Publicly listed since July, FL Entertainment declared that its digital sports and wagering income surged by 5.7% during the initial nine months of the fiscal year 2022. This upswing was driven by the expansion of Betclic Everest, which counterbalanced a decline in Bet-at-home’s performance.
FL Entertainment emerged as the new moniker for the unified entity following its amalgamation with Pegasus Entrepreneurial Acquisition Company Europe, a special purpose acquisition firm.
The merger agreement encompassed all Betclic Everest subsidiaries, including Bet-at-home, and the television production enterprise, Banijay. Banijay initially merged with Betclic to form FL Entertainment, which subsequently combined with Pegasus.
“FL Entertainment has witnessed robust group revenue growth in the first nine months of 2022, demonstrating sustained high profitability and cash flow,” stated François Riahi, Chief Executive Officer of FL Entertainment.
“Our online sports betting and gaming operations have also performed exceptionally well, exhibiting strong earnings growth fueled by their engaging digital platforms and efficient cost structure.”
Betclic is ideally situated to benefit from the World Cup, with a strong foundation established on a 11% annual increase in active participants. Their dedication to accountable gambling provides a stable base for expansion.
Online sports and wagering income reached €591 million (£508.6 million/$617.1 million) in the nine months ending September, up from €559.1 million a year earlier.
Sports wagering income accounted for €477.1 million of this, up 7.1% annually, driven by a robust rebound in the third quarter after a relatively quiet sports schedule in the first half of the year, compared to the first half of 2021 which included the European Football Championship.
Casino income declined 6.5% to €71.8 million, but online poker income rose 8.7% to €34.9 million, while other income in this business sector jumped 56.8% to €7.2 million.
Betclic Expansion, Bet-at-home Decline
A significant portion of the online sports wagering growth was driven by Betclic, with FL Entertainment noting that income increased 13.0% annually at constant exchange rates and excluding the Bet-at-home business, which has been discontinued in certain regions. On the same basis, Betclic income increased 15.0%, while Bet-at-home fell 11.0%.
The Bet-at-home business has encountered a challenging year. In September, Bet-at-home cautioned that it may not have sufficient liquid funds to meet its financial obligations due to the impact of its withdrawal from the Austrian market on its financial year, putting it at risk.
Bet-at-home issued a cautionary statement after revealing substantial reductions to its operations in other territories, particularly Austria.
In October of 2021, the enterprise lost a legal dispute in Austria against a group seeking reimbursement for unauthorized operators. Following this, Bet-at-home declared its departure from the market and the closure of its Malta-based entity specifically targeting that market.
In July, Bet-at-home declared it had “abandoned” its UK license and would permanently exit the market – this came after the operator was suspended by the Gambling Commission for alleged anti-money laundering and social responsibility shortcomings.
Across its broader operations, including its content creation and distribution division, income increased 15.0% year-over-year to €2.71 billion.
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) grew 17.5% to €446.4 million, with a profit margin of 16.5%.
Pre-tax losses were €35.1 million, compared to a profit of €14.2 million in the same period last year. FL Entertainment paid €40.3 million in taxes, resulting in a net loss of €75.4 million, significantly higher than the €1.8 million loss last year.
However, FL Entertainment noted that after subtracting certain expenses – namely €99.5 million in restructuring expenses and €104.7 million in long-term incentive plans and earnings and option expenses related to employment – as well as including €81.1 million in other financial income, net profit was €209.8 million, up 15.4% year-over-year.
Amidst a landscape of numerous economic headwinds, including rising prices, FL Entertainment is dedicated to enhancing operational effectiveness, especially in the realm of content production, to preserve profitability and robust cash flow.
Riahi remarked, “The positive strides achieved thus far, combined with our dominant standing in a captivating and expanding sector of the entertainment industry, empowers us to sustain consistent growth aligned with our 2022 projections and long-term aspirations.”
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