Multinational sports betting and gaming group GVC Holdings has disclosed a 16% NGR rise in its gaming brands, which include online casino and poker brand PartyGaming plc, for the first five months of 2018.
The firm highlighted the PartyPoker brand as being “a key driver”, which rose by 41%.
Elsewhere, the firm’s European retail operation rose by 28% thanks chiefly to its Eurobet business, while online net gaming revenue also saw an increase, up 18%.
One blight on the report was UK gaming revenue, which fell by 5% – a decline that GVC put down to adverse weather conditions for the first five months of the year.
“UK Retail NGR was 5% behind last year with OTC net revenue 8% behind, impacted by severe weather,” the report read.
“During the 20 week period, 12% of all planned horse racing fixtures were cancelled. Volumes were also adversely impacted by lower levels of recycling at the start of the period due to the exceptionally strong gross win margins at the end of Q4 2017.”
Another notable highlight from the period was GVC’s acquisition of Ladbrokes Coral, in a deal that could eventually be worth up to £4 billion. The firm stressed that the integration is still very much in its infancy.
