Blaze Gaming now available through eSoftHall

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ZEAL Network SE, the leading German online provider of lottery products, continued its strong growth path in the first half of 2024 with strong growth in revenue and EBITDA. Group revenue increased by 40 percent and reached € 76.8 million (2023: € 54.8 million). EBITDA increased even more strongly by 46 percent to € 20.1 million (2023: € 13.8 million).

“The very strong development of revenue and EBITDA reflects our excellent operating performance. We are particularly pleased that we have been able to acquire over half a million new customers since the beginning of the year. The acquisition of new customers has not only been exceptionally successful this half year, but also particularly efficient thanks to the significant reduction in acquisition costs per registered new customer. We are thus benefiting from the continuous investment in brand development in recent years,” says Sebastian Bielski, CFO of ZEAL.

Revenue in core business grows by 33 percent

ZEAL’s significant revenue growth in the first half of the year is primarily due to the strong development of the lottery business. Here, billings increased by 23 percent to €507.1 million, while revenue rose by as much as 33 percent to €68.0 million (2023: €51.2 million). The strong increase in billings is due to the 21 percent increase in the average number of active customers (1,353 thousand) and the 2 percent increase in the average billings per active user to € 62.48. In addition, ZEAL improved the gross margin in the lottery business to 13.4 percent (2023: 12.5 percent) thanks to a change in the product mix and further margin optimizations.

The games business, which was launched in June 2023, continued to develop positively in the second quarter of 2024 compared to the first quarter with solid revenue growth and a higher gross margin.

Strong result thanks to significant customer growth and lower acquisition costs

ZEAL once again significantly expanded its customer base in the first half of 2024 in a generally favorable jackpot situation. The number of registered new customers rose by 70 percent to 592 thousand (2023: 349 thousand), the second-highest figure in ZEAL’s history. Acquisition costs per registered new customer (cost per lead, CPL) fell by 26 percent year-on-year to € 33.20 (2023: € 45.09). Due to the company’s strategic decision to use the good jackpot situation in the first half of the year to accelerate customer growth, marketing expenses increased by 28 percent year-on-year to € 25.5 million (2023: € 20.0 million). Due to the high number of new customers and the growth in the games business, direct operating costs also increased to € 8.6 million (2023: € 5.4 million), while other operating expenses rose to € 42.8 million (2023: € 31.6 million).

At € 20.1 million, EBITDA was 46 percent higher than in the same period of the previous year (2023: € 13.8 million) due to the significant growth in sales and improved cost efficiency compared to the previous year. At € 16.1 million, EBIT even exceeded the previous year’s figure (2023: € 9.3 million) by 73 percent.

Due to the good results in the first half of 2024, ZEAL confirms the forecast published on March 20, 2024.

ZEAL launches first house raffle in Germany

As announced a few months ago, ZEAL launched another charity lottery on 01 August 2024, namely Traumhausverlosung. It is the first raffle in Germany in which participants have the chance to win a fully furnished dream house. Each house is guaranteed to be raffled off regardless of the number of participants. Participants also have the chance to win numerous additional prizes.

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B2B gaming supplier Push Gaming returns to one of its iconic game series with Razor Ways, featuring a reimagined aesthetic and expanding reels among an array of new gameplay elements.

Using the solid foundation of the smash hit Razor Returns, this latest iteration provides a unique take on the much-loved design and mechanics for fans eager to sample more Razor.

With up to 46,656 ways to win, Razor Ways features not only expanding reels but wilds too while converter symbols boost win potential every spin.

Gameplay is not the only area to enjoy a makeover, Razor Ways reinterprets the signature design of the Razor series on a brand-new reel leveraging familiarity for longtime fans while delivering fresh thrills for new players.

Anastasiia Mysan, Game Producer at Push Gaming, said: “We wanted to switch things up in this release – Razor Ways pays in ways and includes expanding reels. This also allowed us to introduce exciting new elements and spruce up the design. We’ve dived deeper into the ocean by introducing dwellers from the depths and depicting the very bottom of the underwater world.

“Each new game round presents a new opportunity to unlock a 6×6 grid with 46,656 ways to win! Razor Ways has a massive win potential with the addition of new symbols, the expanding wild and converter, along with the return of fan-favourite feature, Razor Reveal.”

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Amber Gaming announces the appointment of Scott Young as Operations Director, to spearhead ongoing compliance initiatives.

Scott joins the Amber Gaming board and will play a pivotal role in strengthening the standards of compliance and client support, further cementing the company’s commitment to best-in-class services recognised globally.

With nearly two decades of experience in the eGaming industry, Scott’s expertise spans multiple landscapes and business types.

Scott departed the business in 2018 to join one the largest Isle of Man GSC licence holders facing Asian Markets. Here, Scott engineered a compliance programme that not only met and exceeded regulatory requirements but was also commercially viable and allowed for significant year-on-year growth. This challenged the traditional view that heightened compliance hampers commercial expansion.

In early 2020, BetVictor sought Scott’s experience and he joined the business as Group Director of Compliance where he made significant strides in successfully restructuring and refreshing compliance programs across the group.

After successfully navigating the challenging Covid times, Scott left BetVictor to reprise his previous role as Head of Compliance & Money Laundering Reporting Officer with Mayfly Entertainment, where he enjoyed further successes including a term as Managing Director of the business.

His qualifications include certifications in International Financial Crime Prevention (ICA), GDPR Data Protection Practitioner (PDP), and a host of AML/CFT, Responsible Gambling, Regulatory Governance, and Compliance certifications. He has been a member of the eGaming Strategic Advisory Board (eGSAB) and most recently, a member and contributor to the Isle of Man National Risk Assessment AML Advisory Group.

Jade Zorab, Managing Director of Amber Gaming, commented: “We are so pleased to welcome Scott back to the Amber Gaming team, whose focus remains on working with high calibre partners that share our outlook about conducting business responsibly. Scott is arguably one of the most experienced eGaming professionals in our field and his commitment to excellence embodies the standards that comprise our ethos.”

Scott Young added: “I am thrilled to rejoin the Amber Gaming family at the most pivotal time. While familiar, Amber Gaming has grown significantly since my time with them. This has brought new faces, novel concepts and fresh challenges, all of which I look forward to meeting over the coming months.”