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Canada

Rivalry Announces Record Fourth Quarter and Year-End 2021 Results

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Rivalry to Present at A.G.P.’s Virtual Emerging Growth Technology Conference

 

  • Betting handle of $78.2 million for FY 2021 increased 202% year-over-year, with Q4 2021 betting handle of $24.9 million up 389% YoY.1
  • Revenue of $11.1 million for FY 2021 grew 617% YoY, with Q4 2021 revenue of $2.2 million up 615% YoY.
  • Preliminary Q1 2022 betting handle of $40.2 million, a record high, up 62% sequentially from Q4 2021, and 273% year-over-year.
  • Momentum being fueled by economic customer acquisition costs and robust payback periods, underpinned by innovative product and market leading brand equity.
  • $35.5 million of cash and zero debt at year-end to support continued growth in core and new markets.

Rivalry Corp., an internationally regulated sports betting and entertainment company, today announced its financial results for the three and 12-month periods ended December 31, 2021. The Company also announced preliminary results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2022. All dollar figures are quoted in Canadian dollars.

“We had a tremendous year by nearly all measures in 2021. Our team delivered triple-digit growth, secured the financial resources to accelerate our momentum, continued to strengthen our originally developed product, added significant talent depth to our bench, and further solidified Rivalry as the most engaged brand in esports betting globally,”2 said Steven Salz, Co-Founder and CEO of Rivalry. “I’m also pleased to say we have continued that pacing into 2022, with our Q1 betting handle delivering 62% sequential growth over Q4, and up 273% year-over-year.”

Full-Year 2021 Financial Highlights

  • Betting handle was $78.2 million in 2021, up 202% from $25.9 million in 2020.
  • Revenue was $11.1 million for the full year, an increase of $9.5 million or 617% from $1.5 million in 2020.
  • Gross profit was $2.2 million for the full year, an increase of $1.5 million or 217% from $0.69 million in 2020.
  • The Company’s subordinate voting shares commenced trading on the TSX Venture Exchange and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in October 2021, followed by a listing on the OTCQX just after year-end.
  • The Company had $35.5 million of cash and no debt as at December 31, 2021.

Fourth Quarter 2021 Financial Highlights

  • Betting handle was $24.9 million in Q4 2021, up 389% from $5.1 million in Q4 2020.
  • Revenue was $2.2 million in the fourth quarter, an increase of $1.9 million or 615% from $0.3 million in Q4 2020.
  • Gross profit was $0.4 million in the fourth quarter, an increase of $0.3 million or 366% from $0.1 million in 2020.

“The growth we saw in Q4 was highly encouraging, and a signal of strength in what is typically the most seasonally quiet quarter of the year, with us delivering modest sequential growth over Q3. As our traditional sports betting product has continued to improve, we are seeing a more diverse product mix, which is helping to blunt the seasonality of esports, something that we expect to continue in the future,” said Steven Salz.

2021 Operational Highlights

  • Maintaining leadership in the rapidly growing esports segment with approximately 90% of betting handle being placed on esports events, compared to 10% on traditional sports.
  • Successfully engaging the next generation bettor, with an average customer age of 26, and 82% of lifetime customers under the age of 30.
  • Customer registrations increased to approximately 610,000 by the end of 2021, up from 350,000 one year earlier.
  • Rivalry’s partner network and owned properties reached a total of 55 million followers.
  • Pioneered a new gaming category of Massive Multiplayer Online Gambling Games (MMOGG) with the launch of proprietary title Rushlane.
  • The Company made a number of key leadership hires throughout the year across nearly all departments, materially enhancing the talent bench.

Subsequent Events

  • Momentum continued in the first quarter of 2022 with betting handle reaching a new record of $40.2 million, an increase of 273% year-over-year and up 62% sequentially from Q4 2021. The Company expects to announce complete results for Q1 2022 by the end of May.
  • On January 22, 2022, the Company’s subordinate voting shares commenced trading on the OTCQX Best Market.
  • On February 9, 2022, the Company was awarded its sports bookmaker license by the Northern Territory Racing Commission (Australia) pursuant to the Racing and Betting Act 1983 (NT), which allows the Company to legally operate throughout the whole of the country.
  • In March 2022, the Company announced the addition of mobile esports to its sportsbook, enabling customers to wager on competitive esports played on mobile devices.
  • The Company was among the first to commence operations in Ontario on April 4, 2022, the first day of regulated online gaming in the province.

Goals for 2022

  • Meaningful expansion of the Company’s traditional sports offering to support the continued interest and growth it is seeing.
  • New originally developed games to complement Rushlane and add depth to Rivalry’s massively multiplayer online gambling games category (MMOGG’s).
  • Launching a mobile app consistent with the surprise and delight the Company believes the next generation of customers are looking for.
  • A casino offering that is authentic to the Company’s demographic.
  • Launch in new geographies under its existing Isle of Man license, and new regulated licenses to provide continuous growth in users and brand reach across the globe.
  • A dynamic media strategy to continue positioning Rivalry as an industry-leading creative house operating at the forefront of internet culture.

“Our focus in 2022 is growth across product, new geographies, and an expansion of Rivalry’s creative universe to capitalize on what we believe is a generational opportunity to become the leader in betting and entertainment for the next generation. Through financially disciplined management, and executing on our targeted operational goals, we believe our positive unit economics will improve, and a path to profitability will become clear,” said Steven Salz.

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Canada

IAGR announces Toronto as host city for 2025 conference

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Hot on the heels of its most attended conference in history, the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) is excited to announce that its 2025 conference will take place in Toronto, Canada, from October 20 to 23, 2025.

The event will be held in partnership with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) at the Westin Harbour Castle, offering stunning waterfront views and a premier, downtown Toronto location.

‘Fresh off the success of our Rome conference, we’re thrilled to continue the momentum with next year’s event in Toronto,’ said Ben Haden, IAGR President.

‘The IAGR 2025 conference promises to be another unparalleled opportunity for our global community to come together, collaborate and shape the future of gaming regulation. We’re looking forward to working with AGCO to bring it all together.’

AGCO CEO and Registrar Dr. Karin Schnarr, added, ‘We’re excited to welcome IAGR and its members to Toronto. This partnership provides a great opportunity to share Ontario’s innovative regulatory practices and foster meaningful discussions that drive positive change in the industry.’

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Stay tuned for registration details early next year.

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Canada

ESE Entertainment Completes Acquisition of Gaming Production Company, Bombee Americas

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ESE Entertainment Inc., a gaming company that provides a range of services to leading video game developers and publishers, has announced that it has acquired Bombee Global Entertainment Ltd. (Bombee Americas), the North American arm of Bombee Event Production AB, (Bombee), a global production company specialized in live production, special effects, broadcast, and event management for the gaming sector.

Bombee has successfully collaborated with ESE to bring its premier event production services and world class customer service to North America and beyond. The North American arm of Bombee, Bombee Americas, will continue to grow and scale in this new organizational structure under ESE, while maintaining its entire team and global support.

Konrad Wasiela, CEO of ESE, said: “Today marks the next stage of ESE—a 2.0 version of our company. With the acquisition of Bombee Americas, we are not only solidifying our presence in North America but also paving the way for growth and innovation in the gaming industry. This is a major step, positioning us to deliver even greater value to our partners and elevate the gaming experience for our clients globally. We’re thrilled about the opportunities ahead and the exceptional talent joining our team.”

Transaction Terms

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The Acquisition was completed by way of a share purchase agreement (the SPA) among the Company, Bombee Americas, and the shareholders of Bombee Americas (the Vendors). Pursuant to the SPA, ESE acquired all of the outstanding shares of Bombee Americas in exchange for: (i) $750,000 in cash paid on closing, (ii) $375,000 in cash to be paid six (6) months following closing, subject to customary adjustments based on the working capital of Bombee Americas on closing, (iii) $375,000 in cash to be paid twelve (12) months following closing, and (iv) 30,000,000 common shares of ESE (the Consideration Shares), issued at a deemed issue price of $0.10 per share.

In connection with the Acquisition, the founders of Bombee Americas have signed three-year service agreements and will continue to run the business following the closing, along with the rest of the personnel of Bombee Americas who will remain in place, ensuring a smooth transition of operations. As part of the Acquisition, the Company has acquired the liabilities of Bombee Americas, mainly consisting of customary current obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business for Bombee Americas, which are not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s operations or financial position.

No finder’s fees were paid or payable in conjunction with the Acquisition.

The Acquisition was an arm’s length transaction within the meaning of the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the Exchange) and constituted an “Expedited Acquisition” in accordance with Exchange Policy 5.3 – Acquisitions and Dispositions of Non-Cash Assets. The Acquisition remains subject to the final approval of the Exchange.

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Canada

Suspected Digital Fraud Coming from Canada Up Nearly 11% Since H1 2023, Reveals New TransUnion Analysis

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In the first half (H1) of 2024, Canada saw a significant increase in suspected Digital Fraud attempts, with nearly 5.74% of all attempted digital transactions where the consumer was located in Canada involving suspected Digital Fraud, revealed a new TransUnion® (NYSE: TRU) analysis. This is nearly an 11% year-over-year (YoY) rate increase from H1 2023, and TransUnion also documented an 11% increase in the volume of suspected Digital Fraud from Canada during this period, despite a less than a one percent (0.7%) YoY increase in the volume of transactions.

According to a recent TransUnion survey,1 more than half (54%) of Canadians said they were recently targeted by email, phone call or text message fraud attempts. Phishing was the most common scheme type (45%), followed by smishing (42%) and vishing (39%).

The increasing use of digital transactions, combined with rising suspected Digital Fraud attempts are also impacting businesses as they potentially face revenue losses and increased operational costs due to fraud. According to a TransUnion business survey for the H2 2024 Update to the State of Omnichannel Fraud report, 200 Canadian business leaders said their companies lost approximately 6% of equivalent revenue – representing $78 billion – over the past year due to fraud. The most prominent causes of fraud loss cited by them were:

  • Scam/Authorized fraud (31%): Dishonest scheme intended to trick a person into giving up something of value (e.g., account access, money, information)
  • Account takeover (19%): Unauthorized individuals taking over someone’s online account (e.g., bank, social media, email) without their permission
  • Synthetic identity fraud (18%): Use of a combination of personal information to fabricate a person or entity to commit a dishonest act for financial or personal gain

TransUnion also found that suspected Digital Fraud attempts – where the consumer was transacting in Canada and targeted businesses globally – increased on average by 10.5% YoY in H1 2024 compared to H1 2023 and impacted all industries.

Top Three Industries Globally with Highest Rate of Suspected Digital Fraud Attempts Coming from Canada in H1 2024

  1. Gambling (online sports betting, poker, etc.) – 9.6%
  2. Retail – 9.2%
  3. Government – 7.7%

Top Three Industries Globally with Highest YoY Increase (H1 2024 vs H1 2023) in the Rate of Suspected Digital Fraud Attempts Coming from Canada

  1. Logistics – 172.9%
  2. Gambling – 79.3%
  3. Video gaming – 67.8%

“Protecting customers and their businesses from fraud is essential to enabling safe and tailored consumer experiences. These findings reveal that despite the good-faith efforts that are being undertaken by companies to identify and prevent fraud to date, fraudsters continue to evolve and it’s vital that fraud prevention methods keep up with the changing times,” said Patrick Boudreau, head of identity management and fraud solutions at TransUnion Canada.

“Businesses that aren’t already doing so should ensure that they are taking advantage of fraud prevention technologies such as identity verification, IP intelligence, device reputation and synthetic identity detection as critical components of their fraud prevention programs,” he added.

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