Quarterly Report • May 7, 2019
Quarterly Report
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| Q1 2019 | Q1 2018 | ∆ | Jan-Dec 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,330.6 | 1,210.0 | 10% | 5,419.8 |
| 899.1 | 864.3 | 4% | 3,859.9 |
| 345.8 | 282.7 | 22% | 1,505.2 |
| 26.0% | 23.4% | - | 27.8% |
| 255.2 | 211.4 | 21% | 1,193.7 |
| 19.2% | 17.5% | 22.0% | |
| 229.3 | 187.9 | 22% | 1,078.1 |
| 1.66 | 1.36 | 22% | 7.79 |
| 214.5 | 312.2 | -31% | 1,273.3 |
| 1,012.8 | 922.8 | 10% | 4,077.4 |
| 6,356.3 | 5,773.1 | 10% | 24,451.8 |
| 297.8 | 263.5 | 13% | 1,244.0 |
| 6.3% | 6.6% | - | 6.9% |
| 4,740.8 | 4,190.3 | 13% | 18,726.0 |
| 686,635 | 607,785 | 13% | |

Betsson continued to show revenue growth and solid results while at the same time facing challenges in Sweden and the Netherlands.
Pontus Lindwall President and CEO Betsson AB
"Revenue for the first quarter 2019 was SEK 1,330.6 million, an increase of 10 percent (8 percent organic) compared to the first quarter 2018. Casino revenue increased by 10 percent, while Sportsbook increased by 13 percent in the quarter. The Sportsbook margin was 6.3 percent, which is lower than the eight-quarter average. The Sportsbook margin differs by the outcome of various sport events. The operating profit (EBIT) during the first quarter was SEK 255.2 (211.4) million, an increase of 21 percent, and is equivalent to an EBIT margin of 19.2 (17.5) percent.
We have now seen the effects from the new Swedish gaming law for a full quarter. Even though we are reporting a solid first quarter, we see that both revenue and operating profit was negatively impacted by the new regulation in Sweden. The market has experienced a challenging start, however we believe it is too early to draw any long-term conclusions. During the first half of the first quarter, there were high costs for welcome bonuses to customers as well as a difference in the dynamics of the customer behavior. During the second half of the quarter, the situation stabilised, primarily regarding customer volumes and number of new customers. In addition, there are ongoing discussions regarding rules for marketing volumes and content in Sweden. Betsson still sees Sweden as an important market long-term, however we now also see the advantage of having a geographical spread that enables scalability. As a result from changing market conditions in Sweden we also see increased M&A activities.
The adoption of the Remote Gambling Bill in the Netherlands in February was a positive milestone. It is a step forward for the Dutch market and consumers, as well as a positive development towards locally regulated revenues for Betsson. The operational subsidiaries have taken swift measures to be in the best position to obtain a license at the earliest possible time. The measures include adjustments to the product offering, rebranding and payment solutions. Whilst we have short term negative impact on revenues in the Netherlands (one contributing factor reflected in the trading update), the measures ensure a sustainable outlook for the Dutch business and are long-term investments. Above all, we are committed to working with the Dutch regulator and contributing positively to the objective of achieving high channelisation in minimum time in the Netherlands."

Betsson AB's B share is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm Large Cap
Ticker: BETS B

Betsson Group operates 17 brands

Gaming licences in 12 jurisdictions.
Betsson AB (publ) is a holding company that invests in and manages fast-growing companies within online gaming. The company is one of the largest in online gaming in Europe and has the ambition to outgrow the market, organically and through acquisitions. This should be done in a profitable and sustainable manner, primarily in locally regulated markets. Betsson AB is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm Large Cap (BETS).
Betsson's operational subsidiaries' vision is to deliver the best customer experience in the industry. They offer casino, sportsbook and other games via gaming licences in twelve countries in Europe and Central Asia. The business model is to offer gaming under multiple brands, including Betsson, Betsafe, NordicBet and Casinoeuro. The brands are operated on a proprietary platform, which is the core of the offer and the customer experience.
Being a responsible operator in relation to customers, suppliers, authorities, investors and other stakeholders is a cornerstone of the Betsson's business. Betsson is a member of the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA), ESSA (Sports Betting Integrity) and G4 (The Global Gambling Guidance Group).
Learn more about the Group on www.betssonab.com
Group revenue was SEK 1,330.6 (1,210.0) million, an increase of 10 percent, with 8 percent organic growth. The revenue increase was mainly from growth in Western Europe, CEECA and RoW for both the Casino and the Sportsbook product. Currency fluctuations had a positive impact on revenues of SEK 25.8 million due to the weakening of the SEK.
Mobile revenue amounted to SEK 907.4 (721.3) million, an increase of 26 percent and represented 68 (60) percent of total revenue.
License revenue for system deliveries to the gaming operator Realm Entertainment ltd. (Realm) amounted to SEK 87.3 (80.9) million, and corresponded to 7 (7) percent of Group revenue. TRY depreciation had a negative impact on license revenue related to Realm of SEK 21.5 million, compared with the first quarter 2018.
Casino revenue amounted to SEK 1,012.8 (922.8) million, an increase of 10 percent, of which 7 percent was organic. Casino represented 76 (76) percent of Group revenue.
Mobile Casino revenue was SEK 664.6 (532.7) million, an increase of 25 percent compared to the same quarter last year.
Sportsbook revenue in the first quarter amounted to SEK 297.8 (263.5) million, an increase of 13 percent with 14 percent organic growth. Sportsbook represented 22 (22) percent of the Group's revenue.
Gross turnover in Sportsbook, in all Betsson's gaming solutions, amounted to SEK 6,356.3 (5,773.1) million, an increase of 10 percent. Organic gross turnover increased with 18 percent.
The margin after free bets in Sportsbook was 6.3 (6.6) percent. The eight-quarter rolling average margin was 7.0 percent.
Mobile Sportsbook revenue amounted to SEK 239.4 (182.7) million, an increase of 31 percent. Mobile accounts for 80 (69) percent of Sportsbook revenue.
Revenue from other products amounted to SEK 20.0 (23.6) million, a decline of 15 percent, and represented 2 (2) percent of total revenues.
Casino (76%) Sportsbook (22%) Other (2%)

Nordic (44%) Western Europe (32%) CEECA (19%) ROW (5%)
Revenue from the Nordics was SEK 580.6 (568.3) million, an increase of 2 percent, with 1 percent negative organic growth.
Revenue from Western Europe amounted to SEK 430.8 (390.0) million, an increase of 10 percent, of which 6 percent was organic growth.
Revenue from Central & Eastern Europe and Central Asia (CEECA) amounted to SEK 248.2 (215.3) million, an increase of 15 percent. The organic growth was 22 percent.
Locally taxed revenue (revenue from markets where Betsson pays local betting duties) increased by 36 percent compared to the first quarter last year and amounted to SEK 422.2 (310.0) million, corresponding to 31.7 (25.6) percent of Group revenue. The increase is mainly due to revenue from Sweden, which is a regulated market from 2019.

Revenue by product
Group revenue

Cost of services provided were at SEK 431.5 (345.6) million for the quarter. Currency exchange rate fluctuations had a negative impact of SEK 16.6 million on Cost of services provided. See table on page 18.
Gross profit amounted to SEK 899.1 (864.3) million, corresponding to a gross margin of 67.6 (71.4) percent. The decrease in gross profit margin was mainly due to increased betting duties related to Sweden and Italy.
Operating expenses amounted to SEK 643.9 (652.9) million and organic operating expenses were SEK 617.3 million. The decrease is mainly due to efficiency gains under the Back-On-Track program.
Marketing expenses amounted to SEK 241.2 (244.4) million. The organic marketing expenses were SEK 231.7 million.
Personnel expenses amounted to SEK 198.8 (209.5) million. The organic personnel expenses were SEK 191.4 million.
Other external expenses, which primarily include sportsbook related costs, consultants and software licences, amounted to SEK 162.1 (182.3) million. The decrease was mainly due to IFRS 16 with SEK 13.4 million of rental costs reported as depreciation and financial expenses. The organic other external expenses were SEK 154.0 million.
Capitalised development costs amounted to SEK 48.3 (55.1) million. Amortisation of capitalised development was SEK 54.9 (55.8) million. Total depreciation and amortisation for the quarter was SEK 90.6 (71.3) million. The increase was mainly due to the above mentioned impact of IFRS 16 Leasing.
Operating income (EBIT) amounted to SEK 255.2 (211.4) million, and the operating margin was 19.2 (17.5) percent. The increase in operating income was due to revenue growth and efficiency gains from the Back-On-Track program. The operating income recalculated with the currency exchange rate that prevailed during the same period 2018 was SEK 272.6 million.
Net financial items amounted to SEK -10.4 (-10.0) million and are mainly attributable to interest costs.
Net income amounted to SEK 229.3 (187.9) million, corresponding to SEK 1.66 (1.36) per share.
The corporate tax amounted to SEK 15.5 (13.5) million, corresponding to 6.3 (6.7) percent of profit before taxes. The effective tax rate may fluctuate between quarters, depending on the tax base in the countries where Betsson has subsidiaries. For example, corporate taxes in certain countries are based on dividend distribution, which may result in a difference between the effective and statutory rate.
Operating income (EBIT)

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of March 2019 amounted to SEK 619.1 (446.2) million. Customer liabilities, including reserves for accumulated jackpots, amounted to SEK 419.8 (432.3) million. Gaming regulations require the Group to reserve a certain share of cash to cover player liabilities and accumulated jackpots. Current receivables from payment providers for unsettled customer deposits were SEK 752.8 (409.1) million. These vary as a result of higher activities, depending on when deposits are made and at the same time payment terms differ dependent on what payment provider is used.
Cash flow from operating activities during the first quarter was SEK 214.5 (312.2) million and the cash flow from financing activities SEK –15.2 (-280.2) million respectively. The cash flow from operating activities in the first quarter is impacted mainly by the timing of settlements from payment providers and the timing of corporate tax payments. The cash outflow from financing activities decreased compared to the same period last year due to reduced repayment of bank loans.
As per 31 March 2019, total available bank credit facilities were SEK 880.0 (745.0) million, of which SEK 85.6 (411.3) million were utilised.
| Credit facility | Amount | Utilised | Unutilised | Maturity date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RCF (SEK m) | 800.0 | 85.6 | 714.4 | May, 2021 |
| Bank overdraft (SEK m) | 80.0 | 0.0 | 80.0 | Jan, 2020 |
| Bond (SEK m) | 997.9 | 997.9 | 0.0 | Nov, 2019 |
Customer deposits in all Betsson's gaming solutions during the quarter amounted to SEK 4,740.8 (4,190.3) million, an increase of 13 percent. Development in deposits should be evaluated over a longer period than a quarter due to normal quarterly variances.
By the end of the first quarter, the number of registered customers was 14.3 (13.3) million, an increase of 8 percent.
Active customers during the quarter amounted to 686,635 (607,785), an increase of 13 percent.


The new gaming law in Sweden came into force on January 1, 2019 with betting duties at 18 percent. Betsson was granted five-year licenses for four brands.
In February, the Dutch Senate adopted the Remote Gambling Bill, expected to come into force in Q3 2020, which is also when license applications will be accepted.
Italy increased betting duties from January 1, 2019, in Casino from 20 to 25 percent.
The daily average revenue in the second quarter up until April 28, 2019 was 6 percent (6 percent organic) lower than the average daily revenue of the full second quarter 2018, a quarter with positive impact from the football world cup. This trading update is not a revenue forecast for the second quarter, but an indication of how the quarter has started.
The gaming industry is changing and Betsson's assessment is that larger revenues from regulated markets will have an impact on operating profit as betting duties increase. There is continuous successful work being done to adopt business models to these new market conditions in order to grow revenues and earnings.
| Average FTE | Q1 2019 | Q1 2018 |
|---|---|---|
| Employees | 1,496 | 1,679 |
| Contractors | 168 | 195 |
At the end of the first quarter, the Group had 1,542 (1,567) employees. The average number of employees in the Group during the first quarter amounted to 1,496 (1,679) of which 890 (964) were based in Malta.
In addition, the Group employed 168 (195) full-time consultants at the end of the quarter, mainly within product development. The cost of consultants is recognised under Other external expenses.
The Parent Company Betsson AB's (publ) business consists of investing in and administering shareholdings in companies, which, through partners or by themselves, offer games to end users online. The Company provides and sells internal services related to financing, communication, accounting and administration to certain Group companies.
Revenue for the first quarter 2019 amounted to SEK 8.2 (5.1) million, and net income amounted to SEK -12.7 (-13.6) million.
Cash and cash equivalents in the Parent Company was SEK 295.3 (116.6) million.
Equity in the Group amounted to SEK 4,914.8 (4,123.7) million, corresponding to SEK 35.51 (29.79) per share.
The Company's Series B shares are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm Large Cap List (BETS). At the end of the period, the Company had 27,059 (38,158) shareholders.
The total number of shares and votes in Betsson amounts to 144,493,238 and 290,833,238, divided into 16,260,000 Series A shares with ten votes each, 122,155,730 Series B shares with one vote each and 6,077,508 Series C shares which may not be represented at general meetings of shareholders. Betsson treasury shares amounted to 1,084 Series B shares, which have been acquired in previous years at an average price of SEK 19.42, and 6,077,508 Series C shares.
| % Capital | % Votes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | (total | (votes | |||
| Name | A shares | B and C shares | (outstanding) | capital) | outstanding) |
| Hamberg family and companies | 5,098,500 | 225,000 | 51,210,000 | 3.7% | 18.0% |
| Danske Bank International S.A | 3,731,000 | 618,300 | 37,928,300 | 3.0% | 13.3% |
| Knutsson family and companies | 2,710,000 | 4,350,000 | 31,450,000 | 4.9% | 11.0% |
| Lundström family and companies | 2,557,500 | 1,950,400 | 27,525,400 | 3.1% | 9.7% |
| Lindwall, Berit | 1,683,000 | 70,000 | 16,900,000 | 1.2% | 5.9% |
| State Street Bank & Trust Co | 0 | 10,951,743 | 10,951,743 | 7.6% | 3.8% |
| DNB Technology | 0 | 10,587,684 | 10,587,684 | 7.3% | 3.7% |
| Swebank Robus Funds | 0 | 7,531,279 | 7,531,279 | 5.2% | 2.6% |
| SEB Investment Management | 0 | 7,459,852 | 7,459,852 | 5.2% | 2.6% |
| CACEIS Bank, Luxembourg Branch | 0 | 4,690,553 | 4,690,553 | 3.2% | 1.6% |
| Other | 480,000 | 73,719,835 | 78,519,835 | 51.4% | 27.6% |
| Betsson treasury shares | 0 | 6,078,592 | 0 | 4.2% | 0.0% |
| Total | 16,260,000 | 128,233,238 | 284,754,646 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Industry market data indicates that the entire gaming market, including offline and online gaming, is worth close to EUR 405 billion with an expected growth of 3 percent annually up until 2023. Online gaming is expected to increase its share of the total market to increase from 11 percent in 2019, to an estimated share of 13 percent in 2023. (Source: H2GC, April 2019.)
Annual growth in Betsson Group's core markets in Europe, which in aggregate are worth close to EUR 14 billion, is expected to be 5 percent during the years 2019-2023. (Source: H2GC, April 2019.)
Apart from market growth, an important driving force is an increasing number of European countries introducing local regulations for online gaming. The license gives gaming companies the chance to compete on equal terms and to gain access to more effective marketing channels and payment solutions. Local regulations entail increased demands, and benefit operators that have a scalable, proprietary platform. This is resulting in increased consolidation in the locally regulated markets, which creates acquisition opportunities for Betsson.
Betsson's subsidiaries are operating under licenses in Malta and 11 more local jurisdictions. There are lasting values in offering regulated gaming services within the EU and other markets from Malta.
5% Estimated CAGR on Betsson's core markets in Europe 2019-2023

The gaming sites operate on an in-house developed platform, which is at the core of the offer and the customer experience. It processes and hosts payments, customer information, accounts, customer transactions and games. The games are mainly casino and sportsbook, but the offer also includes poker, scratch cards, bingo and other games. Betsson owns and develops its Sportsbook products. First class customer experiences are crucial and there are continuous investments in innovation and technology to reinforce the leading position.
The Casino offers around 2,700 different games, of which more than 2,000 are available on mobile devices. The different brands offer a selection of games targeting their specific customer segments and the games portfolio is actively managed to ensure it offers the right mix of games. Slots is the largest games category in the Casino followed by live casino.
During the last quarters there has been significant improvements in the product offering and site speed. In addition, the OBG frontend framework has been launched both on mobile and on desktop.
Responsible gaming is one of the most important parts of Betsson's sustainability work. Two of the key factors of responsible gaming are employee training and giving players tools to control their gaming. Betsson has taken measures to raise awareness and encourages new depositing customers to set a deposit limit.
In the first quarter 2019, 78 (111) employees received responsible gaming training and 36.3 (12.7) percent of all new depositing customers (NDC's) choose to set a deposit limit.
The Annual General Meeting of shareholders in Betsson AB is held today, Tuesday, 7 May 2019 at 13:00 CET, at venue "Bond", GT30, Grev Turegatan 30, Stockholm.
The annual report is available at the Company and at the Company's website www.betssonab.com.
Stockholm, 7 May 2019
Pontus Lindwall President and CEO Betsson AB
This interim report has not been subject to review by the Company's auditors.
| SEK m | Q1 2019 | Q1 2018 | Jan-Dec 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 1,330.6 | 1,210.0 | 5,419.8 |
| Cost of services provided | -431.5 | -345.6 | -1,559.9 |
| Gross profit | 899.1 | 864.3 | 3,859.9 |
| Marketing expenses | -241.2 | -244.4 | -994.5 |
| Personnel expenses | -198.8 | -209.5 | -813.9 |
| Other external expenses | -162.1 | -182.3 | -741.0 |
| Capitalised development costs | 48.3 | 55.1 | 201.5 |
| Amortisation and depreciation | -90.6 | -71.3 | -311.4 |
| Other operating income/expenses | 0.5 | -0.6 | -6.9 |
| Operating expenses | -643.9 | -652.9 | -2,666.2 |
| Operating income | 255.2 | 211.4 | 1,193.7 |
| Financial income and expenses | -10.4 | -10.0 | -41.3 |
| Income before tax | 244.8 | 201.4 | 1,152.4 |
| Tax | -15.5 | -13.5 | -74.3 |
| Net income | 229.3 | 187.9 | 1,078.1 |
| SEK m | Q1 2019 | Q1 2018 | Jan-Dec 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net income | 229.3 | 187.9 | 1,078.1 |
| Other comprehensive income | |||
| Revenue/expenses recognised directly in equity: | |||
| Hedge of net investments in foreign currency incl. deferred tax | 2.0 | -0.8 | -5.4 |
| Exchange differences in translating foreign operations | 90.9 | 269.3 | 239.6 |
| Other comprehensive income of the period (after tax) | 92.9 | 268.5 | 234.2 |
| Total comprehensive income for the period | 322.2 | 456.5 | 1,312.3 |
| SEK m | 31/03/2019 | 31/03/2018 | 31/12/2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intangible fixed assets | 5,245.7 | 5,219.9 | 5,164.5 |
| Property, plant and equipment | 84.7 | 97.3 | 95.5 |
| Property, plant and equipment - right of use assets | 130.2 | -0.0 | -0.0 |
| Financial assets | 1.2 | 7.4 | 1.4 |
| Deferred tax receivables | 54.5 | 44.3 | 57.1 |
| Other longterm receivables | 1.3 | -0.0 | 1.1 |
| Total non-current assets | 5,517.6 | 5,368.8 | 5,319.5 |
| Current receivables | 1,681.6 | 1,366.6 | 1,663.0 |
| Cash and cash equivalents | 619.1 | 446.2 | 488.7 |
| Total current assets | 2,300.7 | 1,812.8 | 2,151.7 |
| Total assets | 7,818.3 | 7,181.6 | 7,471.2 |
| Equity | 4,914.8 | 4,123.7 | 4,589.3 |
| Provision gaming tax | 32.7 | 12.1 | 32.7 |
| Deferred tax liabilities | 40.9 | 32.4 | 41.9 |
| Total Provisions | 73.6 | 44.5 | 74.6 |
| Bond | -0.0 | 994.7 | 0.0 |
| Non-current liabilities to credit institutions | 88.6 | 0.0 | 93.5 |
| Lease liabilities | 71.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Total non-current liabilities | 159.8 | 994.7 | 93.5 |
| Bond | 997.9 | 0.0 | 997.1 |
| Current liabilities to credit institutions | 0.0 | 411.3 | 0.0 |
| Lease liabilities | 42.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Other current liabilities | 1,629.5 | 1,607.3 | 1,716.7 |
| Total current liabilities | 2,670.1 | 2,018.6 | 2,713.8 |
| Total equity and liabilities | 7,818.3 | 7,181.6 | 7,471.2 |
| SEK m | Q1 2019 | Q1 2018 | Jan-Dec 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income after financial items | 244.8 | 201.4 | 1,152.4 |
| Adjustments for non-cash items | 88.9 | 73.7 | 318.7 |
| Taxes paid | -43.5 | -5.4 | -43.5 |
| Cash flow from operating activities | |||
| before changes in working capital | 290.1 | 269.7 | 1,427.6 |
| Changes in working capital | -75.6 | 42.4 | -154.3 |
| Cash flow from operating activities | 214.5 | 312.2 | 1,273.3 |
| Investments | -77.1 | -76.7 | -295.5 |
| Acquisition of cash and cash equivalents | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Acquisition of shares in subsidiaries | 0.0 | 0.0 | -0.1 |
| Cash flow from investing activities | -77.1 | -76.7 | -295.6 |
| Cash paid upon redemption of warrants | 0.0 | 0.0 | -0.2 |
| Paid gaming tax provision | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Settled purchase consideration | -10.3 | -20.3 | -20.3 |
| Changes in bank loans | -4.9 | -259.9 | -577.4 |
| Paid deposits | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.4 |
| Share redemption programme | 0.0 | 0.0 | -393.1 |
| Warrant premiums received | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 |
| Cash flow from financing activities | -15.2 | -280.2 | -989.1 |
| Changes to cash and cash equivalents | 122.3 | -44.8 | -11.4 |
| Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period | 488.7 | 479.5 | 479.5 |
| Exchange differences | 8.1 | 11.5 | 20.7 |
| Cash and cash equivalents at end of period | 619.1 | 446.2 | 488.7 |
| SEK m | 31/03/2019 | 31/03/2018 | 31/12/2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening balance | 4,589.3 | 3,666.9 | 3,666.9 |
| Total comprehensive income for the period | 322.2 | 456.5 | 1,312.3 |
| Total change excluding owner transactions | 322.2 | 456.5 | 1,312.3 |
| Share redemption programme | 0.0 | 0.0 | -393.1 |
| Warrants paid premium | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 |
| Payment on exercise of options | 0.0 | 0.0 | -0.2 |
| Share options - value of employee services | 3.4 | 0.3 | 2.9 |
| Equity at end of period | 4,914.8 | 4,123.7 | 4,589.3 |
| Attributable to: | |||
| Parent company's shareholders | 4,914.8 | 4,123.7 | 4,589.3 |
| SEK m | Q1 2019 | Q1 2018 | Jan-Dec 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 8.2 | 5.1 | 27.9 |
| Operating expenses | -21.1 | -14.7 | -70.9 |
| Operating income | -12.9 | -9.6 | -43.0 |
| Financial income and expenses | 0.2 | -4.0 | 1,146.9 |
| Income before tax | -12.7 | -13.6 | 1,103.9 |
| Net income | -12.7 | -13.6 | 1,103.9 |
| SEK m | 31/03/2019 | 31/03/2018 | 31/12/2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property, plant and equipment | 1.6 | 1.9 | 1.2 |
| Financial assets | 5,035.6 | 4,967.6 | 5,035.6 |
| Total non-current assets | 5,037.2 | 4,969.5 | 5,036.8 |
| Current receivables | 817.7 | 530.2 | 901.9 |
| Cash and cash equivalents | 295.3 | 116.6 | 188.3 |
| Total current assets | 1,113.0 | 646.8 | 1,090.2 |
| Total assets | 6,150.2 | 5,616.3 | 6,127.0 |
| Restricted equity | 349.6 | 349.6 | 349.6 |
| Unrestricted equity | 4,436.9 | 3,725.0 | 4,449.6 |
| Total equity | 4,786.5 | 4,074.6 | 4,799.2 |
| Bond | -0.0 | 994.7 | 0.0 |
| Non-current liabilities to credit institutions | 85.6 | 0.0 | 91.6 |
| Total non-current liabilities | 85.6 | 994.7 | 91.6 |
| Bond | 997.9 | 0.0 | 997.1 |
| Current liabilities to credit institutions | 0.0 | 387.4 | 0.0 |
| Other current liabilities | 280.2 | 159.6 | 293.1 |
| Total current liabilities | 1,278.1 | 547.0 | 1,236.2 |
| Total equity and liabilities | 6,150.2 | 5,616.3 | 6,127.0 |
| 2019 | 2018 | 2018 | 2018 | 2018 | 2017 | 2017 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEK m | Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | Q2 | Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | Q2 |
| Revenue | 1,330.6 | 1,436.6 | 1,426.8 | 1,346.4 | 1,210.0 | 1,256.4 | 1,180.6 | 1,177.5 |
| Cost of services provided | -431.5 | -418.5 | -417.3 | -378.5 | -345.6 | -353.5 | -321.6 | -326.4 |
| Gross profit | 899.1 | 1,018.1 | 1,009.5 | 968.0 | 864.3 | 903.0 | 859.0 | 851.1 |
| Marketing expenses | -241.2 | -254.0 | -246.8 | -249.3 | -244.4 | -269.2 | -242.5 | -246.5 |
| Personnel expenses | -198.8 | -199.6 | -197.7 | -207.2 | -209.5 | -208.4 | -195.8 | -203.2 |
| Other external expenses | -162.1 | -191.0 | -183.3 | -184.5 | -182.3 | -184.6 | -186.2 | -182.0 |
| Capitalised development costs | 48.3 | 49.1 | 44.5 | 52.8 | 55.1 | 51.9 | 51.4 | 56.8 |
| Amortisation and depreciation | -90.6 | -77.9 | -83.3 | -78.9 | -71.3 | -70.4 | -69.1 | -67.5 |
| Other operating income/expenses | 0.5 | -3.2 | -2.8 | -0.3 | -0.6 | -3.9 | -1.0 | -2.2 |
| Operating expenses | -643.9 | -676.6 | -669.4 | -667.3 | -652.9 | -684.6 | -643.0 | -644.2 |
| Operating income | 255.2 | 341.5 | 340.2 | 300.7 | 211.4 | 218.4 | 216.0 | 206.9 |
| Financial items, net | -10.4 | -12.7 | -9.5 | -9.3 | -10.0 | -8.7 | -9.7 | -10.3 |
| Income before tax | 244.8 | 328.8 | 330.7 | 291.5 | 201.4 | 209.6 | 206.3 | 196.6 |
| Tax | -15.5 | -15.2 | -25.6 | -20.0 | -13.5 | -10.8 | -19.3 | -10.5 |
| Net income | 229.3 | 313.6 | 305.1 | 271.4 | 187.9 | 198.9 | 187.0 | 186.1 |
| 2019 | 2018 | 2018 | 2018 | 2018 | 2017 | 2017 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEK m | Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | Q2 | Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | Q2 |
| Non-current assets | 5,517.6 | 5,318.4 | 5,331.6 | 5,460.9 | 5,368.8 | 5,096.6 | 5,084.9 | 5,188.0 |
| Current assets | 2,300.7 | 2,152.8 | 2,050.8 | 1,918.5 | 1,812.7 | 1,721.3 | 1,463.9 | 1,324.9 |
| Total assets | 7,818.3 | 7,471.2 | 7,382.5 | 7,379.4 | 7,181.6 | 6,817.9 | 6,548.9 | 6,512.9 |
| Equity | 4,914.8 | 4,589.3 | 4,289.6 | 4,090.1 | 4,123.7 | 3,666.9 | 3,389.3 | 3,301.7 |
| Provisions and non-current liabilities | 233.4 | 168.1 | 1,472.9 | 1,772.3 | 1,039.3 | 1,036.1 | 1,016.3 | 1,023.0 |
| Current liabilities | 2,670.1 | 2,713.8 | 1,620.0 | 1,517.0 | 2,018.6 | 2,114.9 | 2,143.2 | 2,188.2 |
| Total equity and liabilities | 7,818.3 | 7,471.2 | 7,382.5 | 7,379.4 | 7,181.6 | 6,817.9 | 6,548.9 | 6,512.9 |
| Consolidated cash flow statement | ||||||||
| Operating cash flow | 214.5 | 289.3 | 400.8 | 271.2 | 312.2 | 278.9 | 220.4 | 242.4 |
| Cash flow from investing activities | -77.1 | -82.1 | -58.7 | -76.6 | -76.7 | -75.6 | -70.9 | -368.8 |
| Cash flow from financing activities | -15.2 | -331.6 | -294.8 | -83.9 | -280.2 | -166.3 | -183.2 | -276.1 |
| Total cash flow | 122.3 | -124.5 | 47.2 | 110.7 | -44.8 | 37.1 | -33.7 | -402.6 |
| 2019 | 2018 | 2018 | 2018 | 2018 | 2017 | 2017 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | Q2 | Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | Q2 | |
| Key financial ratios | ||||||||
| Gross Margin (% of revenue) | 67.6 | 70.9 | 70.8 | 71.9 | 71.4 | 71.9 | 72.8 | 72.3 |
| EBITDA-margin (% of revenue) | 26.0 | 29.2 | 29.7 | 28.2 | 23.4 | 23.0 | 24.2 | 23.3 |
| EBIT-margin (% of revenue) | 19.2 | 23.8 | 23.8 | 22.3 | 17.5 | 17.4 | 18.3 | 17.6 |
| Profit margin (% of revenue) | 18.4 | 22.9 | 23.2 | 21.6 | 16.6 | 16.7 | 17.5 | 16.7 |
| Marketing expenses (% of revenue) | 18.1 | 17.7 | 17.3 | 18.5 | 20.2 | 21.4 | 20.5 | 20.9 |
| Basic earnings per share (SEK) | 1.66 | 2.27 | 2.20 | 1.96 | 1.36 | 1.44 | 1.35 | 1.34 |
| Diluted earnings per share (SEK) | 1.66 | 2.27 | 2.20 | 1.96 | 1.36 | 1.44 | 1.35 | 1.34 |
| Equity per share (SEK) | 35.51 | 33.16 | 30.99 | 29.55 | 29.79 | 26.49 | 24.49 | 23.85 |
| Executed dividend/redemption per share (SEK) | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 2.84 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 4.76 |
| Equity/assets ratio (%) | 63 | 61 | 58 | 55 | 57 | 54 | 52 | 51 |
| Return on equity (%) | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Return on total capital (%) | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Return on capital employed (%) | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| Net debt (SEK m) | 467 | 612 | 826 | 1,173 | 970 | 1,208 | 1,404 | 1,553 |
| Shares | ||||||||
| Average share price (SEK) | 78.62 | 72.19 | 69.08 | 60.45 | 66.06 | 64.46 | 74.38 | 77.29 |
| Share price at end of period (SEK) | 70.53 | 73.00 | 68.48 | 54.38 | 63.12 | 60.50 | 74.25 | 73.00 |
| Highest share price (SEK) | 88.86 | 82.47 | 81.80 | 69.50 | 70.40 | 76.00 | 80.50 | 82.40 |
| Lowest share price (SEK) | 70.02 | 63.51 | 51.61 | 52.57 | 60.04 | 57.70 | 68.30 | 72.85 |
| Number of shareholders at end of period Number of shares outstanding at end of period |
27,059 | 28,636 | 30,555 | 36,581 | 38,158 | 40,009 | 41,312 | 42,847 |
| (million) | 138.4 | 138.4 | 138.4 | 138.4 | 138.4 | 138.4 | 138.4 | 138.4 |
| Number of shares at end of period (million) | 144.5 | 144.5 | 144.5 | 144.5 | 144.5 | 144.5 | 144.5 | 144.5 |
| Personnel | ||||||||
| Average number of employees | 1,496 | 1,531 | 1,584 | 1,612 | 1,679 | 1,867 | 1,889 | 1,878 |
| Number of employees at end of period | 1,542 | 1,547 | 1,505 | 1,547 | 1,567 | 1,873 | 1,888 | 1,887 |
| CUSTOMERS | ||||||||
| 2019 | 2018 | 2018 | 2018 | 2018 | 2017 | 2017 | 2017 | |
| Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | Q2 | Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | Q2 | |
| Registered customers (000's) | 14,304 | 14,010 | 13,743 | 13,457 | 13,288 | 12,993 | 12,705 | 12,381 |
| Active customers (000's) | 687 | 669 | 687 | 692 | 608 | 615 | 619 | 551 |
| CUSTOMER DEPOSITS | ||||||||
| 2019 | 2018 | 2018 | 2018 | 2018 | 2017 | 2017 | 2017 | |
| SEK m | Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | Q2 | Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | Q2 |
| Customer deposits | 3,920.9 | 4,030.5 | 4,153.7 | 3,906.1 | 3,450.5 | 3,564.4 | 3,349.7 | 3,240.0 |
| Customer deposits, all gaming solutions | 4,740.8 | 5,017.6 | 4,853.4 | 4,664.7 | 4,190.3 | 4,362.4 | 4,100.1 | 4,056.3 |
| SPORTSBOOK DATA | ||||||||
| 2019 | 2018 | 2018 | 2018 | 2018 | 2017 | 2017 | 2017 | |
| Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | Q2 | Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | Q2 | |
| Gross turnover, all gaming solutions (SEK m) | 6,356.3 | 6,300.9 | 6,151.3 | 6,226.5 | 5,773.1 | 5,965.4 | 5,391.0 | 5,755.0 |
| of which gross turnover live betting (SEK m) | 4,252.3 | 3,984.8 | 4,089.2 | 4,072.5 | 3,904.8 | 4,126.0 | 3,864.8 | 3,982.2 |
| Sportbook margin after free bets (%) | 6.3 | 7.3 | 7.4 | 6.3 | 6.6 | 8.2 | 7.1 | 6.4 |
| Revenue (SEK m) | 297.8 | 341.4 | 338.9 | 300.2 | 263.5 | 359.3 | 275.1 | 255.6 |
| 2019 | 2018 | 2018 | 2018 | 2018 | 2017 | 2017 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | Q2 | Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | Q2 | |
| Revenue (SEK m) | ||||||||
| Casino | 1,012.8 | 1,071.7 | 1,066.3 | 1,016.6 | 922.8 | 867.3 | 871.1 | 876.6 |
| Sportsbook | 297.8 | 341.4 | 338.9 | 300.2 | 263.5 | 359.3 | 275.1 | 255.6 |
| Other products | 20.0 | 23.5 | 21.6 | 29.6 | 23.6 | 29.8 | 34.4 | 45.3 |
| Total | 1,330.6 | 1,436.6 | 1,426.8 | 1,346.4 | 1,210.0 | 1,256.4 | 1,180.6 | 1,177.5 |
| 2019 Q1 |
2018 Q4 |
2018 Q3 |
2018 Q2 |
2018 Q1 |
2017 Q4 |
2017 Q3 |
2017 Q2 |
|
| Share of total revenue (%) | ||||||||
| Casino | 76 | 75 | 75 | 76 | 76 | 69 | 74 | 74 |
| Sportsbook | 22 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 22 | 29 | 23 | 22 |
| Other products | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 2019 Q1 |
2018 Q4 |
2018 Q3 |
2018 Q2 |
2018 Q1 |
2017 Q4 |
2017 Q3 |
2017 Q2 |
|
| Growth, compared with previous quarter (%) | ||||||||
| Casino | -5 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 6 | -0 | -1 | 7 |
| Sportsbook | -13 | 1 | 13 | 14 | -27 | 31 | 8 | 2 |
| Other products | -15 | 9 | -27 | 25 | -21 | -13 | -24 | 57 |
| Total | -7 | 1 | 6 | 11 | -4 | 6 | 0 | 7 |
| 2019 | 2018 | 2018 | 2018 | 2018 | 2017 | 2017 | 2017 | |
| Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | Q2 | Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | Q2 | |
| Growth, compared with same period previous year (%) |
||||||||
| Casino | 10 | 24 | 22 | 16 | 12 | 5 | 19 | 28 |
| Sportsbook | 13 | -5 | 23 | 17 | 5 | 36 | -8 | 15 |
| Other products | -15 | -21 | -37 | -35 | -18 | -2 | 10 | 55 |
| Total | 10 | 14 | 21 | 14 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 26 |
| 2019 | 2018 | 2018 | 2018 | 2018 | 2017 | 2017 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | Q2 | Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | Q2 | |
| Sportsbook (SEK m) | ||||||||
| Nordics | 132.1 | 170.4 | 165.8 | 139.0 | 130.2 | 190.6 | 133.0 | 118.2 |
| Western Europe | 41.3 | 30.5 | 35.6 | 43.2 | 34.0 | 45.3 | 32.5 | 34.4 |
| Central & Eastern Europe and Central Asia | 85.1 | 109.4 | 91.2 | 78.2 | 83.2 | 102.1 | 94.3 | 90.7 |
| RoW | 39.3 | 31.1 | 46.3 | 39.8 | 16.1 | 21.3 | 15.3 | 12.3 |
| Total | 297.8 | 341.4 | 338.9 | 300.2 | 263.5 | 359.3 | 275.1 | 255.6 |
| 2019 | 2018 | 2018 | 2018 | 2018 | 2017 | 2017 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | Q2 | Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | Q2 | |
| Casino (SEK m) | ||||||||
| Nordics | 443.0 | 482.7 | 493.7 | 471.3 | 428.9 | 405.5 | 418.4 | 426.4 |
| Western Europe | 387.2 | 417.4 | 400.5 | 385.8 | 345.0 | 305.3 | 309.3 | 304.3 |
| Central & Eastern Europe and Central Asia | 153.9 | 151.8 | 146.0 | 132.0 | 128.0 | 134.5 | 124.2 | 129.8 |
| RoW | 28.7 | 19.9 | 26.1 | 27.5 | 20.9 | 22.0 | 19.2 | 16.1 |
| Total | 1,012.8 | 1,071.8 | 1,066.3 | 1,016.6 | 922.8 | 867.3 | 871.1 | 876.6 |
| 2019 | 2018 | 2018 | 2018 | 2018 | 2017 | 2017 | 2017 | |
| Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | Q2 | Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | Q2 | |
| Total, for all products, per region (SEK m) | ||||||||
| Nordics | 580.6 | 659.3 | 668.2 | 621.9 | 568.3 | 606.6 | 562.4 | 558.7 |
| Western Europe | 430.8 | 455.1 | 446.2 | 443.5 | 390.0 | 362.2 | 355.2 | 351.8 |
| Central & Eastern Europe and Central Asia | 248.2 | 269.8 | 241.0 | 214.4 | 215.3 | 241.1 | 223.2 | 226.5 |
| RoW | 71.0 | 52.4 | 71.4 | 66.7 | 36.4 | 46.5 | 39.7 | 40.6 |
| Total | 1,330.6 | 1,436.6 | 1,426.8 | 1,346.4 | 1,210.0 | 1,256.4 | 1,180.6 | 1,177.5 |
| 2019 Q1 |
2018 Q4 |
2018 Q3 |
2018 Q2 |
2018 Q1 |
2017 Q4 |
2017 Q3 |
2017 Q2 |
|
| Share per region (%) | ||||||||
| Nordics | 44 | 46 | 47 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 48 | 48 |
| Western Europe | 32 | 32 | 31 | 33 | 32 | 29 | 30 | 30 |
| Central & Eastern Europe and Central Asia | 19 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
| RoW | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| 2019 | 2018 | 2018 | 2018 | 2018 | 2017 | 2017 | 2017 | |
| Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | Q2 | Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | Q2 | |
| Growth, compared with previous quarter (%) | ||||||||
| Nordics | -12 | -1 | 7 | 9 | -6 | 8 | 1 | 5 |
| Western Europe | -5 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 25 |
| Central & Eastern Europe and Central Asia | -8 | 12 | 12 | -0 | -11 | 8 | -1 | -10 |
| RoW | 35 | -27 | 7 | 83 | -22 | 17 | -2 | 9 |
| 2019 | 2018 | 2018 | 2018 | 2018 | 2017 | 2017 | 2017 | |
| Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | Q2 | Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | Q2 | |
| Growth, compared with same period previous year (%) |
||||||||
| Nordics | 2 | 9 | 19 | 11 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 28 |
| Western Europe | 10 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 38 | 42 | 63 | 69 |
| Central & Eastern Europe and Central Asia | 15 | 12 | 8 | -5 | -15 | -14 | -14 | -15 |
| RoW | 95 | 13 | 80 | 64 | -2 | 75 | 26 | 64 |
| SEK m | 2019 Q1 |
2018 Q4 |
2018 Q3 |
2018 Q2 |
2018 Q1 |
2017 Q4 |
2017 Q3 |
2017 Q2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licence fees | 128.0 | 129.7 | 132.8 | 127.7 | 117.7 | 116.6 | 111.3 | 108.9 |
| Betting duties | 84.6 | 73.6 | 69.4 | 62.1 | 56.6 | 56.2 | 52.1 | 53.9 |
| Affiliates and partners commission | 109.0 | 114.6 | 117.5 | 108.2 | 96.1 | 102.1 | 83.5 | 92.3 |
| Other cost of services provided | 110.0 | 100.6 | 97.6 | 80.5 | 75.3 | 78.6 | 74.7 | 71.2 |
| Total | 431.5 | 418.5 | 417.3 | 378.5 | 345.6 | 353.5 | 321.6 | 326.4 |
| 2019 | 2018 | 2018 | 2018 | 2018 | 2017 | 2017 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | Q2 | Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | Q2 | |
| Reported revenues | 1,330.6 | 1,436.6 | 1,426.8 | 1,346.4 | 1,210.0 | 1,256.4 | 1,180.6 | 1,177.5 |
| - Revenue from aquisitions¹ | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -53.5 | -74.1 | -91.9 | -103.6 |
| - Currency effects | -25.8 | -29.9 | -54.4 | -36.0 | -7.4 | 48.2 | 32.4 | 8.3 |
| Organic revenues | 1,304.8 | 1,406.7 | 1,372.4 | 1,310.4 | 1,149.1 | 1,230.5 | 1,121.1 | 1,082.2 |
| Organic growth (YoY) | 8% | 12% | 16% | 11% | 4% | 10% | 5% | 16% |
| Reported growth (YoY) | 10% | 14% | 21% | 14% | 10% | 12% | 11% | 26% |
| Reported operating income (EBIT) | 255.2 | 341.5 | 340.2 | 300.7 | 211.4 | 218.4 | 216.0 | 206.9 |
| - Result from aquisitions¹ | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 15.2 | 15.5 | 5.0 | -6.8 |
| - Currency effects | 17.4 | 24.3 | 20.9 | 10.5 | 15.3 | 34.0 | 27.4 | 17.8 |
| Organic operating income | 272.6 | 365.8 | 361.1 | 311.2 | 241.9 | 267.9 | 248.4 | 217.9 |
| Organic growth (YoY) | 29% | 68% | 67% | 50% | 0% | 1% | -9% | 38% |
| Reported growth (YoY) | 21% | 56% | 57% | 45% | -12% | -18% | -21% | 31% |
¹ For 2018 Q1, NetPlay and Premier Casino.
2017 Q4, Racebets, NetPlay and Premier Casino.
2017 Q2 & Q3, Tonybet, Racebets, NetPlay and Premier Casino.
Betsson complies with IFRS standards and interpretations (IFRIC) as adopted by the EU. This Interim Report has been prepared in accordance with IAS 34, Interim Financial Reporting. The Parent Company's financial statements have been prepared in accordance with RFR 2.
The accounting policies applied are consistent with those presented in the Annual Report for 2018. Detailed information about the Group's accounting and valuation principles can be found in the Annual Report for 2018 (Note 2), which is available on www.betssonab.com or at the Company's head office.
As of 1 January 2019 IFRS 16 Leasing is applicable.
IFRS 16 Leases require that assets and liabilities attributable to all leases, with some exceptions, to be reported in the balance sheet. This accounting is based on the view that the lessee has a right to use an asset during a specific period of time and at the same time an obligation to pay for this right. IFRS 16 replaces IAS 17 Leases and associated interpretations IFRIC 4, SIC-15 and SIC-27. The standard is applicable for fiscal years commencing January 1, 2019 or later and is adopted by the EU.
Betsson is doing the modified retrospective method and the major part of leases relates to rental of properties within the Group. The calculation of net present value of contracts in scope for IFRS 16 amounts to SEK 143 million as an opening balance. The incremental borrowing rate ranges between 3–7,5 % for the legal units.
This interim report refers to certain key performance indicators, which Betsson and others use when evaluating the performance of Betsson. These are referred to as alternative performance measures (APMs) and are not defined under IFRS. The figures give management and investors important information in fully enabling of analysis Betsson's business and trends. The APMs are not meant to replace but to complement the performance measures defined under IFRS.
The gambling industry is largely regulated and different political decisions, interpretations of law and developing regulation in various states can significantly affect Betsson's earnings and financial position. Betsson operates its businesses under gaming licenses issued in Malta, as well as in Denmark, Estonia, Georgia, Great Britain, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Spain and Sweden, where national governments have regulated the industry, necessitating businesses to obtain licenses in order to operate gambling in the territory.
New gaming regulation came into effect on 1 January 2019 in Sweden. The Swedish regulator granted four licenses to Betsson operating subsidiaries to offer online gambling and betting to Swedish consumers under the Betsson, Betsafe, NordicBet and Sverigeautomaten brands respectively. In February 2019, the Swedish government called on the industry to selfregulate in demonstrating its commitment to live up to the legal requirement of "moderate advertising". Despite the local industry associations implementing a new code on responsible marketing in April 2019, there remains a risk that the government will push for severe restrictions on or even a ban on gambling advertising in Sweden.
Pressure continues to be put on EU/EEA countries to adapt their national legislation to comply with applicable EU law, and while a number of states have already successfully reregulated the industry and others have announced that they are working on new legislation in line with the EU framework, a number of others are lagging behind, either having reregulated in ways which challenge the European framework or not yet having taken concrete steps towards re-regulation.
Since 2010, Norway has implemented a prohibition against the execution of payments for gaming arranged outside Norway. This negatively affects banks in particular, as providing redemption services in conjunction with the payment of gaming via credit, and payment cards with foreign gaming companies is prohibited. Betsson's assessment is that this legislation is in conflict with EU law.
After many delays, the Dutch Senate finally adopted the remote gambling bill, which aims to liberalise the market, in February 2019. The new law is expected to enter into force earliest in Q3 of 2020, which is also when licensing commences. Gaming tax will be applicable at the rate of 29% + 2% fees of GGR, in total 31%. Together with the new law, the Senate passed a motion where they instructed the government to apply a cooling off period of two years for "illegal operators". This concerns operators who have actively targeted the Dutch market through local payment instruments such as iDeal, advertising aimed at the Netherlands or through use of a Dutch domain name. As regards license eligibility, the motion does not distinguish between fined operators and those who have not been fined. It is not yet clear how the motion will be formalised into a regulation and implemented. Betsson's understanding at this time is that: (i) international operators currently in the market are eligible for a Dutch license but such license may be issued with a delay reflecting the cooling off period; (ii) cooling off is not intended to be a blackout period. Betsson operational subsidiaries have made and will continue to make adjustments to their offering to best handle the impact of the potential cooling-off period as well as put themselves into a good position for the licensing process. Betsson continues to monitor these developments carefully to ensure compliance with EU law.
In March 2019, German state ministers approved amendments to the Interstate Treaty thereby establishing an interim sports-betting licensing regime from January 1, 2020. The amendments also lifted the cap on licenses in preparation for a future agreement on a more permanent regime from June 2021 onwards. However, the draft amendments maintain a federal ban on online casino set in 2012, with the exception of Schleswig-Holstein (where online casino licenses already granted continue for the interim period), in addition to restriction on live betting and setting monthly wagering limits for players. While Betsson continues to follow developments in Germany, it maintains the view that the federal casino ban under German continues to be in breach of EU law.
When new legislation is adopted it is often unclear if the state would impose settlement of previous obligations relating to historical situations, or the size of any such obligation.
In December 2018, Italian legislator approved the government's last minute proposals to hike online and land-based taxes in an attempt to balance its budget. With effect from 1 January 2019, tax for online games increased from 20 to 25 percent of GGR.
In 2007, Turkey introduced legislation against internet gaming that did not fall within the local regulatory framework and it reinforced parts of this legislation in 2013. A Betsson associate, which has its own gaming license in Malta and is owned and managed separately, accepts that Turkish gamblers bet under this license. Pursuant to the legal situation described above, income originating from Turkey can be regarded as comprising a higher operational risk than income from other markets.
Seasonal variations can significantly affect the Company's operations during periods of lower gaming activity and fluctuating results in different sporting events. Economic fluctuations have not affected the operations to any significant degree. Betsson is an international company with operations that are constantly exposed to various currencies. Changes in exchange rates affect Group income.
For a more detailed description of the risks mentioned above and other risks and uncertainties, please refer to the Annual Report for 2018.
The exchange rates below are applied in the interim report.
| 31/03/2019 | 31/03/2018 | ∆ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/SEK | 10.4221 | 10.2931 | +1.3% |
| GBP/SEK | 12.0818 | 11.7617 | +2.7% |
| GEL/SEK | 3.4487 | 3.4433 | +0.2% |
No significant transactions took place between Betsson and related parties that affected Betsson's financial position and performance in the period. The extent and nature of transactions with related parties in the period are consistent with previous year's transactions with related parties, as described in the 2018 annual report.
The Board of Directors proposes to the Annual General Meeting (AGM) that SEK 538.4 (393.1) million, which corresponds to SEK 3.89 (2.84) per share, is distributed to shareholders through an automatic redemption process. This is according to the dividend policy.
Active customers: Number of customers who have played on any of Betsson's gaming sites in the past three months, without any deposit requirement.
All gaming solutions: In the term All Betsson's gaming solutions, KPIs attributable to Betsson are consolidated with KPI's attributable to B2B associates.
Average number of employees: Number of employees expressed as full-time equivalent (full year's work).
Average number of shares outstanding: Weighted average number of shares outstanding.
Betting duties: Includes point of consumption tax attributable to local licences to operate gaming. Fixed fees for gaming licences are not included.
Deposits: Customers' deposits to gaming accounts.
Dividend per share: Actual/proposed dividend. Includes share redemption programmes.
Earnings per share after dilution: Net income, divided by the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the year, adjusted for additional number of shares for options with dilutive effect.
Earnings per share: Net income in relation to the average number of shares outstanding.
EBITDA: Income before financial items, taxes, depreciation and amortisation.
EBITDA margin: Income before financial items, taxes, depreciation and amortisation as percent of revenue.
Equity per share: Equity as a percentage of the number of shares outstanding at the end of the period.
Equity/assets ratio: Equity at the end of the period as a percentage of the balance sheet total at the end of the period.
Gross profit: Revenues, as above, less commission to partners and affiliates, betting duties, licensing fees to games suppliers, payments to payment suppliers and fraud (unapproved payments).
Mobile revenue: Revenues customers using mobile devices.
Net debt: Financial liabilities (bond, bank and remaining purchase considerations from acquisitions) less Cash and cash equivalents.
Number of employees: Number of employees on last month's payroll.
Number of shareholders: Number of direct shareholders and shareholders listed through a nominee shareholder registered in the shareholder register kept by Euroclear Sweden AB.
Number of shares outstanding: Number of shares outstanding (excluding repurchased shares) at the end of the period.
Operating income (EBIT): Income before financial items and taxes.
Operating margin (EBIT): Operating income as a percentage of revenue.
Operational expenses: Includes expenses for marketing, personnel, other external expenses, amortisation and depreciation, capitalized development costs and other operating income/expenses.
Organic: Excluding effects from currency fluctuations, in relation to the comparable period, and contribution from acquired entities over the past 12 months.
Profit margin: Income before taxes as a percentage of revenue.
Revenues: Revenues from gaming business is reported after payment/payout of players' winnings, with deductions for jackpot contributions, loyalty programs and bonuses and other operating income. Licence fees from B2B partners consists of invoiced revenue for providing technical platforms for external gaming operators.

Interim report Q2 and January-June 2019: 19 July 2019 Interim report Q3 and January-September 2019: 24 October 2019 Year-end report and Q4 2019: 13 February 2020
Betsson invites media, analysts and investors to Betsson's office in Regeringsgatan 28, Stockholm, Sweden on Tuesday, 7 May, 2019 at 09:00 CET, for the presentation of the interim report with CEO Pontus Lindwall and acting CFO Kristian Saliba.
The presentation is held in English and is followed by a Q&A session. It is also available via webcast and conference call.
To participate by phone, please dial:
UK: +44 33 33 00 08 04 SE: +46 8 56 64 26 51 US: +1 63 19 13 14 22
Please use the confirmation Code: 41069642#
To watch the webcast of the presentation, visit www.betssonab.com or https://edge.media-server.com/m6/p/9meu3j54

CONTACTS
Pontus Lindwall, President and CEO +46 (0)8 506 403 00
Kristian Saliba, acting CFO +46 (0)8 506 403 00, [email protected]
Anna Ulinder, IR Manager +46 (0)8 506 403 00, [email protected]

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