SiGMA Americas awards and auction: A night of luxury and generosity for the SiGMA Foundation

Digital sports and entertainment company DraftKings has delivered a robust performance in Q1 2024, surpassing expectations despite facing headwinds related to sporting outcomes throughout the quarter. The company reported a revenue of $1.18 billion, marking a 53 percent increase from Q1 2023. This growth was fuelled by strong consumer engagement, efficient customer acquisition, and new market launches.

adjusted EBITDA also saw a significant rise to $22.4 million, a stark contrast to the $221.6 million loss reported in the same period last year. In addition the net loss narrowed to $142.6 million, compared to $397.1 million in the prior-year period.

Despite the impact of unfavourable sporting outcomes, the company managed to thrive, thanks to a higher structural hold percentage and increased promotional spending across Online Sports Betting (OSB) and iGaming. Analysts at JMP Securities noted that the scale of the company and its diverse product offering helped smooth out gaming margins during the Super Bowl.

raised the mid-point of its full-year 2024 revenue guidance to $4.9 billion, up from $4.78 billion. The EBITDA guidance was also revised upwards to $500 million, compared to the previous projection of $460 million.

In terms of non-financial metrics, the company reported a 23 percent year-on-year increase in monthly unique payers (MUP) to 3.4 million. This was attributed to strong player acquisition and retention across its products, as well as expansion into new jurisdictions. The average revenue per MUP stood at $114, representing a 25 percent increase compared to Q1 2024.

Looking ahead, CEO Jason Robins outlined the company’s strategic plans for 2024 during the Q1 earnings call. The company aims to foster an entrepreneurial culture, develop the next generation of leaders, and explore ways to optimize its capital structure.

DraftKings also announced the $750 million acquisition of lottery ticket app Jackpocket in February to improve cross-sell opportunities. However, Robins emphasized that the company intends to be “super disciplined” on the M&A front.

The payment structure for the acquisition is as follows: approximately 55 percent of the total consideration, or around $412.5 million, will be paid in cash from DraftKings’ balance sheet, and the remaining 45 percent, or approximately $337.5 million, will be paid in DraftKings’ Class A common stock. The transaction is subject to approval by Jackpocket stockholders, along with receipt of required regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, and is expected to close before the end of 2024.

This acquisition is expected to bring significant value to DraftKings. It will not only allow DraftKings to access and grow into the massive U.S. lottery industry but also strengthen its position in Sportsbook and iGaming through higher customer lifetime value and an enhanced customer acquisition engine.

Jackpocket is recognized for its proprietary and highly-scalable technology, a strong brand, and an outstanding founder-led management team. The acquisition is expected to drive $260 million to $340 million of incremental revenue and $60 million to $100 million of incremental Adjusted EBITDA in fiscal year 2026.

DraftKings’ Q1 2024 performance demonstrates its resilience and ability to deliver strong results despite challenging market conditions. The company’s strategic initiatives and disciplined approach to growth signal a promising outlook for the rest of the year.

Bally’s Corporation has started 2024 on a promising note. The company’s Q1 2024 results reveal a strategic expansion plan and a positive market positioning.

Bally’s reported a revenue of $618.5 million in Q1 2024, marking a 3.3 percent year-on-year increase. The company’s Casinos and Resorts segment saw a revenue rise of 4.1 percent year-on-year, reaching $342.3 million. However, the international Interactive revenue saw a slight dip of 4.4 percent, settling at $234.7 million. On the brighter side, North America Interactive revenue witnessed a significant surge of 70.2 percent year-on-year, amounting to $41.5 million.

Despite these positive numbers, the company’s adjusted EBITDA fell to $116.5 million in Q1 2024 from $126.3 million in Q1 2023.

Bally’s CEO, Robeson Reeves, expressed optimism about the company’s performance in Q1 2024. He attributed the solid start to the year to the revenue growth in the Casinos & Resorts and North America Interactive segments. During the quarter, Bally’s also launched iGaming in Rhode Island as the sole provider, a move that aligns with the company’s expansion strategy. Reeves stated that the North America Interactive segment’s results were in line with Bally’s expectations.

The decline in the international interactive segment was mainly due to operations outside the UK. However, created by the white paper in the UK, resulting in strong revenue growth. The company aims to launch online sports betting in the UK to complement its iGaming offering and add another customer acquisition funnel.

Reeves also highlighted the potential of their operations in Spain, which are well-positioned to benefit from the recent removal of advertising restrictions. This change will enable Bally’s to increase its investment in faster growth. The company also anticipates further stabilisation of its operations in Asia with an enhanced online sports betting offering.

Bally’s 2024 guidance remains unchanged, with revenue expectations in the range of $2.5 billion to $2.7 billion and adjusted EBITDAR in the range of $655 million to $695 million. The full-year guidance includes the impact of the closure ofbut also considers the ramp of the Chicago Temporary Casino. It also assumes growth in the international interactive division and a revenue rise due to the introduction of iGaming operations in Rhode Island.

Bally’s Corporation (BALY) is trading at $13.00, down by 1.22 percent. This indicates that despite the strategic moves and financial performance in Q1 2024, the stock has experienced a slight decrease. The company is experiencing a positive trend in its revenue growth, especially in the Casinos and Resorts and North America Interactive segments.

The company’s strategic move to launch iGaming in Rhode Island as the exclusive provider has further strengthened its market position.

However, it hasn’t been a smooth sail. The company experienced a drop in International Interactive revenues, mainly due to operations outside the UK. This reflects Bally’s strategic decision to focus on enhancing profit margins rather than chasing growth that may not be economically viable. This shift led to some tough comparisons with the previous year’s revenue. Despite these hurdles, Bally’s has successfully increased its Adjusted EBITDAR by 4.0 percent year-over-year, enhancing the profitability of its segments. This growth, coupled with the company’s strategic expansion plans, could potentially influence the stock performance positively in the future. It’s a testament to Bally’s resilience and strategic foresight in navigating the dynamic gaming industry landscape.

It remains to be seen how the company’s ongoing and future initiatives will influence its stock performance.

South Korean foreigner-only gaming operators Grand Korea Leisure Co Ltd (GKL) and Lotte Tour Development recorded a decline in their April sales compared to the previous month. This decline reflects ongoing challenges faced by the industry despite improvements.  

, a subsidiary of the Korea Tourism Organization, experienced a 28.9 percent decrease in net sales in April compared to the same period last year. Table game sales dropped by 21.2 percent month-on-month, while machine game sales remained relatively stable. However, total sales for the first four months of 2024 declined by 17.7 percent compared to the previous year, without a specified reason for the decrease.  

Although the casino's table drop remained steady compared to March, it showed a notable increase of 7.8 percent from April 2023. The cumulative casino drop for the first four months of the year also demonstrated a significant rise of 17.6 percent compared to the same period last year.  

Meanwhile, Lotte Tour Development, operator of the Jeju Dream Tower casino resort, reported an 8.1 percent decrease in casino sales in April compared to the previous month. However, sales surged by 104.8 percent compared to April last year. Table game sales decreased by 7.7 percent month-on-month but showed a significant increase of 114.6 percent year-on-year.  

Lotte Tour's casino table drop for April witnessed a notable rise of 5.2 percent compared to March and a significant increase of 32.6 percent year-on-year.  

Despite fluctuations in sales and table drops, casino operators in continue to navigate challenges in the gaming industry. While some indicators show improvement compared to last year, the overall trend highlights the need for sustained efforts to bolster the sector in the face of ongoing uncertainties.  

Upcoming SiGMA event: SiGMA Asia 2024, 2 – 5 June. Find all the details .

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation () in a joint operation with the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG), apprehended of 10 Chinese nationals and 26 Filipinos in two separate raids targeting illegal gaming operations and online scams in Laguna and Parañaque City. 

On Thursday, joint forces comprising the CIDG-NCR and PAGCOR apprehended a group of suspects, including 10 Chinese nationals, in Multinational Village, Parañaque. The arrests were made on charges related to the Anti Trafficking in Persons Act (RA 9208), Alien Registration Act (RA 562), and Cybercrime Prevention Act (RA 10175). 

Authorities confiscated a significant cache of assets during the raids, including mobile phones, computers, laptops, credit cards, vehicles, and Chinese government documents. Additionally, two vaults were discovered at the Parañaque residence, further implicating the involvement of the suspects in illicit operations. 

In the Parañaque raid, PAGCOR Senior Vice President for Security Cluster Raul Villanueva said the arrested Chinese nationals believed to have been part of a group that managed to escape from an earlier raid on a large gaming compound in Bamban, Tarlac last March. 

Nine Filipino female workers were also rescued, while one Filipino male serving as a bodyguard was arrested for possession of an undocumented .45 calibre pistol. 

The operation followed an earlier raid on Tuesday with the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) and PAGCOR security personnel which led to the involved in an illegal online raffle conducted via Facebook. The suspects, operating under the Facebook page "Lucky Dream 4," were apprehended while livestreaming their 50th raffle event from an office located within a subdivision in Biñan. 

In a press, release, PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco reiterated the agency's commitment to combating illegal online gambling and other illicit activities, stressing the importance of protecting the public, especially the youth, from such harmful endeavours. Tengco highlighted the agency's collaborative efforts with law enforcement agencies to strengthen its campaign against these unlawful practices. 

These coordinated efforts underscore PAGCOR's ongoing commitment to upholding regulatory standards and protecting the public from the adverse effects of illegal gambling and fraudulent activities. 

Upcoming SiGMA event: SiGMA Asia 2024, 2 – 5 June. Find all the details .