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Lutter said it saw an “unparalleled year in 2020” as the SkyBet and Paddy Power owner reported revenues boosted by online betting in lockdowns. The FTSE-100 company, which is based in Dublin, said it saw revenues up 28% to £5.3 billion on a pro forma basis for the year ended December 31, with 19% customer growth across the group in the period. Mar 02, 2021 Flutter Entertainment (FLTR.L), the gambling group behind brands like Paddy Power, PokerStars, and Betfair, hailed a 'transformational' year in 2020 as it reported surging sales but sinking profits Flutter said its revenue rose by 106% last year to £4.3bn ($6bn). Sales were up 27% in the 12 months. Mar 03, 2021 Paddy Power-owner’s profits wiped out by mega-merger costs Oscar Williams-Grut, Yahoo Finance UK March 3, 2021 at 4:11 am Flutter Entertainment, the gambling group behind brands like Paddy Power, PokerStars, and Betfair, hailed a “transformational” year in 2020 as it reported surging sales but sinking profits.
02 Mar Paddy Power owner Flutter reports soaring US growth
Flutter said it saw an “unparalleled year in 2020” as the SkyBet and Paddy Power owner reported revenues boosted by online betting in lockdowns.
The FTSE-100 company, which is based in Dublin, said it saw revenues up 28% to £5.3 billion on a pro forma basis for the year ended December 31, with 19% customer growth across the group in the period.
The firm said its pre-tax profits fall from £136 million to just £1 million in part due to costs associated with its £9.3 billion acquisition of Canadian gambling firm, Stars Group, in May.
Flutter said it held its position as top US online operator, with usage of its FanDuel and FOX Bet brands spreading across the country.
The sector is seeing a boom in the US following a 2018 Supreme Court ruling allowing states to decide on legalising sports bets. The industry’s London-listed firms – including Ladbrokes owner Entain and Teddy Sagi’s Playtech – are all focusing on US growth. Flutter said that it expects the total addressable market for its US offerings to exceed $20 billion by 2025 – double that expected this time last year – as states make regulation changes at speed.
Chief executive Peter Jackson said on Tuesday that he thinks the switch to online gaming habits will “stick”.
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He said: “2020 was an historic year for the group… Nowhere has our growth been more evident than in the US where we have consolidated our #1 position in this crucial market, with customer economics that continue to exceed our expectations, finishing the year as the first US online operator to reach over $1.1bn in gross gaming revenue.
“While the global outlook remains uncertain, our momentum remains strong and we look forward to the future with confidence.”
Jackson said the company welcomes the Government’s review of gambling laws. The review of the 2005 Gambling Act has been billed as a move to bring an analogue act up to speed with the digital age, as campaigners call for tougher regulations as online gambling habits evolve.
The chief executive said Flutter is seeing a “real sea change” already – with 40% of UK SkyBet customers operating a limit on their account in 2020.
Hargreaves Lansdown analyst, Susannah Streeter, said: “Merger with The Stars Group and the increased ownership of FanDuel in the US has given Flutter a much bigger footprint to draw earnings from, which partly accounts for the doubling of revenues in 2020.”
The analyst noted that “Flutter’s strategy of widening its geographical portfolio should help insulate business if the more radical proposals under consideration [in the review] become law”.
Paddy Power owner Flutter Entertainment has said the US online betting market – in which it is the number one player - could be worth as much as $20bn (€17bn) by 2025; double what it had previously estimated.
In what the group called a “transformational” and “historic” year, Flutter cemented its market-leading position in the US in 2020 through the completion of its mega takeover of North American gaming and betting giant the Stars Group – which owned the likes of SkyBet and Full Tilt Poker - and buying the remaining share of fantasy sports betting business FanDuel that it didn’t already own.
Speaking on the back of Flutter posting its 2020 annual results, group chief executive Peter Jackson said: “Nowhere has our growth been more evident than in the US, where we have consolidated our number one position in this crucial market, with customer economics that continue to exceed our expectations, finishing the year as the first US online operator to reach over $1.1bn in gross gaming revenue.”
Flutter said it picked up a further 350,000 customers in the US over the course of the recent Superbowl weekend alone.
Overall, Flutter reported a strong set of 2020 results. Group revenue jumped 28% to £5.3bn (€6.1bn) and adjusted earnings – excluding the US operations - surged 23% to £1.4bn.
Pre-tax profit fell from £136m to just £1m after the deduction of accounting charges relating to the Stars takeover.
Flutter said it has seen strong momentum seen in the final quarter of 2020 carry on into this year, with group revenues up 36%, year-on-year, over the first seven weeks of the year.
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While online drove Flutter’s revenue growth last year, its retail business – Paddy Power shops across Ireland and the UK – were heavily impacted by lockdown restrictions. The retail division has been taking an estimated £9m EBITDA loss for every month the shop networks have been closed due to lockdown.
Despite this, Flutter’s chief financial officer Jonathan Hill said it does not spell the death of high street betting shops and physical Paddy Power shops remain a key part of the overall group product offering.
Mr Hill said the group remains “very committed” to its retail division and had seen strong demand – particularly in the UK – when shops temporarily reopened during lulls in lockdown last year.
Outside of its continued growth in the US, Flutter said it will continue to pursue bolt-on acquisition opportunities in growth markets.
In January, it acquired a 50.1% stake in India-based company Junglee Games – which runs online rummy and fantasy sports products. Flutter has an option to buy Junglee entirely in 2025.
“We will look to add to our portfolio of international businesses. The success of Adjarabet [in Georgia] has highlighted the benefits of acquiring local brand leaders to which we can bring additional expertise,” Flutter said.