STOCKHOLM, May 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --
"A good start to the year and increased focus on sports"
Gustaf Hagman, Group CEO
First quarter 2021: 1 January?31 March
Events during the quarter
Events after the end of the quarter
COMMENT FROM GUSTAF HAGMAN - GROUP CEO
FIRST QUARTER
We are pleased with the start of the year and increased our revenue by 8% during the first quarter. Excluding Germany, which has been affected by new restrictions related to the upcoming regulation, revenue increased by 19%. Our growth has been driven mainly by our loyal customer base, which reached a new record level during the period. We have maintained a high pace of investment, and despite this we achieved adjusted EBITDA growth of 22%, driven by our scalability and good cost control.
ACQUISITION OF EXPEKT ? INCREASED FOCUS ON SPORTS BETTING
During the first quarter we acquired the well-known sports betting brand Expekt. The acquisition gives us one more leg to grow on and complements the Group's brand portfolio and product offering in a strategically good way. We are looking forward to Expekt once again becoming a leading sports betting brand in Sweden and thereafter also in other markets. The acquisition is expected to be completed in May in connection with our migration of the brand to our own technical platform. The timing of the acquisition is perfect as we are now facing two years filled with major sports events, and we plan to launch Expekt well in advance of the UEFA European Football Championship, which starts in June.
MARKETS
During the first quarter we saw the full effect of the changes taking place in the German market. Operators in the market are acting differently with respect to implementing the new restrictions, which unfortunately has led to a skewed competitive situation. The assessment is that up to 70%-80% of the German market for casino has temporarily been shifted over to operators that have chosen to not adapt to the coming market regulation. Our hope is that this will soon be sorted out by the German authorities, which is a prerequisite for the licence system's success, with a high level of channelisation and consumer protection. Germany generated approximately 6% of the Group's total revenue during the first quarter, compared with 15% a quarter earlier. Despite this development in Germany we delivered good growth at the Group level, which reflects our strong performance in many other key markets, including Italy, Canada and Spain. Our business is more diversified than ever before, and growth at the Group level is proof that our data-driven way of working and allocating marketing investments is effective.
I also want to highlight Sweden, where the strength of the LeoVegas brand and our product breadth is appreciated by our customers. Our Swedish customer base set a new record during the quarter, and in March we grew on a yearly basis for the first time since the temporary Covid-19 restrictions were implemented in July 2020.
LEOVENTURES
The first quarter was an intensive period for our investment vehicle LeoVentures. Among other things we invested in SharedPlay, a company that makes it possible for players to share their gaming experiences with others through the industry's first multiplayer solution. For a long time we have created successful, exclusive games with the help of external providers. We are now taking the next step by starting our own game studio ? Blue Guru Games. This venture will give us full control and greater flexibility in developing new games, a unique offering to our players, and also a new revenue stream for the Group.
COMMENTS ON THE SECOND QUARTER
Revenue for the month of April amounted to EUR 32.7 m (37.5), corresponding to negative growth of 13%. Excluding Germany, growth in April was positive at 4%.
Finally I want to urge you to be on the lookout for the new launch of Expekt in Sweden towards the end of May ? you won't be disappointed!
Presentation of the report - today at 09:00 CET
This information is information that LeoVegas AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation 596/2014. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out below, at 08:00 CET on 6th of May 2021.
For further inforamtion, please contact:
Gustaf Hagman, President and CEO
+46 (0) 8 410 367 66, [email protected]
Stefan Nelson, CFO
+356 993 942 68, [email protected]
Philip Doftvik, Director of Investor Relations and Corporate Finance
+46 73 512 07 20, [email protected]
About LeoVegas Mobile Gaming Group:
LeoVegas vision and position is "King of Casino". The global group LeoVegas Mobile Gaming Group offers games on Casino, Live Casino, Bingo and Sport. The parent company LeoVegas AB (publ.) is located in Sweden and its operations are mainly located in Malta. The company's shares are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. www.leovegasgroup.com
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The following files are available for download:
LeoVegas AB - First quarter 1 januaryâ?"31 march 2021 |
SOURCE LeoVegas Mobile Gaming Group
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