Industry News
Inspired Reports Third Quarter 2023 Results
Inspired Entertainment, a leading B2B provider of gaming content, technology, hardware and services, reported financial results for the three-month period ended September 30, 2023.
Lorne Weil, Executive Chairman of Inspired, said: “We have completed the financial restatement process and as of today, all amended filings are complete. For the first half of 2023, the net impact to Adjusted EBITDA from the restatement was effectively zero, with a $1 million decrease in previously reported results in Q1 offset by a $1 million increase in Q2. The impact to our Adjusted EBITDA for the full year 2022, was a decrease of $0.6 million, from $99.6 million to $99.0 million, or less than 1%. Adjusted EBITDA margin for the third quarter was 27%, but excluding Low Margin Gaming Hardware sales, the margin was 36%, compared to 37% in the prior year quarter.”
Weil continued: “For the quarter, our aggregate digital business, which includes our Virtual Sports and Interactive segments, grew Adjusted EBITDA 9% to $16.4 million from $15.0 million. Year to date, our digital business generated 58% of Adjusted EBITDA contribution compared to 50% in the prior year period. This performance reinforces the shift in our strategic focus towards our higher margin, scalable digital business and we continue to invest in premium content creation for these segments. At the same time, our Adjusted EBITDA for the third quarter was impacted by the timing of several one-time sales moving into the fourth quarter. Excluding one-time product sales, Adjusted EBITDA grew 4% year-over-year during the third quarter. As we look forward, we expect our fourth quarter Adjusted EBITDA to be in-line with consensus. Additionally, our fourth quarter Adjusted EBITDA would have been nearly $2 million higher if not for the ransomware attack on our IT systems impacting results.”
Weil added: “Our digital business third quarter results were led by the Interactive segment where revenue and Adjusted EBITDA increased 28% and 55% year-over-year on a constant currency basis, respectively, underscoring both the growth and scalability of the business. Interactive results reflect another quarterly record as we continue to benefit from an increased footprint through new customer launches, the consistent deployment of new content and increased promotional activity through exclusive deals with tier-one customers as well as revenue growth from existing customers. In our Virtual Sports segment, we generated $13.4 million of revenue during the quarter compared to $14.4 million during the prior year. The year-over-year decline was driven by a major customer’s optimizing of their customer base, with a partial offset due to increased retail revenue. In the last two to three years, we’ve seen extraordinary growth in our Virtual Sports business, driven by new products and market expansions. We believe we are heading into another strong growth phase, driven by our exciting new content partnerships with the NFL and NBA. We have two major markets with substantial growth opportunity, North America and Latin America. In addition, we’ve recently launched Hybrid Dealer, a revolutionary new iGaming product. We are proud to have partnered with BetMGM to launch this innovative new product. With all of this recent progress, we are more convinced than ever that we are in the early stages of an expanding global opportunity with our digital business that will continue to exhibit a high margin and low capital intensity profile.”
Weil continued: “In our land-based operations, which includes our Gaming and Leisure segments, we’ve completed the deployment of our new ‘Vantage’ cabinet across two of our largest licensed betting shop customers, recording another $22.7 million of low margin terminal sales in Q3. We continue to see approximately 11% year-over-year revenue per machine increases with these new terminal deployments. In our pubs business, we’ve deployed ‘Vantage’ across approximately 20% of our customer estate and have experienced approximately 20% year-over-year growth in revenue per machine. This gives us confidence that we are seeing a reacceleration across our land-based businesses.”
Weil concluded: “Fundamentally, our business remains very strong, which was reflected in our repurchase of $1.5 million of our stock during the third quarter. We are optimistic about the compelling digital growth dynamics of the business, as a wider audience engages with online betting and gaming while new jurisdictions continue to launch. Combined with a resilient land-based business, our diversification and expansion ability reinforce our omni-channel strategy combining our high-margin, capital efficient digital businesses with our steady land-based businesses.”
Rush Street Gaming announced that casino and hospitality veteran Cliff Ehrlich has joined the company as chief operating officer.
Ehrlich assumes the role of Rush Street COO from Bill Keena, a longtime company and industry leader, who plans to retire later this year.
“I’ve admired Rush Street’s strong leadership and steady expansion over the past two decades. I’m thrilled to join this dynamic organization and look forward to contributing to the company’s ongoing success,” said Ehrlich.
Ehrlich’s career began in marketing at the Catskills’ Pines Resort Hotel in the 80s and transitioned in the 90s to casino development and operations. In 1996, he became co-owner of the Monticello Raceway and helped recruit the Oneida Indian Nation to build a casino on the property. Following an initial public offering, Ehrlich led Monticello Casino & Raceway as president, chief operating officer and general manager until 2013.
After consulting with Mohegan Sun regarding Upstate New York development opportunities, in 2015, Ehrlich joined The Downs Racetrack & Casino in Albuquerque, serving as general manager and chief operating officer. He later ran two casinos for The Navajo Nation — Northern Edge and Flowing Water. Since 2022, Ehrlich has been Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise’s chief operating officer, with oversight of four casinos, a resort destination hotel, travel plaza and food & beverage manufacturing.
“Cliff’s ground-up casino development experience, deep operations background and team leadership ensure that all five Rivers Casino properties remain in great hands. He will continue the strong forward momentum established by Bill Keena, for whom we wish the very best in retirement,” said Tim Drehkoff, CEO of Rush Street Gaming.
Wanna.com, the innovative daily fantasy sports gaming platform set to launch across the US, in August, announced the appointment of Chuck Bowling, former President and COO at MGM Resorts International, to its Board of Directors. With an impressive career overseeing prestigious properties such as the Mandalay Bay, Delano, Four Seasons Las Vegas and Luxor, Mr. Bowling brings a wealth of experience and strategic insight to the burgeoning enterprise.
As Wanna.com prepares for its initial launch in approximately 25 to 30 states, Mr. Bowling’s extensive expertise in hospitality and gaming will be instrumental in guiding Wanna.com and Wanna Parlay, through this exciting phase of growth and development. His leadership at MGM, where he was pivotal in enhancing guest experiences and driving operational excellence, aligns perfectly with Wanna.com’s vision of delivering unparalleled daily fantasy sports entertainment to users nationwide and internationally.
“We are thrilled to welcome Chuck Bowling to the Wanna.com Board of Directors. Chuck’s remarkable track record in the gaming and hospitality industry will be invaluable as we navigate the complexities of our launch and beyond. His strategic acumen and commitment to excellence resonate deeply with our mission to revolutionize the daily fantasy sports landscape,” said CEO/Founder of Wanna.com Jim Bob Morris.
Mr. Bowling expressed his enthusiasm for joining the Board, stating, “I am honored to be part of Wanna.com at such a pivotal moment in its journey. The company’s innovative approach to fantasy sports gaming with concepts such as Wanna Parlay, holds great promise, and I am excited to contribute to its success and growth.”
Online lottery platform Lotto.com has launched a new Digital Scratch ticket campaign with surprising creative developed by Havas New York as the brand’s agency of record.
Lotto.com launched their first-to-market Digital Scratch tickets offering in December 2022, which transformed how traditional paper scratch tickets are played. As Digital Scratch tickets offer customers the opportunity to experience the thrill of playing a physical scratch ticket in a digital, secure setting, the campaign taps the thrill of winning anytime.
As a build to the brand’s first campaign, “Welcome to Winever,” the new Digital Scratch campaign avoids category cliches like CGI fantasy worlds and big spenders, instead capturing traditionally “unlucky” moments, and turning them into winning ones. With this theme at the core of the creative, the campaign highlights unlucky practicalities of life, such as getting your car towed or unexpectedly getting splashed by a taxi driving through a puddle. In each scene, the unlucky scenario is transformed into a lucky one with the ease of a Digital Scratch win on Lotto.com.
“In an often unlucky world, Lotto.com’s Digital Scratch tickets are a reminder that a win could be just a scratch away. Scratch tickets currently make up two-thirds of the $100+ Billion U.S. lottery market and our pioneering Digital Scratch innovation marks a significant milestone for the industry and solidifies our position as a pioneer in the digital lottery space,” Thomas Metzger, CEO of Lotto.com, said.
The fully integrated campaign was led by Havas New York, with paid and earned media support from Havas Village agencies including Republica Havas, Havas Formula, and Havas CX. The creative will roll out across radio, TV, and streaming throughout the month of August, with social media, digital, and out-of-home to follow.
“Lotto.com is spearheading an industry transformation with the introduction of Digital Scratch tickets and we are excited to be a part of it. Unlucky moments are something that all of us can relate to, no matter how big or small. We strive to set our brands apart from competitors by authentically connecting with consumers, and this new creative demonstrates how easy it is to turn even the unluckiest moment into the luckiest one,” Dan Lucey, Chief Creative Officer & Co-CEO of Havas New York, said.
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