Canada
Bragg Gaming Group Reports Record First Quarter Results As Revenue Rises 36.4% To €19.4 Million (Usd $20.5 Million)
Bragg Gaming Group, a global B2B gaming technology and content provider, today reported record financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022. The Company also provided an update on its strategic growth initiatives and reiterated its full year 2022 revenue and Adjusted EBITDA guidance.
Summary of Q1 2022 Financial and Operational Highlights
Euros (millions) | Q1 2022 | Q1 2021 | Change |
Revenue | €19.4 | €14.2 | 36.4% |
Gross profit | €10.0 | €6.6 | 50.7% |
Gross profit margin | 51.8% | 46.8% | 490bps |
Adjusted EBITDA | €3.0 | €2.3 | 26.2% |
Adjusted EBITDA margin | 15.3% | 16.5% | -120bps |
Wagering revenue | €3.8B | €3.8B | 0.8% |
Note: Bragg’s reporting currency is Euros. The exchange rate provided for U.S. dollars is 1.056. Due to fluctuating currency exchange, this rate is provided for convenience only.
Management Commentary
“Our momentum continued in the first quarter as the successful execution of our growth intiatives focused on offering more higher-margin proprietary and third-party exclusive games and our iGaming PAM, combined with ongoing expansion into new regulated iGaming markets, drove strong growth in our operating results,” said Yaniv Spielberg, Chief Strategy Officer for Bragg Gaming. “In the first quarter, we generated quarterly record revenue of EUR €19.4 million (USD $20.5 million), gross profit of EUR €10.0 million (USD $10.6 million), and Adjusted EBITDA of EUR €3.0 million (USD $3.2 million). These record financial results reflect, in part, growing revenue from higher gross margin in-house content and platform revenue which together drove record quarterly gross profit margin of 51.8%, an 80 basis point improvement over our prior gross profit margin record achieved in 4Q 2021. The record quarterly margin supports our confidence that we have the right operating plan in place to achieve our goal of growing gross profit margin to approximately 60% by 2024.
“The benefit of our initiative to offer more new propriety games and exclusive third-party online content is evident in the success of several recently introduced, internally developed games. Our newest games, Gold Party, Egyptian Magic and Fairy Dust, continue to perform well, with attractive, sustained player engagement. Going forward we will continue to execute on our detailed plan to customize many of the proprietary games we introduce, including the more than 35 new titles planned for this year, to address local market player preferences in Europe and North America, which we expect will generate attractive returns on our game development investments. At the same time, we continue to increase our exclusive content licensing agreements with leading game developers. With their strong performance and significantly higher margins compared to our aggregated content, our proprietary and exclusive third-party games initiative positions Bragg for continued revenue growth and the attainment of our margin growth goals.
“We also continue to significantly grow our presence in regulated global iGaming markets. Over the last 16 months, we have gone live with our iGaming content and/or platform in eight regulated European markets, including Portugal and the Czech Republic most recently, and marked our initial entry into the Americas with our content going live last month in Ontario with a Tier 1 operator, as well as the Bahamas late in Q1. We expect to grow our presence in Ontario over the next several months through aggreements with additional large, well-known operators. Our total addressable market (“TAM”) is now approximately USD $13.5 billion. We expect this to continue to grow as we go live in Italy and several U.S states later this year. We are on track to complete our acquisition of Spin Games later this month, upon receipt of the remaning required regulatory approval. Reflecting the substantial progress with our integration of Spin Games’ technology platform with our ORYX platform, our already completed submissions of these integrations for certification by various U.S. gaming laboratories, and Spin Games’ existing relationships with more than 30 U.S. iGaming operators, we expect to introduce our iGaming content in regulated U.S. markets very quickly following the close of the acquisition. Our content offerings and platform capabilities offer compelling solutions for operators and engaging iGaming content for players and are helping to drive our strong performance in the Netherlands since we went live there in late in 2021, as well as in other newer markets. As we further expand the markets we address, we expect to leverage our expertise and product and technology advantages to drive continued growth.”
Mr. Spielberg concluded, “We are off to a strong start to the year and while we are reiterating our guidance for 2022 full year revenue of EUR €68-72 million (USD $72-76 million) and Adjusted EBITDA of EUR €9.5-10.5 million (USD $10.0-11.1 million) given it is still very early in the year, we believe our continuing business momentum positions Bragg for the potential of another strong year of outperformance relative to this outlook. Finally, our attractive business model provides us with the flexibility to fund our aggressive new market expansion and proprietary game development growth initiatives through organic cash flow growth, which will support our goal of delivering new near- and long-term shareholder value.”
First Quarter 2022 Financial Results and other Key Metrics Highlights
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Revenue increased by 36.4% to EUR €19.4 million (USD $20.5 million) in Q1 2022 compared to EUR €14.2 million (USD $15.0 million) in Q1 2021.
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Wagering revenue generated by customers of EUR €3.8 billion (USD $4.0 billion) was in line with wagering revenue generated by customers of EUR €3.8 billion (USD $4.0 billion) in Q1 2021. Wagering revenue in Q1 2022 reflects changes in product mix towards PAM, managed services and proprietary content, which drove improved gross profit and Adjusted EBITDA.
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Gross profit increased 50.7% to EUR €10.0 million (USD $10.6 million) from EUR €6.6 million (USD $7.0 million) in Q1 2021, reflecting higher revenue and a 490-basis point year over year margin improvement to 51.8%.
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The margin expansion is primarily the result of the continued shift towards a higher proportion of revenues from iGaming and turnkey services, which have lower associated cost of sales when compared to games and content. The higher mix of iGaming revenues includes an increase in revenues from proprietary games which have no cost of sales.
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Net loss for the period was EUR €0.7 million (USD $0.7 million), a decline from a net loss of EUR €1.1 million (USD $1.2 million) in Q1 2021, primarily due to higher gross profit and lower transactional costs, partially offset by an incremental increase in employee costs, professional fees, sales and marketing expense, and higher depreciation and amortization.
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Adjusted EBITDA was EUR €3.0 million (USD $3.2 million), an increase of 26.2% compared to EUR €2.3 million (USD $2.4 million) in Q1 2021. Adjusted EBITDA margin decreased by 120 basis points to 15.3%, reflecting the Company’s higher investments in software development, product, and senior management functions to execute the growth initiatives implemented in mid-2021. The Adjusted EBITDA margin increased on a quarterly sequential basis by 550 basis points.
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Cash and cash equivalents as of March 31, 2022 was EUR €18.4 million (USD $19.4 million).
Reiterates Full Year 2022 Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA Guidance
Bragg today reiterated its outlook for 2022 full year expected revenue of EUR €68-72 million (USD $72-76 million) and Adjusted EBITDA of EUR €9.5-10.5 million (USD $10.0-11.1 million). The midpoints of the 2022 revenue and Adjusted EBITDA guidance ranges represent growth of 20% and 39%, respectively, over the reported full year 2021 revenue and Adjusted EBITDA.
Canada
IAGR announces Toronto as host city for 2025 conference
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.’
Stay tuned for registration details early next year.
Canada
ESE Entertainment Completes Acquisition of Gaming Production Company, Bombee Americas
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
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.
Canada
Suspected Digital Fraud Coming from Canada Up Nearly 11% Since H1 2023, Reveals New TransUnion Analysis
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
- Gambling (online sports betting, poker, etc.) – 9.6%
- Retail – 9.2%
- 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
- Logistics – 172.9%
- Gambling – 79.3%
- 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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