EGR Power 50: 41-50 (2018)
41. 188BET (38)
Owned by Isle of Man-based Cube Limited, 188BET is the final operator on the 2018 Power 50 list that is largely focused on the Asian online betting market. A lack of access to the company’s financial rankings this year makes accurately assessing 188BET’s position in the market slightly difficult, and thus the company slips down a few places. The online bookmaker continues to invest in racing sponsorship to boost the UK side of the business.
42. Marathonbet (42)
Marathonbet has had a relatively quiet 12 months and EGR was unable to obtain financials. However, the operator has completed a number of sponsorship deals in recent months and circumstantial evidence suggests the operator’s low-margin strategy is paying dividends in the UK. Oddschecker click-share data also showed the firm was picking up significant market share around both the World Cup and this year’s Cheltenham Festival.
43. Intouch Games (33)
Mobile casino operator Intouch Games continues to keep a relatively low profile in the online gaming sector, but the West Midlands-based company clearly has lofty growth ambitions. Earlier this year, the firm revealed plans to increase its headcount by at least 150 team members, which the mFortune-owner said would help aid the operator’s expansion into new international markets. Intouch’s most recent filings with Companies House for the year ended 31 July 2017 showed the business recorded annual turnover of £46m and gross profit of £35m.
44. Coingaming Group (N/A)
Founded in 2014 and making its Power 50 debut, Coingaming Group is the only operator on this year’s list focused exclusively on the cryptocurrency space with a portfolio of bitcoin-led gaming brands such as Bitcasino.io and Sportsbet.io. The Tallinn-headquartered company has witnessed strong growth since its inception, with its headcount increasing from 30 to more than 200, while Coingaming told EGR earlier this year that its flagship Bitcasino.io brand recorded more than €30m in GGR in Q1 2018 alone. However, with much of the firm’s revenue derived from unregulated markets, Coingaming is prevented from obtaining a higher position.
45. Interwetten Group (46)
Malta-licensed Interwetten recorded a 14% year-on-year rise in net gaming revenue to €65.6m during the reporting period for this year’s rankings on the part-inclusion of the World Cup, while monthly active players were also up 18% to 45,000. However, the Germany-focused operator’s EBITDA and operating profit were both down year-on-year to €12.3m and €11m respectively following an increase in gaming taxes.
46. Betfred (45)
The most recent results for Betfred paint a picture of a business still being modernised, but the company will have some more resources to throw at the digital segment as it slowly extricates itself from the muddle that is pool betting. The operator sold off a 25% chunk in the Tote to Alizeti during the year and is expected to offload the rest over the coming months. Freed from that distraction, the firm is also looking at US opportunities to bolster growth.
47. Smarkets (48)
Smarkets made its debut in the Power 50 last year, and since then has completed a rebuild of its tech stack and a major overhaul to its product, including introducing live charts on top of a design makeover. The company is also beta testing SBK, its new sportsbook powered by the exchange’s pricing that boasts a simple, clean interface that’s been likened to Instagram, along with community-driven elements. In an attempt to improve the exchange’s ecosystem, Smarkets also recently introduced a new ‘Pro Tier’ 1% per-transaction commission structure. More than $3.1bn was traded on the exchange for FY17, yet profits slumped 52% to £6.6m, with its proprietary-trading subsidiary largely to blame.
48. Matchbook (50)
Matchbook climbs two spots this year following an all-out assault on growth over the past 12 months, signified by its offer, launched in May, of 0% commission for
the rest of the year for all new customers. The exchange operator reported triple-
digit increases in new customers sign-ups following the offer and has pledged to attract more recreational punters to the exchange next year with the introduction of “sportsbook concepts”.
49. Superbet (N/A)
Superbet makes its debut in the EGR Power 50 rankings after having previously been on last year’s ‘Ones to watch’ list. The operator continues to be a dominant force in Eastern Europe, particularly in Romania, and its online division has made significant strides recently following the launch of its new mobile sports betting product. However, Superbet could struggle to move much further up the rankings next year following its decision to scale back its Gibraltar operations and the loss of several senior staff members.
50. PlayOJO (N/A)
PlayOJO was only founded in 2016 but has already had a monumental rise since the online casino brand pledged to give customers a “fairer deal” with its no-wagering requirements and allowing users to limit their play. Led by former BGO chief exec Ohad Narkis, the company won the Rising Star category at the EGR Operator Awards in October 2017 and also appeared on Power 50’s ‘Ones to watch’ list last year. Since then, PlayOJO has significantly ramped up its marketing with a plethora of ad campaigns and sponsorship deals across the UK and Sweden.