Unibet Group plc - Interim report January - September 2015 (unaudited)

Third quarter and the period January to September highlights

The comparatives for profit before and after tax and earnings per share on this page include the non-recurring gain in the second quarter of 2014 as a result of the Kambi spin-off. Further information on items affecting comparability is shown in note 4 on page 13.

• New all-time high in gross winnings revenue which amounted to GBP 86.1 (80.4) million for the third quarter of 2015 and GBP 242.7 (234.0) million for the period January to September 2015.
• The result for the third quarter as reported in GBP was significantly affected by the translation effect of movements in currency exchange rates. The underlying organic growth in gross winnings revenue in constant currency was more than 21%.
• If Unibet reported results in SEK, gross winnings revenue for the third quarter would have been SEK 1,132.1 (932.4) million.
• Underlying profit before items affecting comparability for the third quarter was GBP 18.1 (18.0) million and GBP 45.1 (47.7) million for the period January to September 2015.
• Profit before tax for the third quarter of 2015 amounted to GBP 14.4 (18.1) million. Profit before tax for the period January to September 2015 amounted to GBP 40.9 (83.6) million.
• Profit after tax for the third quarter of 2015 amounted to GBP 12.9 (16.5) million. Profit after tax for the period January to September 2015 amounted to GBP 36.3 (79.9) million.
• Earnings per share for the third quarter of 2015 were GBP 0.452 (0.585) and GBP 1.275 (2.838) for the period January to September 2015.
• Number of active customers at the end of the quarter was 671,635 (573,074) of which 28,644 were customers of the businesses acquired in the third quarter.

“Sustained organic growth is now supported by strategic acquisitions”

“The Unibet Group continued to deliver very strong organic growth in the third quarter, driving another all-time high in gross winnings revenue. Organic growth, excluding the effect of changes in FX rates and the contribution from acquisitions was 21% in constant currencies. Sports betting turnover increased by 24% in GBP, which equated to organic growth of around 40% in constant currencies.”

“Underlying EBITDA for the third quarter was slightly below the result for the same period in 2014, as a result of lower sports betting margins and the impact of the changes in exchange rates of approximately 13 per cent.” 

“Our focus on the mobile strategy already five years ago has enabled us to be and remain at the forefront of industry developments. In the third quarter our share from the mobile grew by 47% compared to the third quarter last year and amounted to 51% of our gross winnings revenues and as such now is our single largest channel.”

“During the quarter the Unibet Group completed the acquisitions of the iGame Group, which contributed GBP 0.7 million of gross winnings revenue and GBP 0.1 million of profit before tax and Stan James Online, which did not contribute as it was acquired on 30 September. The combination of our continuing organic growth and these strategic acquisitions give the Unibet Group a strong platform for accelerated development in future quarters. The acquisitions also bring new expertise into our teams, with opportunities for future synergies and increasing our share of revenues from locally regulated markets.”

“In the period up to 1 November, daily average gross winnings revenue in constant currency was more than 30% higher than the same period in 2014, despite lower sports betting margins in October. This reflects both the continuing strong activity levels as well a good start for iGame and Stan James,” says Henrik Tjärnström, CEO of Unibet.

For further information please contact:

Inga Lundberg, Investor Relations                              +44 7887 996 116

Henrik Tjärnström, CEO                                                +46 723 878 059

About Unibet Group          

Unibet Group is one of Europe’s largest listed online gambling operators and is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. Unibet Group provides services in 21 languages to over 13.2 million customers in over 100 countries through several subsidiaries and brands. Unibet Group is a member of the European Gaming and Betting Association, Remote Gambling Association in the UK and is audited and certified by eCOGRA in relation to the pan-European CEN standard on consumer protection and responsible gaming.

More information about Unibet Group plc can be found on www.unibetgroupplc.com and twitter.com/UnibetGroup.

Tags: