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Sports Betting Entrepreneur Joey Levy and Media Mogul Jake Paul Announce Creation of Micro-Betting and Media Company “Betr” with $50M Series A

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Sports betting entrepreneur Joey Levy and media mogul Jake Paul announced the creation of Betr, the first direct-to-consumer micro-betting focused sports betting company. Levy will be acting as CEO of the company, while Paul will be the President, which has raised $50 million in a Series A round.

As part of the company’s efforts, the two are also launching a new media venture for the next generation of sports fans. Betr is setting out to “disrupt legacy gambling and legacy media”, with a mission of making sports and betting “betr”.

Betr is the first direct-to-consumer sports betting company to focus predominantly on micro-betting, a new form of betting that introduces instant gratification to the sports betting user experience by enabling the moments that drive U.S. sports consumption – such as pitches & at-bats of baseball games and plays & drives of football games – to become discrete betting opportunities.

Levy is the co-founder of Simplebet, the B2B technology company that has pioneered micro-betting on U.S. sports by building the machine learning and automation infrastructure to enable this new form of betting to exist at scale.

Betr will be leveraging Simplebet’s technology and is releasing its app in the coming weeks, initially as a free-to-play experience available in all 50 states, with a state-by-state rollout of its licensed real money betting experiences to follow later this year. Betr has secured market access in multiple U.S. states through strategic equity-based partnerships that the company will be announcing in the near future.

Paul, who has 70 million followers on social media and is one of the most searched public figures on Google, kicked off the launch of Betr’s media company with a preview of “BS w/ Jake Paul,” the first of many franchises Betr will release as it aims to become the primary media platform for the next generation of sports fans.

The show will feature Jake, arguably the most disruptive athlete-influencer in sports and one of the most famous Gen-Z personalities in the world, along with his celebrity friends taking fans on a journey across the landscape of sports and sports betting through the eyes of an A-list athlete. The show sets out to become one of the most viewed and engaged sports shows on digital with each episode featuring Jake, his sidekick co-hosts, and celebrity/athlete guests as they discuss the hottest stories in sports. In addition to generating brand awareness and affinity for the Betr brand, Betr’s media company will independently generate revenue for Betr, with the company evaluating sponsorship opportunities for “BS w/ Jake Paul” and its other premium content initiatives.

Joey Levy, Founder and CEO of Betr, said: “I co-founded Simplebet to simplify the sports betting user experience – to reconsider why sports betting products felt uninterpretable to the casual fan who had never bet on sports before. In doing so, we discovered that the technology required to enable a scalable micro-betting platform around the moments that drive U.S. sports did not yet exist, given the global market’s focus was on soccer, a fluid sport without a natural start and stop cadence. So we decided to build it ourselves at Simplebet; however, years later, the user experience remains unintuitive for a mass market consumer.

“Betr will unbundle micro-betting by building an entire company around it and delivering the experience in a simple, intuitive UI layer. We believe micro-betting will ultimately emerge as the predominant way consumers bet on U.S. sports, given (1) the stop and start cadence of U.S. sports lending itself perfectly to this style of wagering, and (2) similarly to how daily fantasy sports innovated on top of season long fantasy, micro-betting introduces an order of magnitude greater level of instant gratification to the current sports betting user experience.

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“We have an opportunity to build the most capital efficient and culturally relevant gambling business in the US – ultimately surpassing other sports betting companies whose primary focus remains on spending heavily on customer acquisition while offering commoditized legacy sportsbook product experiences – by introducing superior and differentiated product, while capturing billions of dollars-worth of free marketing via our media company, all while also directly monetizing our media company via sponsorship and licensing revenue.”

Alex Ursa has joined Betr as Head of Product from FanDuel, where he helped build their sports betting & casino businesses into the clear market leader. Mike Denevi has joined Betr as Head of Media from Bleacher Report, where he helped build BR Betting into the top sports betting media brand on social. The company is headquartered in Miami and the team will be working together in person, which it views as a competitive advantage in a post-COVID world that has embraced remote work.

Jake Paul, Founder and President of Betr, said: “I wasn’t into sports betting until I was introduced to micro-betting. Micro-betting is the TikTok-ification of sports betting and I am excited to bring it to the masses through Betr. We are in this for the long haul and are focused on doing things the right way. We are getting licensed state-by-state, adhering to each state’s regulatory framework while advocating for important consumer protections and responsible gambling. We want to be the category defining consumer company in both sports betting and sports media by the end of the decade and are confident we will achieve that goal.”

Simplebet CEO Chris Bevilacqua said: “We’re thrilled to be Betr’s technology partner, powering unique in-play betting experiences centered around micro-betting and transforming the way consumers engage and wager on sports. The combination of our best-in-class technology together with the reimagined user experience, reach, and influence of Betr’s distribution channels will be a powerful force in the market. This partnership features many of the best elements of the rapidly increasing convergence of sports, media, and technology and we are excited to be in the center of it.”

Betr has raised $50 million in funding from renowned institutional and strategic investors and some of the most influential athletes, celebrities, and sports team owners including Florida Funders, 8vc, Aliya Capital Partners, Fuel Venture Capital, FinSight Ventures, Co-Owners of San Francisco 49ers, Boston Celtics, and Miami Marlins, Travis Scott, Ezekiel Elliott, Richard Sherman, Dez Bryant, DeSean Jackson, Braxton Berrios, Palm Tree Crew, Roger Ehrenberg, Mark Wan, Russell Galbut, David Grutman, Deirdre Bigley, Gary Barber, Simplebet, Stronach Group, Magic City Casino, Anti Fund, 305 Ventures, Elizabeth Street Ventures, Riverside Ventures, Gaingels, Moving Capital, Elysium Venture Capital, FJ Labs, Tampa Bay Ventures, Trog Hawley, and many others. Betr closed a $30M Series A led by Florida Funders earlier this year in what was the largest investment in Florida Funders history. The Series A was oversubscribed, so the company raised an additional $20M Series A1 led by Aliya Capital Partners and Fuel Venture Capital, with its initial closing last quarter and its final closing scheduled for this quarter.

“Florida Funders saw a massive opportunity in a nascent market where the legacy players have not been strong from product, technology, and cultural relevance standpoints. In addition to the market opportunity, the ability to back Joey Levy for the third time – having invested early with Joey in Simplebet and in 305 Ventures – was something we could not pass up on. In addition to Jake Paul, Joey has surrounded himself with great people, including Alex Ursa and Mike Denevi. We could not be more excited about the future of Betr – and are thrilled to be on this journey as this team changes sports betting and sports media in the US,” Saxon Baum at Florida Funders said.

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Tachi Palace Casino trusts Continent 8 to bolster its cybersecurity through advanced managed SOC and SIEM solutions

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Tachi Palace Casino trusts Continent 8 to bolster its cybersecurity through advanced managed SOC and SIEM solutions

 

Tachi-Yokut Tribe of Santa Rosa Rancheria-owned and operated casino now equipped with world-leading 24/7/365 monitoring, proactive threat prevention and rapid response capabilities to safeguard its tribal gaming operations

Continent 8 Technologies, the leading provider of managed hosting, connectivity, cloud and cybersecurity solutions for the tribal gaming industry, is pleased to announce a new cybersecurity agreement with Tachi Palace Casino Resort to oversee and optimize their Security Operations Center (SOC) and Security Incident and Event Management (SIEM) cybersecurity operations.

In collaboration with Continent 8 and its cybersecurity division, C8 Secure, Tachi Palace Casino Resort will implement their managed SOC and SIEM services. The customer will gain instant access to a comprehensive SOC and SIEM solution featuring round-the-clock monitoring, sophisticated threat detection to pinpoint anomalies and potential risks, integrated threat intelligence to anticipate evolving threats and an advanced SIEM architecture designed for high-performance analytics and streamlined incident management.

Patrick Gardner, Chief Security Officer at Continent 8 said: “We are honored that Tachi Palace Casino Resort selected Continent 8 through a rigorous selection process as their trusted Managed Security Operations Center partner. As a leading Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP) specializing in the gaming industry, we have deep insight into the unique cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities facing our customers today. Tachi Palace Casino Resort’s proactive commitment to safeguarding their infrastructure demonstrates exceptional leadership and a clear understanding that robust, continuous security is vital for protecting their customers, data and gaming operations.”

Jerad Swimmer, Regional Sales Director at Continent 8 added: “It’s inspiring to see an increasing number of tribal gaming and casino organizations such as Tachi Palace Casino Resort making cybersecurity a core component of their strategic initiatives and organizational culture.

“We are delighted to support Tachi Palace Casino Resort as their trusted MSSP, ensuring a secure and strategic cybersecurity journey.”

David Clark, Information System Director at Tachi Palace Casino Resort said: “I am looking forward to our new partnership with Continent 8 and what the future brings for us.”

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Churchill Downs Incorporated Reports 2025 First Quarter Results

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Churchill Downs Incorporated (Nasdaq: CHDN) (the “Company”, “CDI”, “we”) today reported business results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025.

Company Highlights

  • First quarter 2025 financial results, as compared to the prior year quarter:
    • Record net revenue of $642.6 million, up $51.7 million or 9%
    • Net income attributable to CDI of $76.7 million, down $3.7 million or 5%
    • Record Adjusted EBITDA of $245.1 million, up $2.6 million or 1%
  • We opened Owensboro Racing and Gaming in Western Kentucky in February 2025, with 600 historical racing machines, a retail sportsbook, simulcast wagering, and food and beverage offerings.
  • We announced two new projects at Churchill Downs Racetrack that will enhance the 152nd Kentucky Derby experience for our guests in the Finish Line Suites and The Mansion. We also announced that we are pausing The Skye, Conservatory, and Infield General Admission capital projects due to the current economic environment.
  • In February 2025, we closed the seventh amendment of the Credit Agreement, which reduced the interest rate for Term Loan B-1 and eliminated the 0.10% credit spread adjustment.
  • In March 2025, the Board of Directors approved a new $500 million share repurchase program.
  • We ended the first quarter of 2025 with net bank leverage of 4.0x and returned $119.5 million of capital to our shareholders through share repurchases and dividends.
    • We repurchased $89.4 million of shares in the first quarter of 2025.
    • On January 3, 2025, we paid a $0.409 per share dividend to shareholders of record as of December 6, 2024, which represents the fourteenth consecutive year of an increased dividend per share.
CONSOLIDATED RESULTS
First Quarter
(in millions, except per share data) 2025 2024
Net revenue $ 642.6 $ 590.9
Net income attributable to CDI $ 76.7 $ 80.4
Diluted EPS attributable to CDI $ 1.02 $ 1.08
Adjusted EBITDA(a) $ 245.1 $ 242.5
(a) This is a non-GAAP measure. See explanation of non-GAAP measures below.
SEGMENT RESULTS

The summaries below present revenue from external customers and intercompany revenue from each of our reportable segments. All comparisons are against the applicable prior year period unless otherwise noted.

Live and Historical Racing

First Quarter
(in millions) 2025 2024
Revenue $ 276.4 $ 248.9
Adjusted EBITDA 102.0 100.8

First Quarter 2025

First quarter 2025 revenue increased $27.5 million due to an $18.2 million increase at our Virginia HRM venues, an $8.9 million increase from our Kentucky HRM venues, and a $0.4 million increase from our other Live and Historical Racing properties. The Virginia HRM increase of $18.2 million was primarily due to the November 2024 opening of The Rose Gaming Resort in Northern Virginia, partially offset by a decrease from our other Virginia HRM venues primarily due to lower unrated play from consumer softness and competition, the impact of weather, and one less day in the quarter due to the 2024 leap year. The Kentucky HRM increase of $8.9 million was primarily due to the February 2025 opening of Owensboro Racing and Gaming in Western Kentucky and growth from our Northern and Southwestern Kentucky properties, partially offset by a decrease at our Louisville properties due to the impact of weather and one less day in the quarter due to 2024 leap year.

First quarter 2025 Adjusted EBITDA increased $1.2 million due to a $3.1 million increase at our Kentucky HRM venues, partially offset by a $1.9 million decrease primarily from our Virginia HRM venues. Our Kentucky HRM venues increase was primarily due to the February 2025 opening of Owensboro Racing and Gaming in Western Kentucky and growth at our Northern and Southwestern Kentucky properties, partially offset by a decrease from our Louisville properties due to the impact of weather and one less day in the quarter due to the 2024 leap year. Our Virginia HRM venues decreased $2.0 million primarily due to lower unrated play from consumer softness and competition, the impact of weather, increased handle tax and racing-related expenses, and one less day in the quarter due to the 2024 leap year, partially offset by the November 2024 opening of The Rose Gaming Resort.

Wagering Services and Solutions

First Quarter
(in millions) 2025 2024
Revenue $ 115.8 $ 114.1
Adjusted EBITDA 41.3 39.6

First Quarter 2025

First quarter 2025 revenue increased $1.7 million due to a $3.1 million increase from Exacta due to incremental HRMs in Virginia and New Hampshire and a $0.8 million increase in TwinSpires Horse Racing. These increases were partially offset by a $2.2 million decrease from our sports betting business.

First quarter 2025 Adjusted EBITDA increased $1.7 million due to a $3.8 million increase from Exacta due to a $2.7 million increase primarily from incremental HRMs in Virginia and New Hampshire and a $1.1 million decrease from lower compensation expense. These increases were partially offset by a $1.1 million decrease from our sports betting business and a $1.0 million decrease from TwinSpires Horse Racing due to increased legal expenses.

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Gaming

First Quarter
(in millions) 2025 2024
Revenue $ 267.2 $ 243.2
Adjusted EBITDA 123.5 122.8

First Quarter 2025

First quarter 2025 revenue increased $24.0 million due to a $31.6 million increase from the April 2024 opening of the Terre Haute Casino Resort, partially offset by a $7.6 million decrease primarily due to regional gaming softness, increased competition, one less day in the quarter due to the 2024 leap year, and the impact of weather at certain properties.

First quarter 2025 Adjusted EBITDA increased $0.7 million due to an $11.5 million increase attributable to the opening of the Terre Haute Casino Resort in April 2024, partially offset by a $6.6 million decrease from our wholly owned gaming properties and a $4.2 million decrease from our equity investments primarily due to regional gaming softness, increased competition, higher labor and benefit expense, one less day in the quarter due to the 2024 leap year, and the impact of weather at certain properties.

All Other

First Quarter
(in millions) 2025 2024
Revenue $ 2.0 $
Adjusted EBITDA (21.7 ) (20.7 )

First Quarter 2025

First quarter 2025 revenue increased $2.0 million increased due to intercompany revenue related to the captive insurance company that was established in April 2024. All captive revenue is eliminated in consolidation.

First quarter 2025 Adjusted EBITDA decreased $1.0 million driven primarily by increased corporate compensation-related expenses and other corporate administrative expenses as a result of enterprise growth.

CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

Share Repurchase Program

On March 12, 2025, the Board of Directors of the Company approved a common stock repurchase program of up to $500 million (“2025 Stock Repurchase Program”). The 2025 Stock Repurchase Program includes and is not in addition to the $125.6 million remaining under the prior 2021 Stock Repurchase Program authorization.

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The Company repurchased 798,250 shares of its common stock at a total cost of $89.4 million in the first quarter of 2025. We had approximately $434.6 million of repurchase authority remaining under the 2025 Stock Repurchase Program as of March 31, 2025.

NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO CDI

First Quarter 2025 Results

The Company’s first quarter 2025 net income attributable to CDI was $76.7 million compared to $80.4 million in the prior year quarter.

The following factors impacted the comparability of the Company’s first quarter 2025 net income to the prior year quarter:

  • a $6.7 million after-tax decrease in other recoveries, net primarily driven by insurance claim proceeds recorded in the prior year quarter.

This was partially offset by:

  • a $5.6 million after-tax decrease in transaction, pre-opening, and other expenses.

Excluding the items above, first quarter 2025 adjusted net income attributable to CDI decreased $4.8 million primarily due to the following:

  • a $3.0 million after-tax decrease in equity income from our unconsolidated affiliates;
  • a $2.0 million after-tax increase in interest expense associated with lower capitalization of interest related to capital projects in the current year, partially offset by lower interest rates; and
  • a $0.5 million after-tax decrease due a portion of United Tote’s income being recognized as noncontrolling interest.

This was partially offset by:

  • a $0.7 million after-tax increase primarily driven by the results of our operations.

Conference Call

A conference call regarding this news release is scheduled for Thursday, April 24, 2025 at 9 a.m. ET. Investors and other interested parties may listen to the teleconference by accessing the online, real-time webcast and broadcast of the call at http://ir.churchilldownsincorporated.com/events.cfm, or by registering in advance via teleconference here. Once registration is completed, participants will be provided with a dial-in number containing a personalized conference code to access the call. All participants are encouraged to dial-in 15 minutes prior to the start time. An online replay will be available by noon ET on Thursday, April 24, 2025. A copy of the Company’s news release announcing quarterly results and relevant financial and statistical information about the period will be accessible at www.churchilldownsincorporated.com.

Use of Non-GAAP Measures

In addition to the results provided in accordance with GAAP, the Company also uses non-GAAP measures, including adjusted net income, adjusted diluted EPS, EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization), and Adjusted EBITDA.

The Company uses non-GAAP measures as a key performance measure of the results of operations for purposes of evaluating performance internally. These measures facilitate comparison of operating performance between periods and help investors to better understand the operating results of the Company by excluding certain items that may not be indicative of the Company’s core business or operating results. The Company believes the use of these measures enables management and investors to evaluate and compare, from period to period, the Company’s operating performance in a meaningful and consistent manner. The non-GAAP measures are a supplemental measure of our performance that is not required by, or presented in accordance with, GAAP, and should not be considered as an alternative to, or more meaningful than, net income or diluted EPS (as determined in accordance with GAAP) as a measure of our operating results.

We use Adjusted EBITDA to evaluate segment performance, develop strategy, and allocate resources. We utilize the Adjusted EBITDA metric to provide a more accurate measure of our core operating results and enable management and investors to evaluate and compare from period to period our operating performance in a meaningful and consistent manner. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered as an alternative to operating income as an indicator of performance, as an alternative to cash flows from operating activities as a measure of liquidity, or as an alternative to any other measure provided in accordance with GAAP. Our calculation of Adjusted EBITDA may be different from the calculation used by other companies and, therefore, comparability may be limited.

Adjusted net income and adjusted diluted EPS exclude discontinued operations net income or loss; net income or loss attributable to noncontrolling interest; transaction expense, which includes acquisition and disposition related charges, as well as legal, accounting, and other deal-related expense; pre-opening expense; and certain other gains, charges, recoveries, and expenses.

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Adjusted EBITDA includes our portion of EBITDA from our equity investments and the portion of EBITDA attributable to noncontrolling interest.

Adjusted EBITDA excludes, as applicable in each period:

  • Transaction expense, net which includes:
    • Acquisition, disposition, and property sale related charges;
    • Other transaction expense, including legal, accounting, and other deal-related expense;
  • Stock-based compensation expense;
  • Rivers Des Plaines’ impact on our investments in unconsolidated affiliates from legal reserves and transaction costs;
  • Asset impairments;
  • Gain on property sales;
  • Legal reserves;
  • Pre-opening expense; and
  • Other charges, recoveries, and expenses.

For segment reporting, Adjusted EBITDA includes intercompany revenue and expense totals that are eliminated in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. See the Reconciliation of Comprehensive Income to Adjusted EBITDA included herewith for additional information.

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R. Franco Digital is getting ready to shine at GAT Expo Cartagena 2025 with its most comprehensive offering of land-based and digital gaming

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R. Franco Digital is getting ready to shine at GAT Expo Cartagena 2025 with its most comprehensive offering of land-based and digital gaming

 

Franco Digital has confirmed its participation in GAT Expo Cartagena 2025, one of the most iconic gaming industry events in Latin America, which will take place from April 28 to 30 in the walled city.

The Spanish company will bring to the trade show its latest lineup of products for the retail, platform, and online gaming segments, reinforcing its commitment to innovation, technology, and the development of the industry in the region.

The event, renowned for bringing together the industry’s key players, will feature an outstanding agenda including international-level conferences, product exhibitions, and much more. Attendees will take part in panels and roundtable discussions focused on regulations, market trends, and innovation.

In this context, R. Franco will showcase its solid portfolio of land-based products, highlighting successful titles such as Rocket Link, Ice & Fire, and Boom Balink, along with its On Mix solution designed for route operations. Additionally, the digital division will present its advanced online gaming platform, and a portfolio of titles created to maximize both player experience and operator profitability.

Javier Sacristán, director of R. Franco International, said: “GAT Expo is a must-attend event for us. Colombia is a key and constantly evolving market. That’s why we are fully committed to delivering solutions that meet the needs of both operators and their customers, combining innovation, design, and profitability.

“Our presence at this trade show reflects the Group’s commitment to Latin America. We are presenting a comprehensive offering that meets the new demands of the market—from next-generation land-based games to a powerful digital proposition that reinforces our position as a global provider.”

GAT Expo Cartagena represents a valuable opportunity to continue building alliances with new strategic partners in the region and to strengthen existing business relationships, all within a setting that blends a high level of professionalism with the cultural, culinary, and natural charm of Cartagena de Indias.

With this comprehensive presence, R. Franco and R. Franco Digital reaffirm their commitment to the Latin American market and to a gaming industry that is safe, sustainable, and innovative.

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