GiG Reports Record Revenue and EBITDA Growth Following Sportnco Acquisition

Gaming Innovation Group (GiG) has significantly increased its long-term aspirations – aiming for roughly €65 million (£54.7 million/$65.9 million) in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) in 2024 – following a record-setting period after the acquisition of Sportnco.

GiG established a €65 million EBITDA objective for 2024, Sportnco contributed to a record-breaking second quarter.
These outcomes – for the second quarter of this year – are the first to include sports betting provider Sportnco. GiG acquired Sportnco for €51.3 million (£43.2 million/$56.7 million at the time) at the start of the quarter, following an agreement in December.

The organization saw record revenue of €22.1 million, up 37.1% year-on-year. While the acquisition aided the business, GiG also stated that total revenue grew organically by 24.0%.

Media – including GiG’s affiliate brands – continued to comprise the majority of revenue, at €14.8 million, up 35.1% year-on-year, and 5.0% higher than the record set in the first quarter.

Of this, €9.8 million came from publishing brands, with the remaining €5 million from paid media. New launches in the sector included a brand focused on the Ontario iGaming market, while the business also noted the diversification of its paid media strategy, including new acquisition channels such as advertising on streaming service Spotify.

Gigantic Enterprises executives declared they will persist in concentrating on diversifying player recruitment channels and penetrating new geographical areas. They will also continue to strive for enhanced profitability in the overall sector, which remains a central focus for the business division.

Platform service income also experienced a rapid year-on-year increase, fueled by the acquisition of the sports betting provider, Sportnco. The enterprise generated €7.3 million in revenue from platform services, reversing the downturn experienced in the preceding quarter prior to the acquisition.

Gigantic Enterprises CEO, Richard Brown, stated that one of the advantages of the acquisition is that it presents more opportunities in the sports betting-dominated US market. Subsequent to the agreement, the supplier has entered into sports betting-led agreements with companies such as Crab Sports in Maryland.

“Previously, we were more inclined towards wagering and casinos, which was restricted to a few states,” Brown remarked. “However, now, with the quality of sports betting being high, we are able to pursue it more extensively.”

Gigantic Enterprises’ board declared that the acquisition has boosted demand for the company’s services.

“Following the acquisition of Sportnco, the scope of the business has broadened, resulting in heightened interest in combined solutions from both new and existing clients,” the board stated.

“A substantial portion of the current sales channels are concentrating on combined products, which represents a positive commencement following a full quarter of collaboration.”

GiG also indicated that if the entire operations of the sole remaining white label client, SkyCity, were included in earnings, the provider would have produced €11.7 million in platform service earnings and €26.5 million in total earnings. Nevertheless, adhering to standard white label accounting practices, GiG only incorporates a portion of the income it receives in its own profits.

The cost of sales was €227,000, leading to a gross profit of €22.9 million. After subtracting marketing expenses and other operational expenses, GiG reported EBITDA of €7.7 million, a rise of 47.4% year-on-year.

However, a rise in depreciation and amortization meant that EBIT only increased slightly to €2.4 million. Although the firm also incurred €2 million in interest expense, much of this was offset by foreign exchange, resulting in a net profit from continuing operations of €2 million, following a small loss last year.

Looking forward
Given GiG’s enhanced cash position following the release of its results, Brown stated the company might seek additional acquisitions, particularly as there are numerous areas where deals could be made.

“We believe there will be strong cash considerations and cash conversion in the coming years,” he said. “If there’s value-adding mergers and acquisitions, we’ll pursue it. One of GiG’s strengths is that we’re strong in multiple areas, so there are many acquisition opportunities.”

Moving forward, while GiG’s revenue projections for this year remain between €87 million and €90 million, its long-term outlook is displaying a positive change.

The firm previously predicted double-digit organic annual revenue expansion and a 40% EBITDA margin by 2025. Nevertheless, it now anticipates around 20% revenue growth by 2024 and a 50% EBITDA margin.

The enhanced margin is partially attributed to cost-cutting measures in the platform business, anticipated to save €8 million. Of this, benefits from the Sportnco deal will contribute approximately €6 million.

This implies the company expects revenue of around €130 million and EBITDA of around €65 million by 2024, excluding the influence of new acquisitions.

GiG’s stock price jumped after the results were publicized. It closed yesterday (August 15) at 19.71 Swedish Krona (equivalent to £1.58 / €1.87 / $1.90) and has climbed to 21.68 Swedish Krona, a 10.0% increase, at the time of this writing.

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