One of the leading developers of localized slot games in the world, MGA Games, partnered with Lottomatica to strengthen its position in the Italian market. Lottomatica is one of the biggest operators in Italy, so it’s not surprising that this renowned provider of thrilling slot games decided to partner with that company in order to extend its reach across this key European market.

Rapidly growing companies

MGA Games is based in Spain, but the company rapidly expanded across various key markets in the world, thanks to partnerships with the biggest industry names. Its vast network of partners includes companies such as LeoVegas, bet365, Playtech, Softswiss, Atomo Gaming, and many more of them.

On the other hand, Lottomatica is one of the biggest industry names not only in Italy but also in the whole European market. Its services include a range of sports betting options, as well as online gambling and recreational gambling machines. The company has an advanced specialized gaming distribution network in the country, with 3.100 betting posts and over 1.400 gambling halls where the players can place their bets in person.

The Italian players are now able to enjoy a range of thrilling MGA Games’ releases, including its most popular games such as Lo Stregone Megaways, Samantha Fox, Conquest of Vichinghi, Onda Fortunata, and many more. However, this is only the beginning. In the upcoming months, MGA plans to incorporate more titles in the offering, including new Megaways titles and slots with five reels. One of the main things that make MGA Games stand out from other providers in the market is the fantastic animation the company’s games have, as well as advanced graphics, combined with unique and modern mobile technology.

Mutually beneficial partnership

This partnership is beneficial for both companies. Not only will MGA Games expand to the Italian market and extend its reach so that Italian players can enjoy a range of thrilling quality games, but Lottomatica will strengthen its position in the Italian market as well as the whole of Europe. This partnership will speed up the growth of both parties across this important market.

Javier Lanfranchi, Director of Sales at MGA Games, said: “We are confident that our localized slot games will impress Lottomatica players and make them feel the true emotion of the game. We share a passion for entertainment, and we reflect it by offering top-notch content, of great value to operators.”

Source: Tolan, Peter, “MGA Games joins forces with Lottomatica consolidating its presence in Italy”. European Gaming. February 4. 2024.

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Earlier this month, Lottomatica, an Italian gaming giant, announced its plans to acquire 100% of SKS365’s share capital. The deal, which values the latter business at €639 million ($702 million) was signed recently and, if cleared by all relevant regulators, is set to close in the first half of 2024.

As a result of this major move, Lottomatia announced its plans to issue €500 million (approximately $549.1 million) in debt notes to fund the agreement. A first row of floating rate senior secured notes will be issued, followed by a second tranche of fixed rate senior secured notes. The latter notes will have a fixed rate of 7.125%. The move is also part of a €565 million 7.125% Senior Secured Notes due 2028 bond.

The division between the two bonds is yet to be announced and will likely be communicated once Lottomatica closes the deal or around the date of the completion.

In addition to that, Lottomatica has secured revolving credit cash borrowing of €50 million (roughly $55 million), under an existing revolving credit agreement.

The money Lottomatica secures through the notes and borrowings will allow it to fully fund the SKS365 purchase deal and cover all applicable fees and costs.

Lottomatica Is Looking Forward to Closing the Deal

Lottomatica will acquire SKS365 through its wholly-owned subsidiary CBO Spa. The successful deal comes in the wake of a failed takeover attempt by Playtech, which gave up on acquiring SKS365 recently. At the time, Flutter Entertainment was also rumored to be eyeing a takeover of SKS365’s business.

Guglielmo Angelozzi, Lottomatica’s chief executive officer, believes that the acquisition of SKS365 will provide CBO and Lottomatica with a major boost in Italy. As a company with over 1,000 shops and a significant online presence, SKS365 is an undeniably popular brand among local customers.

Angelozzi praised SKS365 as a top performer and lauded the efforts of its management team, which turned it into a local powerhouse.

Alexander Martin, SKS365’s CEO, also commented on the matter earlier, saying that his team is glad to join the Lottomatica family and believes that it could not have found a better acquisition partner.

For reference, SKS365 operates brands such as PlanetWin365 and PlanetPay365 in addition to running retail operations. Furthermore, the company has been decorated as one of Italy’s top employers for 2023.

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SKS365 Malta Holdings has officially engaged in dialogue with Playtech as the major player in the global iGaming industry confirmed its interest in pursuing an acquisition. A successful deal would significantly strengthen Playtech’s presence in the lucrative Italian iGaming market, but interest from competitors Flutter Entertainment and Lottomatica may mean a harsh negotiation process.

Playtech Can Expand Its Existing Regional Presence

SKS365 Malta Holdings, the operator behind the successful PlanetWin brand, is a prominent player in Italy’s online and land-based gambling sectors. The company’s success makes it a prime acquisition target for Playtech, which has been actively involved in the region through its subsidiary, Snaitech. An SKS365 acquisition should be a significant strategic win, solidifying Playtech’s Italian operations.

Playtech released an official statement confirming it had begun preliminary acquisition talks. The company was adamant that it had not progressed beyond initial negotiations, adding that a future deal remained uncertain. However, Snaitech’s consistently strong performance highlights the Italian market’s significant untapped potential, giving Playtech a heavy incentive to pursue an acquisition.

There can be no certainty that Playtech will be successful in the process nor that any transaction regarding the potential acquisition of SKS will be agreed.

Playtech statement

This potential acquisition aligns with Playtech’s broader expansion plans, which include a minority equity ownership stake in Hard Rock Digital (HRD). Investing in the Italian market should provide significant long-term benefits for the operator, capitalizing on lucrative opportunities and streamlining its regional operations to create new synergies. 

The Other Competitors Also Have Distinct Advantages

Despite Playtech’s swift actions, two other high-profile operators have also expressed interest in a potential SKS365 acquisition. Flutter Entertainment, the parent company of well-known brands like Paddy Power and Betfair, has not officially confirmed its bid. However, industry insiders suggest it has also engaged in discussions, potentially giving Playtech a run for its money.

Lottomatica, another leading player in the Italian gambling market, is reportedly considering a bid for SKS365 Malta Holdings. Last year, Lottomatica acquired Betflag, an Italian online sports betting and casino operator, for €310.0 million ($328.26 million), consolidating its position in the Italian market. Another high-profile purchase would further elevate its status, cementing it as a regional leader.

As these discussions progress, it remains to be seen which company will ultimately secure the acquisition and cement its foothold in Italy’s thriving gambling industry. All three potential buyers possess distinct advantages, meaning SKS365 could play them against each other to secure a superior deal. Regardless of the victor, an acquisition would significantly impact the Italian gambling market, elevating the winner above the competition.

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Lottomatica, an Itlalian B2B brand known, has announced the results of its income for Q1 this year.

Judging by the numbers, the company has successfully finished this part of the year, and now it has presented all the details related to Q2!

Achieving an Impressive Number!

According to the company’s report, the operator revealed a first-half 2023 income of €820.0 million, marking a 20.3% increase compared to the previous year. The strong Q2 performance prompted the operator to raise its full-year 2023 projections.

The second quarter generated proceeds of €397.8 million, showing a 20.7% increase compared to the previous year. However, this figure was lower than Lottomatica’s record earnings of €422.2 million achieved in the first quarter.

However, Lottomatica has revised its gain outlook for 2023, hoping that the range will reach between €1.63 billion and €1.69 billion, which is an upward adjustment from the earlier prediction of €1.57 billion to €1.67 billion.

The revised prognosis for adjusted profits before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) now stands in the range of €570 million to €590 million, marking an accumulation from the prior recommendation of €550 million to €570 million.

What About Q2?

The second quarter revenue was primarily composed of gaming brand earnings, totaling €180.5 million. Online income for the quarter amounted to €122.7 million, while income from sports branding reached €94.4 million.

A cumulative sum of €7.2 million was wagered during the second quarter, with a significant amount of €3.8 million arising from online sources.

“The key driver is clearly online,” said Guglielmo Angelozzi, CEO of Lottomatica.

This expert added that the additional growth was accomplished thanks to the “omnichannel approach, which is coupled with continuous product expansion and technological developments.”

Significant Growth in H1!

Moving forward, the company also presented the results of its growth for the first half of the year. A big chunk of the total earnings in H1 came from Lottomatica’s gaming activities, raking in €368.2 million over six months. Great!

However, the online part also played a big role! It reached €246.9 million, while the sports section contributed the rest, totaling €204.8 million!

Tweaked EBITDA for the first half reached a robust €299.0 million, showing a strong 28.3% increase. Once we tallied depreciation and amortization outlay at €49.0 million, our fine-tuned pre-tax earnings stood at a satisfying €250.0 million.

Blending financial outlays and income tax charges, the sum totaled €131.0 million. Consequently, the fine-tuned net profit for the period settled at a remarkable €118.0 million. Incorporating additional costs, refinements from IPO, and refinancing, along with depreciation linked to purchase price allocation, our profit for the period amounted to €19.0 million. However, with taxes accounting for €26.0 million, the ultimate net profit came in at a commendable €45.0 million.

All in all, the figures presented by the company show a significant number for the brand, which will certainly enjoy success at the end of the year. Until then, play safe!

Source: ”Lottomatica increases FY guidance increase after strong Q2”. iGaming Business. July 31, 2023.

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Stats Perform announced that it has agreed to supply Italy’s leading sportsbook, Lottomatica, with a selection of tennis solutions. Thanks to the deal, Lottomatica’s Goldbet and Better brand will be able to benefit from Instant Highlights and Smart Stats Overlays.

Tennis is the latest sport to be covered by these solutions, just as announced by Stats Perform earlier this year. As a result, Lottomatica will become the first operator in Italy to offer the Instant Highlight and Smart Stats Overlays for tennis.

The Instant Highlights solution allows bettors to re-watch important game events while a game is still in play. The solution is also available for football, covering a rich selection of events and leagues, such as Ligue 1, La Liga and 60+ football leagues, as well as WTA, Wimbledon and the Australian Open in terms of tennis competitions.

Smart Stats Overlays, on the other hand, will provide Goldbet and Better players with real-time Opta betting stats on-screen. That solution is also available for football and tennis live streams, providing a plethora of important information to sports bettors.

Both solutions are available to operators through Stat Perform’s plug-and-play Content Player Pro, or an easy-to-use API for custom product development.

Lottomatica Is Pleased to Be Ahead of Its Competitors

Andrew Ashenden, Stats Perform’s chief betting officer, commented on the agreement, saying that Instant Highlights and Smart Stats Overlays deliver what players want, helping operators attract and retain customers. He added that his team is glad to join forces with Lottomatica, which is just about passionate about sports as Stats Perform.

Vincenzo Zeppillo, Stats Perform’s director of betting for Southern Europe, also shared his thoughts. He noted that he is glad that Lottomatica will pioneer the solutions’ new tennis variant.

We’re delighted to help Lottomatica be the first to bring such a high level of sports entertainment to their tennis customers and confident Instant Highlights and Smart Stats Overlays will be a huge success, as they are for football.

Vincenzo Zeppillo, director of betting Southern Europe, Stats Perform

Paolo Manzo, sportsbook director betting & digital Italy at Lottomatica, said that Stats Perform’s solutions will help his team deliver next-gen live streaming experiences to GoldBet and Better players.

We focus relentlessly on enhancing the customer experience and Instant Highlights and Smart Stats Overlays from Stats Perform are powerful tools helping us make every live sports stream more entertaining and more valuable for our customers.

Paolo Manzo, sportsbook director betting & digital Italy, Lottomatica

Manzo concluded that Lottomatica is proud to be the first company in the world to offer highlights and overlays for tennis live streams.

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Apollo Global, an American global private equity firm, has confirmed its IPO plans for the Lottomatica division, saying that it plans to have it go public on the Euronext Milan exchange by the end of April. The IPO is expected to help Lottomatica reduce its debt.

According to the announcement, the IPO will consist of both new and existing shares, although the exact number to be sold is still undetermined. Gross proceeds from the new shares, the Italian operator hopes, will reach $467 million.

Lottomatica’s initial public offering was reportedly approved by shareholders in February, following earlier rumors that the company is set to go public. In January, rumors claimed that the company will be looking to raise at least $1 billion through its initial public offering.

However, at that time, the Italian company was still evaluating the market conditions. As a result, the IPO plan was not officialized until later.

Lottomatica is a sports betting operator that offers retail and online betting in Italy. The company has been continuously growing its local presence, improving profitability across the board.

It reported adjusted core profits of around $170 million in Q1, which translates into a year-on-year increase of 15-16%. Meanwhile, Lottomatica’s revenue rose by 21% YOY to $308 million.

The company hopes to deliver mid-point core profits of $615 million. Lottomatica’s guidance for 2023, on the other hand, expects the Italian operator to earn $1.73 million and $1.83 billion.

The IPO Might Be Coming at the Perfect Time

Experts say that the IPO may be coming at just the right time, considering the IPO drought in Europe. In 2022, high interest rates and increased inflation discouraged investors from taking daring actions. However, this pent-up demand for listings might work to Lottomatica’s benefit, helping it achieve and surpass its IPO targets.

Although it is yet to be seen if this projection will come true, the current conditions are something that Lottomatica’s leadership has certainly considered.

Last year, the Italian operator strengthened its business through key deals with notable B2B companies. For example, the company was able to secure an exclusive payment deal with the innovative payment provider Nuvei and an iPoker deal with Playtech.

In November 2022, the company also finalized the acquisition of Betflag, an Italian gaming company.

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