, along with the impending launch of Ontario next month. As B2C operators in the U.S. seek a path to sustainable profitability and evaluate their marketing spend going forward, we believe that the affiliate model is ideally positioned to provide operators with more effective, higher ROI investments where they can clearly attribute the source, profitability and lifetime value of a referred player. We view this shift as greatly benefitting the value of our performance marketing revenue model, and we are confident that these tailwinds support what we expect to be another year of record performance for the Group.”
2022 Outlook
Based on currently available information, the Group estimates that, for the full year 2022:
- Total revenue will be in the range of $71 million and $76 million; and
- Adjusted EBITDA will be in the range $22 million and $27 million1
Elias Mark, Chief Financial Officer of Gambling.com Group, added, “Our expectation for another year of record revenue and Adjusted EBITDA is supported primarily by our premier domain portfolio and our growing presence in the U.S. achieved through continuous investments in U.S-facing assets. Organic growth in North America is complemented by our recent acquisitions of RotoWire.com and BonusFinder.com as well as our initiatives to further our leadership in the more established markets that we currently serve. As we have stated, our Adjusted EBITDA margin may deviate from target in the short-term as we strategically invest to strengthen our U.S. footprint, which is reflected in our 2022 outlook. Nonetheless, our profitability metrics remain among the very best in the industry, and our free cash flow generation more than covers our organic growth initiatives and the acquisition of domain names and other assets. We entered 2022 on strong financial footing and are off to the best start to a year in the Company history led by strong growth in North America. We grew total revenue profitably by 51% in 2021 and we look forward to accelerate that rate of profitable growth in 2022.”
|
2021 – 2023 Financial Targets |
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|
|
|
|
|
Total Revenue Growth |
|
> Average 40% |
|
Adjusted EBITDA Margin1 |
|
> Average 40%  |
|
Leverage2 |
|
< Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA 2.5x3 |
1 Adjusted figures represent non-IFRS information. See “Non-IFRS Financial Measures” and the tables at the end of this release for an explanation of the adjustments and reconciliations to the comparable IFRS numbers.
2Â Leverage is defined as Net Debt as a proportion of Adjusted EBITDA.
3Â Net Debt is defined as Borrowings less Cash and Cash Equivalents.
|
2021 vs. 2020 Financial Highlights |
||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
YEAR ENDED |
|
|
CHANGE |
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
2021 |
|
|
2020 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
% |
|
||||
|
|
|
(in thousands USD, except for |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF |
|
|||||||||||||||
|
Revenue |
|
|
42,323 |
|
|
|
27,980 |
|
|
|
14,343 |
|
|
|
51 |
% |
|
Operating expenses |
|
|
(30,931 |
) |
|
|
(16,849 |
) |
|
|
(14,082 |
) |
|
|
84 |
% |
|
Operating profit |
|
|
11,392 |
|
|
|
11,131 |
|
|
|
261 |
|
|
|
2 |
% |
|
Income before tax |
|
|
12,164 |
|
|
|
10,752 |
|
|
|
1,412 |
|
|
|
13 |
% |
|
Net income for the period attributable to the |
|
|
12,453 |
|
|
|
15,151 |
|
|
|
(2,698 |
) |
|
|
(18 |
)% |
|
Net income per share attributable to ordinary |
|
|
0.40 |
|
|
|
0.55 |
|
|
|
(0.15 |
) |
|
|
(27 |
)% |
|
Net income per share attributable to ordinary |
|
|
0.37 |
|
|
|
0.49 |
|
|
|
(0.12 |
) |
|
|
(24 |
)% |
|
|
|
YEAR ENDED |
|
|
CHANGE |
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
2021 |
|
|
2020 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
% |
|
||||
|
|
|
(in thousands USD, except Adjusted EBITDA Margin, unaudited) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
NON-IFRS FINANCIAL MEASURES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Adjusted EBITDA |
|
|
18,356 |
|
|
|
14,608 |
|
|
|
3,748 |
|
|
|
26 |
% |
|
Adjusted EBITDA Margin |
|
|
43 |
% |
|
|
52 |
% |
|
n/m |
|
|
n/m |
|
||
|
Free Cash Flow |
|
|
8,423 |
|
|
|
10,804 |
|
|
|
(2,381 |
) |
|
|
(22 |
)% |
n/m = not meaningful
|
|
|
YEAR ENDED |
|
|
CHANGE |
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
2021 |
|
|
2020 |
|
|
Amount |
|
|
% |
|
||||
|
|
|
(in thousands, unaudited) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
OTHER SUPPLEMENTAL DATA |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
New Depositing Customers (1) |
|
|
117 |
|
|
|
104 |
|
|
|
13 |
|
|
|
13 |
% |
- We define New Depositing Customers, or NDCs, as unique referral of a player from our system to one of our customers that satisfied an agreed metric (typically making a deposit above a minimum threshold) with the customer, thereby triggering the right to a commission for us.
Revenue
Total revenue increased 51% to $42.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to $28.0 million for the prior year. On a constant currency basis, revenue increased $13.4 million, or 46%. Revenue growth was organic. The increase was driven by both growth in NDCs and improved monetization of NDCs that we attribute to a combination of technology improvements and changes in product and market mix. NDCs increased 13% to 117,000 compared to 104,000 in the prior year.
Our revenue disaggregated by market is as follows:
|
|
|
YEAR ENDED |
|
|
CHANGE |
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
2021 |
|
|
2020 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
% |
|
||||
|
|
|
(in thousands USD) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
U.K. and Ireland |
|
|
21,391 |
|
|
|
16,189 |
|
|
|
5,202 |
|
|
|
32 |
% |
|
Other Europe |
|
|
10,800 |
|
|
|
5,252 |
|
|
|
5,548 |
|
|
|
106 |
% |
|
North America |
|
|
7,484 |
|
|
|
3,959 |
|
|
|
3,525 |
|
|
|
89 |
% |
|
Rest of the world |
|
|
2,648 |
|
|
|
2,580 |
|
|
|
68 |
|
|
|
3 |
% |
|
Total revenues |
|
|
42,323 |
|
|
|
27,980 |
|
|
|
14,343 |
|
|
|
51 |
% |
Revenue increases were primarily driven by growth in revenue from the U.K. and Ireland, Other Europe, and North America.
Our revenue disaggregated by monetization is as follows:
|
|
|
YEAR ENDED |
|
|
CHANGE |
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
2021 |
|
|
2020 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
% |
|
||||
|
|
|
(in thousands USD) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
Hybrid commission |
|
|
15,616 |
|
|
|
14,738 |
|
|
|
878 |
|
|
|
6 |
% |
|
Revenue share commission |
|
|
3,596 |
|
|
|
3,308 |
|
|
|
288 |
|
|
|
9 |
% |
|
CPA commission |
|
|
18,591 |
|
|
|
9,047 |
|
|
|
9,544 |
|
|
|
105 |
% |
|
Other revenue |
|
|
4,520 |
|
|
|
887 |
|
|
|
3,633 |
|
|
|
410 |
% |
|
Total revenues |
|
|
42,323 |
|
|
|
27,980 |
|
|
|
14,343 |
|
|
|
51 |
% |
Revenue increases were driven primarily by additional Cost Per Acquisition, or CPA, commission and Other revenue. The increase in Other revenue was driven by bonuses related to achieving certain operator NDC performance targets and fixed fees.
Our revenue disaggregated by product type from which it is derived is as follows:
|
|
|
YEAR ENDED |
|
|
CHANGE |
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
2021 |
|
|
2020 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
% |
|
||||
|
|
|
(in thousands USD) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
Casino |
|
|
35,632 |
|
|
|
24,135 |
|
|
|
11,497 |
|
|
|
48 |
% |
|
Sports |
|
|
6,188 |
|
|
|
3,210 |
|
|
|
2,978 |
|
|
|
93 |
% |
|
Other |
|
|
503 |
|
|
|
635 |
|
|
|
(132 |
) |
|
|
(21 |
)% |
|
Total revenues |
|
|
42,323 |
|
|
|
27,980 |
|
|
|
14,343 |
|
|
|
51 |
% |
Revenue increases were driven by growth in revenue from casino and sports products.
Operating Expenses
|
|
|
YEAR ENDED |
|
|
CHANGE |
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
2021 |
|
|
2020 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
% |
|
||||
|
|
|
(in thousands USD) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
Sales and marketing expenses |
|
|
14,067 |
|
|
|
8,103 |
|
|
|
5,964 |
|
|
|
74 |
% |
|
Technology expenses |
|
|
3,947 |
|
|
|
2,503 |
|
|
|
1,444 |
|
|
|
58 |
% |
|
General and administrative expenses |
|
|
13,014 |
|
|
|
5,956 |
|
|
|
7,058 |
|
|
|
119 |
% |
|
Movements in credit losses allowance and write offs |
|
|
(97 |
) |
|
|
287 |
|
|
|
(384 |
) |
|
|
(134 |
)% |
|
Total operating expenses |
|
|
30,931 |
|
|
|
16,849 |
|
|
|
14,082 |
|
|
|
84 |
% |
Total operating expenses increased by $14.1 million to $30.9 million compared to $16.8 million in the prior year. On a constant currency basis, operating expenses increased by $13.5 million, or 77%. The increase was driven primarily by increased headcount across Sales and Marketing, Technology, and General and Administrative functions as we invest in the Company’s organic growth initiatives as well as increased administrative expenses associated with operating as a public company.
Sales and Marketing expenses totaled $14.1 million compared to $8.1 million in the prior year. The increase was driven primarily by increased wages and salary expenses associated with increased headcount.
Technology expenses totaled $4.0 million compared to $2.5 million in the prior year. The increase was driven primarily by increased wages and salary expenses associated with increased headcount partially offset by capitalized development costs.
General and Administrative expenses totaled $13.0 million compared to $6.0 million in the prior year. The increase was driven primarily by increased wages and salary expenses associated with increased headcount, professional services, and insurance expenses.
Earnings
Adjusted EBITDA increased by 26% to $18.4 million compared to $14.6 million in the prior year representing an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 43%. The increase was driven primarily by increased revenue partly offset by increased operating expenses.
Operating profit remained relatively constant at $11.4 million compared to $11.1 million in 2020. Operating profit in 2021 was affected by non-recurring costs related to the public offering and future acquisitions by $2.6 million, and share based payments costs by $ 2.0 million ($0.7 million and $0.4 million, respectively, in 2020).
Net income totaled $12.5 million, or $0.37 per diluted share, compared to net income of $15.2 million, or $0.49 per diluted share, in the prior year. Net income in 2020 was positively affected by the recognition of deferred tax assets of $5.4 million and gain from bonds’ redemption of $1.4 million ($1.8 million and zero, respectively, in 2021).
Free Cash-flow
Total cash generated from operations of $14.0 million increased 28% compared to $10.9 million in the prior year. The increase was driven primarily by increased adjusted EBITDA. Free cash flow totaled $8.4 million compared to $10.8 million in the prior year. The decline was the result of increased cash flow generated from operations offset by increased capital expenditures consisting primarily of the acquisition of domain names and capitalized development costs.
|
Balance Sheet |
||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
AS OF |
|
|
CHANGE |
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
2021 |
|
|
2020 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
% |
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
|
(in thousands, USD) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Cash and cash equivalents |
|
|
51,047 |
|
|
|
8,225 |
|
|
|
42,822 |
|
|
|
521 |
% |
|
Working capital (2) |
|
|
46,714 |
|
|
|
10,059 |
|
|
|
36,655 |
|
|
|
364 |
% |
|
Total assets |
|
|
91,025 |
|
|
|
45,383 |
|
|
|
45,642 |
|
|
|
101 |
% |
|
Total borrowings |
|
|
5,944 |
|
|
|
5,960 |
|
|
|
(16 |
) |
|
|
(0 |
)% |
|
Total liabilities |
|
|
11,116 |
|
|
|
11,171 |
|
|
|
(55 |
) |
|
|
(0 |
)% |
|
Total equity |
|
|
79,909 |
|
|
|
34,212 |
|
|
|
45,697 |
|
|
|
134 |
% |
- Working capital is defined as total current assets minus total current liabilities.
n/m = not meaningful
Cash balances as of December 31, 2021 totaled $51.0 million, an increase of $42.8 million compared to $8.2 million as of December 31, 2020. Working capital as of December 31, 2021 totaled $46.7 million, an increase of $36.6 million compared to $10.1 million as of December 31, 2020.
Total assets as of December 31, 2021 were $91.0 million compared to $45.4 million as of December 31, 2020. Total borrowings, including accrued interest, remained constant at $5.9 million as of December 31, 2021 and 2020. Total liabilities decreased slightly as of December 31, 2021 to $11.1 million compared to $11.2 million as of December 31, 2020.
Total equity as of December 31, 2021 was $79.9 million compared to $34.2 million as of December 31, 2020.
The increases in working capital, total assets, and total equity were driven primarily by the net proceeds received from the IPO and operating profit and net income generated by the Company.
|
Fourth Quarter 2021 vs. Fourth Quarter 2020 Financial Highlights |
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|
|
|
THREE MONTHS ENDED |
|
|
CHANGE |
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
2021 |
|
|
2020 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
% |
|
||||
|
|
|
(in thousands USD, except for |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF |
|
|||||||||||||||
|
Revenue |
|
|
10,291 |
|
|
|
10,267 |
|
|
|
24 |
|
|
|
0 |
% |
|
Operating expenses |
|
|
(9,668 |
) |
|
|
(5,897 |
) |
|
|
(3,771 |
) |
|
|
64 |
% |
|
Operating profit |
|
|
623 |
|
|
|
4,370 |
|
|
|
(3,747 |
) |
|
|
(86 |
)% |
|
Income before tax |
|
|
1,311 |
|
|
|
3,489 |
|
|
|
(2,178 |
) |
|
|
(62 |
)% |
|
Net income for the period attributable to the |
|
|
867 |
|
|
|
8,541 |
|
|
|
(7,674 |
) |
|
|
(90 |
)% |
|
Net income per share attributable to ordinary |
|
|
0.03 |
|
|
|
0.39 |
|
|
|
(0.36 |
) |
|
|
(92 |
)% |
|
Net income per share attributable to ordinary |
|
|
0.02 |
|
|
|
0.35 |
|
|
|
(0.33 |
) |
|
|
(94 |
)% |
|
|
|
THREE MONTHS ENDED |
|
|
CHANGE |
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
2021 |
|
|
2020 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
% |
|
||||
|
|
|
(in thousands USD, |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
NON-IFRS FINANCIAL MEASURES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Adjusted EBITDA |
|
|
2,272 |
|
|
|
6,115 |
|
|
|
(3,843 |
) |
|
|
(63 |
)% |
|
Adjusted EBITDA Margin |
|
|
22 |
% |
|
|
60 |
% |
|
n/m |
|
|
|
(38 |
)% |
|
|
Free Cash Flow |
|
|
(1,811 |
) |
|
|
3,533 |
|
|
|
(5,344 |
) |
|
|
(151 |
)% |
n/m = not meaningful
|
|
|
THREE MONTHS ENDED |
|
|
CHANGE |
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
2021 |
|
|
2020 |
|
|
Amount |
|
|
% |
|
||||
|
|
|
(in thousands, unaudited) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
OTHER SUPPLEMENTAL DATA |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
New Depositing Customers (1) |
|
|
28 |
|
|
|
35 |
|
|
|
(7 |
) |
|
|
(20 |
)% |
- We define New Depositing Customers, or NDCs, as unique referral of a player from our system to one of our customers that satisfied an agreed metric (typically making a deposit above a minimum threshold) with the customer, thereby triggering the right to a commission for us.
Revenue
Total revenue in the fourth quarter remained relatively constant at $10.3 million. On a constant currency basis, revenue remained relatively constant. NDCs decreased 20% to 28,000 compared to 35,000 in the prior year. We attribute the improved monetization of NDCs to a combination of technology improvements and changes in product and market mix.
Our revenue disaggregated by market is as follows:
|
|
|
THREE MONTHS ENDED |
|
|
CHANGE |
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
2021 |
|
|
2020 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
% |
|
||||
|
|
|
(in thousands USD, unaudited) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
U.K. and Ireland |
|
|
5,226 |
|
|
|
5,780 |
|
|
|
(554 |
) |
|
|
(10 |
)% |
|
Other Europe |
|
|
2,260 |
|
|
|
2,299 |
|
|
|
(39 |
) |
|
|
(2 |
)% |
|
North America |
|
|
2,154 |
|
|
|
1,383 |
|
|
|
771 |
|
|
|
56 |
% |
|
Rest of the world |
|
|
651 |
|
|
|
805 |
|
|
|
(154 |
) |
|
|
(19 |
)% |
|
Total revenues |
|
|
10,291 |
|
|
|
10,267 |
|
|
|
24 |
|
|
|
0 |
% |
Changes in revenue were driven by strong organic growth in our North American markets, offset by a decline in the U.K. and Ireland and, to a lesser extent, Other Europe and Rest of the world. U.K. and Ireland revenue was negatively affected by higher than usual volatility in organic search traffic. In the comparable period, U.K. and Ireland revenue was positively affected by increased demand coinciding with restrictive Covid-19 measures. Other Europe was negatively affected by regulatory changes in Germany implemented in July 2021 partly offset by growth in revenue from other European markets.
Our revenue disaggregated by monetization is as follows:
|
|
|
THREE MONTHS ENDED |
|
|
CHANGE |
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
2021 |
|
|
2020 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
% |
|
||||
|
|
|
(in thousands USD, unaudited) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
Hybrid commission |
|
|
2,935 |
|
|
|
5,557 |
|
|
|
(2,622 |
) |
|
|
(47 |
)% |
|
Revenue share commission |
|
|
744 |
|
|
|
1,004 |
|
|
|
(260 |
) |
|
|
(26 |
)% |
|
CPA commission |
|
|
5,202 |
|
|
|
3,271 |
|
|
|
1,931 |
|
|
|
59 |
% |
|
Other revenue |
|
|
1,410 |
|
|
|
435 |
|
|
|
975 |
|
|
|
224 |
% |
|
Total revenues |
|
|
10,291 |
|
|
|
10,267 |
|
|
|
24 |
|
|
|
0 |
% |
Revenue from CPA commission and Other revenue increased whereas revenue from hybrid and revenue share commission decreased. The changes in monetization were primarily a result of changes in market mix with a higher proportion of revenue from the U.S compared to the previous year. The increase in Other revenue was driven primarily by bonuses related to achieving certain operator NDC performance targets and fixed fees.
Our revenue disaggregated by product type from which it is derived is as follows:
|
|
|
THREE MONTHS ENDED |
|
|
CHANGE |
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
2021 |
|
|
2020 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
% |
|
||||
|
|
|
(in thousands USD, unaudited) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
Casino |
|
|
8,466 |
|
|
|
8,846 |
|
|
|
(380 |
) |
|
|
(4 |
)% |
|
Sports |
|
|
1,769 |
|
|
|
1,160 |
|
|
|
609 |
|
|
|
53 |
% |
|
Other |
|
|
56 |
|
|
|
261 |
|
|
|
(205 |
) |
|
|
(79 |
)% |
|
Total revenues |
|
|
10,291 |
|
|
|
10,267 |
|
|
|
24 |
|
|
|
0 |
% |
Revenue increases were driven by growth in revenue from sports products offset by a decrease in casino and other revenue.
Operating Expenses
|
|
|
THREE MONTHS ENDED |
|
|
CHANGE |
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
2021 |
|
|
2020 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
% |
|
||||
|
|
|
(in thousands USD, unaudited) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
Sales and marketing expenses |
|
|
4,632 |
|
|
|
2,442 |
|
|
|
2,190 |
|
|
|
90 |
% |
|
Technology expenses |
|
|
1,190 |
|
|
|
798 |
|
|
|
392 |
|
|
|
49 |
% |
|
General and administrative expenses |
|
|
3,877 |
|
|
|
2,609 |
|
|
|
1,268 |
|
|
|
49 |
% |
|
Movements in credit losses allowance and write offs |
|
|
(31 |
) |
|
|
48 |
|
|
|
(79 |
) |
|
|
(165 |
)% |
|
Total operating expenses |
|
|
9,668 |
|
|
|
5,897 |
|
|
|
3,771 |
|
|
|
64 |
% |
Total operating expenses increased by $3.8 million to $9.7 million compared to $5.9 million in the prior year. On a constant currency basis, operating expenses increased by $3.6 million, or 58%. The increase was driven primarily by headcount across Sales and Marketing, Technology, and General and Administrative functions as we invest in the Company’s organic growth initiatives as well as increased administrative expenses associated with operating as a public company.
Sales and Marketing expenses totaled $4.6 million compared to $2.4 million in the prior year. The increase was driven primarily by increased wages and salary expenses associated with increased headcount.
Technology expenses totaled $1.2 million compared to $0.8 million in the prior year. The increase was driven primarily by increased wages and salary expenses associated with increased headcount partially offset by capitalized development costs.
General and Administrative expenses totaled $3.9 million compared to $2.6 million in the prior year. The increase was driven primarily by increased wages and salary expenses associated with increased headcount, professional services, and insurance expenses.
Earnings
Adjusted EBITDA decreased by 63% to $2.3 million compared to $6.1 million in the prior year representing an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 22%. The decrease was driven by increased operating expenses.
Operating profit in the fourth quarter decreased 86% to $0.6 million compared to $4.4 million in 2020. The decrease was driven primarily by a decrease in Adjusted EBITDA and an increase in share-based payments expense.
Net income in the fourth quarter totaled $0.9 million, or $0.02 per diluted share, compared to net income of $8.5 million, or $0.35 per diluted share, in the prior year. Net income in the forth quarter 2021 was positively affected by a USD/Euro foreign currency exchange gain of $1.1 million (zero in 2020). While net income in the fourth quarter of 2020 was positively affected by the recognition of deferred tax assets of $5.4 million (deferred tax asset reduction of $0.2 million in 2021).
The gambling sector in New Jersey experienced impressive gains in July, hitting a total gaming revenue of $606.2 million. This figure marks an increase of 10.7% compared to July 2024, highlighting continued expansion within the state’s gaming market.
Online Casinos Set New Records with $247 Million Revenue
Online casino platforms played a key role in driving this growth, generating an unprecedented $247.3 million during the month. This amount represents a more than 25% rise from the same period last year and establishes a new monthly high for internet gaming in New Jersey. So far in 2025, online casinos have accumulated $1.63 billion in revenue, a year-over-year increase exceeding 23%. Major operators such as FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM have been instrumental in positioning New Jersey as the leading state for legal online gambling in the US.
FanDuel maintained its position as the top online casino, earning $52 million in July—a 38% increase from the previous year. DraftKings followed with $48.6 million, while BetMGM generated $31.4 million. Additionally, Caesars Palace Online achieved a record $18.7 million, more than 50% above last year’s equivalent month. The fierce competition among these industry leaders has sparked innovation and increased player engagement, contributing to sustained market growth.
Land-based casinos in Atlantic City also experienced a positive month, collectively bringing in $284.1 million, a 4.3% increase compared to July 2024. The Borgata remained the highest-grossing casino with nearly $80 million in revenue, while Ocean Casino Resort recorded the fastest growth at over 18%. Hard Rock Atlantic City also noted gains. However, many of the older casinos continue to lag behind their pre-pandemic results, emphasizing the growing importance of newer venues in the market.
Conversely, sports betting revenue saw a decline. Earnings from bets placed at casinos, racetracks, and online platforms totaled $74.8 million in July, reflecting a 6.6% decrease year-over-year. The total amount wagered reached $664 million for the month, bringing the cumulative sports betting revenue for 2025 to $626.8 million—approximately 4% lower than last year’s figures.
Record-Breaking Year-to-Date Revenue and Tax Contributions
Despite the downturn in sports betting, New Jersey’s overall gambling industry has achieved record-breaking performance during the first seven months of 2025. Combined revenue from all gaming categories reached $3.92 billion, marking the highest year-to-date total on record for the state. In July alone, gambling-related tax revenues amounted to $81.7 million, contributing to a year-to-date total of $446.1 million to New Jersey’s fiscal resources.
Class action lawsuits in the gambling industry are everywhere, but a closer look reveals a startling truth: They have become a new, industrialized legal business model where the lawyers get paid, but most players see little to nothing.
From DraftKings to sweepstakes casinos, law firms are filing often, promising justice and accountability for operators. The headlines certainly make it sound like players are winning big. We hear of a $155 million settlement against Big Fish Games, a $12 million payment from FanDuel and DraftKings, and a $3.5 million settlement from SpinX Games. Even Coinbase paid $2.25 million over a crypto sweepstakes controversy.
But these numbers tell only half the story. The journey from a lawsuit filing to a meaningful payout is a brutal one for class members, but often a highly profitable one for the legal firms behind the litigation.
The filing frenzy: a numbers game
The class action landscape is a numbers game. While filing a lawsuit might seem straightforward, the journey is not. According to empirical studies, nearly four out of every five lawsuits initially filed as class actions are never actually certified. That’s an 80% failure rate right out of the gate. These cases are often dismissed or revert to individual claims too small to pursue economically.
As John Holden, a law professor at Oklahoma State University, explains, “When you announce that you’re filing a class action lawsuit against DraftKings or a sweepstakes company, you’re at the starter pistol of an ultra marathon.”
This high-volume, high-risk approach is particularly evident in the gambling industry. Multiple class actions against VGW Holdings (the company behind LuckyLand Slots and Chumba Casino) were dismissed, often due to enforceable arbitration clauses that force disputes into individual arbitration, fundamentally undermining the class action’s purpose.
This industrialized approach to litigation — where a law firm files a similar case against different companies dozens of times — is a strategy of volume. The hope is that a few will survive the “significant early filters” of the motion to dismiss and motion for class certification, which the Institute for Legal Reform highlights as key hurdles.
Another issue: making sure people in the “class” want to be part of the whole shebang.
“Class actions do have a number of unique hurdles, such as class certification motions and fairness hearings, that we don’t see in other forms of litigation, but it’s due to the fact that attorneys are hoping to represent individuals who usually haven’t affirmatively opted in to such a representation and will lose the right to sue individually if they don’t opt out of the class,” said Evan Davis, head of the gaming and sports practice at Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld LLC. “The court needs to ensure that these individuals are being treated fairly by the court system and that they are receiving an appropriate benefit from the litigation.”
The settlement reality check
Even when cases survive and result in settlements, the outcomes for individual players are often underwhelming. A study of federal court class actions found that in over half of all cases studied, members of the proposed class received zero relief.
When settlements are reached, the gap between the headline amount and what players actually receive is enormous. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported that the median claims rate was just 9% in 2019. For settlements involving over 2.7 million class members, the average claims rate dropped to a mere 1.4%, as reported by Harvard Law professor William B. Rubenstein.
This leaves a significant portion of the settlement pool unclaimed. While the lawyers take a guaranteed, substantial cut — often in the millions — the payouts for individuals are typically modest, often in the double and low triple digits. The low participation rates are due to practical frustrations: Settlement notifications often look like junk mail, and the claim process can be onerous. The extended timeline of class action litigation, which adds “many additional months to your case,” as Holden said, also creates financial pressure that pushes firms toward settlement.
“They take even longer than regular litigation because you’ve got to go find the class, you’ve got to get the class certified,” Holden noted. “So basically you’re having this other legal process play out before you get to the next legal process. You’re adding on many additional months to your case.”
This extended timeline creates financial pressure, especially when facing well-resourced defendants.
“If you were to bring a class action against Google or something, they have infinite money — they can litigate forever if they wanted to,” Holden explained. “Certainly the top tiers of the gambling industry are incredibly well resourced, so efficiency sort of pushes towards settlement for a lot of these.”
As one analysis noted, sweepstakes casino operators “will invariably settle” to avoid a jury trial that could fundamentally dismantle their business models. This creates a cycle where companies pay to continue operating while plaintiffs’ attorneys develop increasingly sophisticated strategies for the next round of litigation.
But settling may be losing some luster, Davis points out.
“Some of the recent gaming-related class actions that have been filed are somewhat unique because they are being brought pursuant to state laws and in some cases limited to individuals within certain states — they are not traditional nationwide class actions like you’d typically see in antitrust or pharmaceutical cases,” Davis said. “This means that a settlement of one case won’t necessarily affect the cases that have been filed alleging violations of other states’ laws, which in turn means that a defendant may be less likely to settle because it will still be incurring significant legal costs in defending the remaining cases.”
The new legal playbook
Gaming companies aren’t sitting idle. The rise of this legal cottage industry has spurred a sophisticated defense playbook that goes well beyond seeking quick settlements. Arbitration clauses have become powerful weapons, forcing disputes into individual arbitration rather than collective lawsuits.
Perhaps the most intriguing development is the increasing use of civil RICO claims. Attorneys are drawing parallels to successful litigation against the opioid industry, alleging that gambling companies use systemic fraudulent practices to foster addiction.
The approach got a boost when Schlesinger Law Offices publicly committed to taking legal action against online sports betting platforms, explicitly drawing parallels to their work against Big Tobacco and stating their intent to pursue companies for “allegedly pushing problem gamblers into debt through deceptive, predatory, and harmful business practices.”
Holden sees these cases as potentially a world apart from typical consumer protection class actions.
“When you see particular individuals associated with them, like a lawyer who litigated tobacco litigation, it triggers that this is perhaps different than some of these other ones that are out there,” he said.
This is a stark contrast to the historical context of gambling litigation, where compulsive gamblers had a “long, unsuccessful history” of lawsuits against the industry. The rapid expansion of online gambling has created new vulnerabilities that this new legal cottage industry is actively exploiting.
The great gambling class action wave is not about to end. As long as the potential for multimillion-dollar legal fees exists, a steady stream of lawsuits from opportunistic lawyers will follow.
For the law firms involved, the odds are in their favor, as this is a high-volume business. But for individual players hoping for significant compensation, the odds remain stubbornly long — much like the games themselves.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
Gambling in the USA
Kambi Group plc signs on-property sportsbook partnership with the Oneida Indian Nation’s Turning Stone Enterprises
Oneida Indian Nation to offer Kambi’s premium Turnkey Sportsbook at three properties in Upstate New York
Kambi Group plc (“Kambi”), the home of premium sports betting solutions, has agreed a long-term partnership with the Oneida Indian Nation to provide its leading retail sportsbook solution to Turning Stone Enterprises’ three sportsbooks in Upstate New York.
Under the terms of the agreement, Oneida will replace its current third-party sports betting supplier with Kambi’s flexible Turnkey Sportsbook, which includes cutting-edge technology such as kiosks, point-of-sale terminals, Bring Your Own Device technology and an award-winning Bet Builder.
Turning Stone Enterprises is the parent organization for all business operations of the Oneida Indian Nation. The premier gaming destination in New York state, Turning Stone Enterprises’ portfolio of gaming venues includes – Turning Stone Resort Casino, YBR Casino & Sports Book and Point Place Casino.
Werner Becher, CEO of Kambi, said: “We are thrilled to announce our partnership with the Oneida Indian Nation, further strengthening our tribal partner network and expanding our footprint in one of the largest sports betting markets in the US. Oneida has a proven track record of offering best-in-class gaming experiences, and we look forward to working with them to ensure they have an unparalleled sportsbook offering for years to come.”
Ray Halbritter, Oneida Indian Nation Representative and Turning Stone Enterprises CEO, said: “Our collaboration with Kambi marks a major step forward for our sportsbooks. This new partnership will give our guests faster, more intuitive ways to place bets and add an all-new level of excitement to our sports betting experience.”
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