Aspire Global’s financial performance in 2021 witnessed a notable surge, with earnings reaching a substantial €213.3 million. This signifies a remarkable 31.8% increase compared to the preceding year. This impressive growth trajectory coincides with the significant acquisition bid from NeoGames.
NeoGames, a prominent provider of online lottery platforms, has proposed a substantial SEK 4.3 billion to acquire the entirety of Aspire Global’s shares. The deadline for accepting this offer is set for May 3rd, following the dissemination of the offer document in April. The completion of this transaction is anticipated in the initial half of 2022.
The reported revenue figures encompass the company’s B2C operations, which were recently agreed upon to be sold to Esports Technologies for a sum of $75.9 million.
The majority of the revenue, a substantial €118.3 million, originated from Aspire’s core platform operations. Their B2B gaming operations, bolstered by the 2019 acquisition of Pariplay, contributed €30 million. The sports division, operating under the BtoBet brand, added an additional €11.3 million.
This implies that revenue derived from ongoing B2B operations amounted to €157.4 million, while the B2C business generated €64.6 million.
The group’s annual net revenue, inclusive of the B2C division, reached €210.2 million after accounting for €3.1 million in EU VAT.
The total operating expenses incurred throughout the year amounted to €175.2 million.
In sum, distribution expenses reached €138.1 million, wagering taxes €15.9 million, and administrative costs €21.2 million. Depreciation and amortization charges rose by €35 million.
As a result, the yearly pre-tax profit reached €26.4 million, exceeding €16.4 million in 2020. Considering €2.2 million in income tax, the total annual net profit was €24.1 million, a 60.7% increase compared to the previous year. Excluding the B2C sector, net profit was €19.8 million.
In the final quarter of 2021, the company’s net income was €50.9 million, a 14.6% increase compared to the same period in 2020. Core operations generated €28.2 million in the quarter, with gaming revenue rising by €7.5 million, sports contributing €3.5 million, while the B2C business brought in €11.8 million. Excluding B2C revenue, the fourth quarter totaled €39.1 million.
Spending in the final quarter reached €43.3 million, with depreciation and amortization charges rising by €2.4 million. Net profit for the quarter was €4.8 million, surpassing €4.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2020.
In 2021, Pariplay expanded into the United States, obtaining a supplier license in West Virginia. In the final quarter, Aspire also reached an agreement to acquire a 25% stake in bingo supplier End 2 End.
Aspire’s sports betting supplier BtoBet also successfully entered Poland, reaching an agreement with BestBet24 to support its new sports betting platform.
Aspire CEO Tsachi Maimon stated: “We have observed strong growth in all quarters of 2021, with revenue excluding B2C increasing by 24.4% in the final quarter.”
Aspire Global, a firm specializing in business-to-business operations, is a leading force in the iGaming sector presently. We have achieved significant strides in establishing a robust presence and attracting prominent operators to our partner network in recent times, particularly following the acquisitions of BtoBet and Pariplay. These mergers have generated substantial value.
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