Across the frontiers, Legions clash with the enemies of the empire, vying for supremacy and fighting over gold and other valuable treasures.
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The 2023 total was comfortably ahead of the existing Nevada record of $14.84bn, which was set in 2022.
Breaking down the past year, land-based slots were by the primary source of revenue. The $10.28bn generated in 2023 was 2.8% higher than in the previous year. Some $5.97bn of all slot revenue came from multi-denomination games, while penny slots drew $3.15bn.
Elsewhere, table, counter and card games revenue, which also includes sports betting, hit $5.24bn. This was 8.5% ahead of the $4.83bn posted in 2022.
Baccarat was responsible for $1.49bn of table, counter and card games revenue in Nevada in 2023. This was 28.2% higher year-on-year.
A further $1.33bn came from blackjack, up 0.8%, while craps revenue increased 4.6% to $467.5m and roulette 1.8% to $460.3m.
As for sports betting, sports pool revenue for 2023 amounted to $481.3m.
Of this, some $157.9m came from football betting, basketball produced $133.5m and baseball generated $93.2m. Hockey betting revenue totalled $19.0m, parlay cards $8.5m and other wagering $69.3m.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board also noted $240.7m of all sports pool revenue came from mobile betting.
As for the final month of the year, December revenue amounted to $1.43bn. This was 9.0% more than December 2022 and 4.4% higher than November 2023.
Slot machine revenue increased 6.9% to $858.0m, with multi-denomination slots leading the way on $559.6m.
Table, counter and card games revenue climbed 12.5% to $574.6m. Baccarat drew $221.6m in revenue, with blackjack on $113.4mm and craps $46.7m.
Sports pool revenue amounted to $59.1m, a rise of 7.0%. Football betting drew the highest proportion of revenue here at $37.3m for the month.
The San Francisco 49ers face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII on 11 February at Nevada’s Allegiant Stadium. Ahead of the game, the AGA surveyed 2,204 adults to predict wagering activity.
Findings from the survey suggest $16.0bn more will be bet on Super Bowl LVIII than last year’s game. The AGA also said a record 67.8 million people are expected to place a wager, up 35.0% from Super Bowl LVII.
Of those expected to wager, 42.7 million will do so online, at a retail sportsbook or with a bookmaker. This would be 41.0% more than in the previous year. Some 36.5 million plan to bet casually with friends or via a pool or squares contest, a rise of 32.0%.
As to where players will bet, 28.7 million, or 11.0% of all bettors, will do so with a licenced online sportsbook. The AGA said this shows Americans are continuing to migrate to the legal market.
Other key findings include an increase in awareness of responsible gambling among those who plan to bet.
The AGA survey found 75.0% of traditional Super Bowl bettors report seeing a responsible gambling message in the last year. This is up from 71.0% in the previous year.
In addition, 47.0% of all American adults heard or saw responsible gambling messaging in the past year, compared to 40.0% in 2023.
“As the Super Bowl comes to Las Vegas for the first time, this year’s record interest in wagering marks a full circle moment for the US gaming industry,” AGA president and CEO Bill Miller said.
“Our priority remains getting this opportunity right by providing the consumer protections only a regulated market can guarantee and investing in responsible gambling tools, safeguards and education.”
As to who bettors are backing, 47.0% plan to wager on the Chiefs and 44.0% the 49ers.
As the doors opened on ICE’s final year in London, the event made a bold commitment to exhibitors and attendees, with the promise of more connections, more inspiration and more learning…
The group said 2023 was a positive year overall, with Kindred posting growth across both its B2C and B2B businesses.
However, the year did not come without its challenges, as Kindred in November announced its exit from North America. Kindred expects to be out of North America by the end of Q2, with this exit process now in motion.
This forms part of its strategic review that launched in April last year. In relation to this, the group will cut 300 jobs across its business, including in North America.
Upon launching the review, Kindred said it could result in the full or partial sale of the group. This process has moved forward in recent weeks with French lottery and gaming giant La Française des Jeux (FDJ) submitting an offer worth SEK27.96bn (£2.11bn/€2.47bn/$2.66bn) to acquire all outstanding share capital of Kindred.
Kindred has “unanimously” recommended shareholders accept the offer. The acceptance period is set to begin on or around 20 February and expire on 19 November.
Reflecting on the FDJ offer, as well as Kindred’s performance in 2023, Andén said there is much to be positive about. Incidentally, publication of full results for 2023 come as Andén has been confirmed as permanent CEO.
Andén was appointed interim CEO in May of last year after Henrik Tjärnström resigned. Previously chief commercial officer, Andén now takes on the CEO role on a full-time basis.
“I am grateful and proud to have received the board’s confidence to continue in the role as CEO,” Andén said. “We have a great team who are working hard to deliver on an exciting strategy that will strengthen Kindred’s position in locally regulated markets. I look forward to continuing to execute on our plan.”
In the wake of the FDJ offer, Kindred published preliminary results for the 12 months to 31 December 2023. These figures suggested an increase in revenue but warned of increased costs.
The full-year results reflect these initial figures, with revenue up to £1.21bn as forecast. Of this, £1.17bn came from B2B activities, up 12.4%, while B2C revenue from the Relax Gaming business increased 49.6% to £38.6m.
Kindred said these increases were helped by growth in the Dutch market, following re-entry in July 2022. It also noted success in the UK, as well as strong growth in the casino segment. However, the impact of regulatory measures in Belgium and Norway continued to impact overall growth.
The group did not go into full detail on the performance of each segment, saving this for its Q4 breakdown, but it did detail spending in 2023.
Cost of sales, its main outgoing, increased by 9.5% to £530.7m and administrative expenses 12.2% to £318.2m. Despite increased spending, underlying profit before items affecting comparability was 93.0% up at £1409m.
However, this did not tell the full story, with other costs also to note. These include £33.8m in market closure and contract termination costs, as well as £20.8m in impairment losses. When also including £8.7m in net finance expenses, this left a pre-tax profit of £59.5m, down 53.1%.
Kindred paid £12.3m in tax, resulting in a net profit of £47.2m, a drop of 60.7% from 2022. In addition, EBITDA for 2023 was 18.6% lower at £152.6m but underlying EBITDA climbed 58.3% to £204.5m.
Turning to the final quarter of 2023 and Q4 results made for mixed reading. Revenue was up by the group posted a net loss on the back of market closure and contract termination costs and impairment expenses.
Group revenue climbed 2.4% to £312.9m. Some £301.6m came from B2C, up 2.2%, while B2B revenue also increased by 8.7% to £11.3m.
Starting with B2C, casino and games accounted for 57.0% of all Q4 revenue. Sports betting drew 38.0% of revenue, poker 3.0% and other products 2.0%. Geographically, Western Europe was the main source of B2C revenue at 62.0%, ahead of Nordics (24.0%), Central and Eastern Europe (10.0%) and other areas (4.0%).
As for B2B, Kindred says the Relax business continues to grow. This was driven by broader distribution of content and new game launches, as well as the success of the Dream Drop jackpot feature across all Relax operators.
Turning to spending, group cost of sales was 3.1% lower at £136.7m but administrative costs edged up 4.3% to £75.9m. Kindred also accounted for other items affecting comparability, including £26.2m in market closure and contract termination costs and £20.8m worth of impairment expenses.
When also including £1.9m in net finance costs, this resulted in a pre-tax loss of £19.1m, in contrast to a £51.9m profit in 2022. Kindred recouped £400,000 in tax benefit, meaning it ended the quarter with an £18.7m profit, compared to the previous year’s £50.0m.
In addition, EBITDA slumped from £67.6m to £20.0m but underlying EBITDA was 45.3% up at £56.8m.
Andén repeated his optimism for the future of Kindred, saying the cost-saving initiatives that impact 2023 and Q4 will support the business in the long run.
“Looking back at an eventful and busy year, I can conclude that Kindred is establishing a stronger and more robust foothold in core markets across Europe,” he said. “Operational initiatives announced in November 2023 continue at pace, with a controlled exit from North America and reduction in headcount being actions taken to improve profitability.
“I remain confident that Kindred can deliver above-market growth across our portfolio during 2024. We see robust performance in select core markets, and I expect this momentum to continue going forward.”
Players in Iowa can now download and place bets on the Fanatics Sportsbook mobile app. Existing PointsBet customers’ username, password, account balance, rewards points and responsible gaming settings will automatically migrate to the Fanatics Sportsbook.
The existing PointsBet retail sportsbook at Catfish Bend Casino will also be rebranded as a Fanatics Sportsbook. This project will include installing new self-service betting kiosks from Suzohapp.
Iowa marks the 12th state for the Fanatics Sportsbook. It is also the latest phase of FBG phasing out the PointsBet brand across the US following its acquisition of PointsBet US in August 2023.
The Fanatics Sportsbook is also online in Colorado, Connecticut. Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia. In addition, retail betting venues operate in both Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Aside from sports betting, FBG also offers casino gaming via the Fanatics Casino. At present, this is only available in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
FBG previously stated that subsequent completions in other US markets are tracking as planned. The operator has not put a timescale on when it expects further acquisition and subsequent launches to be finalised.
FBG takes over from PointsBet in Iowa with the state’s sports betting market continuing to expand.
The most recent monthly results in December showed a $282.7m (£224.0m/€262.5m) handle. This was 23.0% up from $229.9m in Iowa in December 2022 but 2.4% behind $289.7m in November 2023. Some $258.3m was spent betting online and $24.4m at retail sportsbooks.
As for revenue, this reached $26.3m in December, up 28.9% from $20.4m in the previous year and also 86.5% ahead of November’s $14.1m. Online betting accounted for $23.6m of all revenue and retail wagering $2.7m.
Diamond Jo Dubuque and FanDuel were the December market leaders, reporting revenue of $7.2m from $68.7m in bets.
Wild Rose in Jefferson and DraftKings were second with revenue of $4.0m and a $43.3m handle. Wild Rose in Emmetsburg, another DraftKings partner, was third with $3.0m worth of revenue from $27.5m in wagers.
As for the legacy PointsBet brand, its partnership with Catfish Bend Casino generated $331,818 in revenue from $4.6m in bets during December.
Better Collective struck a deal to acquire Playmaker Capital in November. The agreement is valued at €176m (£150m/$189m) and was expected to close during the first quarter of this year.
Playmaker is listed on both the TSX Venture Exchange in Canada and the OTCQX in the US. The company counts media brands Futbolsites.net, Yardbarker and The Nation Network among its assets.
Better Collective, which now takes ownership of these brands, says the deal makes it the market leader within South America. It also says the acquisition strengthens its position in North America.
“I’m truly excited for the completion of the acquisition of Playmaker Capital,” Better Collective co-founder and CEO, Jesper Søgaard, said. “This marks a significant step towards our vision of becoming the leading digital sports media group.
“Over the last few months, we have had great discussions with the management team of Playmaker. These have reinforced my confidence in the combined future of our organisations.
“I look forward to welcoming the entire Playmaker team and its leading sports media brands to the Better Collective group and to realise the many synergies that lie ahead for our business.”
Playmaker co-founder and CEO Jordan Gnat also welcomed the deal. He said the acquisition by Better Collective marks the next phase of the company’s journey.
“As the teams have gotten to know each other over the past few months, I have been inspired by the cultural fit and the excitement for this opportunity going forward by both teams,” Gnat said.
“We are as excited as ever to continue this journey. I would like to thank all the Playmaker shareholders for their support of Playmaker. I look forward to their continued support of Better Collective as together we become the leading digital sports media group.”
The Playmaker deal is the latest acquisition for Better Collective. It follows the purchase of the similarly named Playmaker HQ in July 2023 for $54m.
Based in South Florida, Playmaker HQ creates original entertainment and sports content. This includes athlete collaborations and creator talent, with content aimed at the US.
Speaking last year, Better Collective North America CEO Marc Pedersen said the acquisition offers the affiliate a wider audience. Better Collective is also now using Playmaker HQ’s sponsorship sales knowledge to boost monetisation of audiences outside of sports betting.
Also last year, Better Collective acquired Denmark-facing Tipsbladet.dk and Brazilian sports media platform Torcedores.com. Other purchases during 2023 include Swedish brands SvenskaFans.com, HockeySverige.se, Fotbolldirekt.se and InnebandyMagazinet.se, as well as advertising company Skycon Limited.
For the 12 months to 31 December 2023, revenue at Svenska Spel amounted to SEK8.03bn (£607.0m/€712.1m/$766.9m). This was only marginally lower than the previous year.
Strand said while revenue levelled off, this was positive, given the challenges facing the business. These, he said, include wider economic concerns, “zero growth” in the gaming market and issues facing Casino Cosmopol and Vegas.
On this last point, Svenska Spel last month announced it is closing Casino Cosmopol venues in Gothenburg and Malmö due to limited profitability. However, growth in other areas of the business, Strand said, places the operator in a strong position moving forward.
“We continue to be a successful business despite the challenges we face in the outside world, which is slowing down growth in the gaming market and increased inflation,” Strand said. “In 2024, we will continue to create sustainable gaming experiences that contribute to a better Sweden.”
Incidentally, Svenska Spel will soon be under new leadership, with Anna Johnson to take over as CEO. Strand is now serving as interim CEO after Patrik Hofbauer left the business last week. Johnson will become CEO in June, with Strand continuing in his temporary role until then.
“I’d like to extend a big thank you to Patrik, who left as president and CEO on 31 January after having successfully led the Svenska Spel for more than five years,” Strand said. “But the board is also very happy to welcome Anna Johnson.
“Of course, I also want to thank our employees for their fantastic efforts during the past year.”
Taking a closer look at the full-year figures, the Tur lottery division remains by far the main source of revenue for Svenska Spel. Revenue here was 0.6% higher at SEK4.92bn, helped by sales of the Eurojackpot game.
Meanwhile, revenue from the Sport & Casino arm climbed 4.6% to SEK2.17bn. Svenska Spel put this down to growth within the pool betting and online casino segments, while it also noted positive development in poker after the launch of a new gaming platform.
However, the Casino Cosmopol and Vegas segment posted a 12.0% drop in revenue to SEK942m. This, Svenska Spel said, was due to a decline in casino visitors in response to the rising popularity of online casino gaming.
On this subject, Svenska Spel also published net gaming revenue per sales channel. For the online sector, revenue was 7.2% higher at SEK4.20bn. Retail revenue fell 5.0% to SEK2.86bn, with restaurant and bingo hall revenue declining 12.7% to SEK469m. In addition, casino revenue fell 11.4% to SEK473m.
Turning to spending, costs were relatively level across most sectors during 2023. The main outgoing for Svenska Spel was external expenses at SEK1.87bn, slightly down on SEK1.91bn in 2022.
Other stand-out spend include direct costs of SEK1.50bn, gaming operation expenses of SEK1.00bn and staff costs of SEK1.22bn.
Financial income stood at SEK118m, leaving a pre-tax profit for the year of SEK2.45bn, down 2.5% year-on-year. Svenska Spel paid SEK509m in tax, resulting in a net profit of SEK1.94bn, a 2.7% fall from SEK1.99bn in 2022.
As for the final quarter of 2023, revenue in Q4 was 2.9% lower at SEK2.12bn. Sport & Casino was the stand-out performer during the quarter, posting revenue of SEK576m, up 6.9%.
However, lower sales at Tur meant revenue within this segment fell 2.4% to SEK1.35bn. In addition, reduced casino visitors led to a 25.2% drop in Casino Cosmopol & Vegas revenue to SEK199m.
Q4 online net gaming revenue reached SEK1.11bn, retail SEK815m, restaurant and bingo SEK108m and casino SEK90m.
After accounting for all operational and finance costs, pre-tax profit was SEK486m, down 31.0% year-on-year. Svenska Spel paid SEK103 in tax, leaving a net profit of SEK383m in Q4, a drop of 31.5%.
