Like so many organisations LeoVegas has not been immune to the effects of the various global lockdowns mandated, however, as a solely online operator those may well be significantly different to firm’s that also encompass retail.
With much attention from the operator recently directed the way of Sweden, and a perceived “chaos” that has occurred through newly introduced restrictions, LeoVegas’ attention during previous weeks and months has also centred on that of sustainability and consistent growth.
Earlier in the year the group reported that it’s “well positioned” due to a structural shift to online gaming, reporting a minor impact to its online-based business as a result of the current health crisis, as revenue for the year’s first quarter rose four per cent to €89.4m (2019: €86.3m).
“The health of our employees and their families and being a responsible employer during these difficult times has been an absolute top priority for us,” Dersim Sylwan, LeoVegas CMO, said of the COVID impacts on the firm.
“From a business perspective I am proud of the way our staff has stepped up while we have worked from home. I believe we were well prepared as an organisation and have been able to make sure all our existing and new customers received the greatest gaming experience out there.”
“…our continuous and increased focus on responsibility and sustainability is well reflected”
Earlier in the year Gustaf Hagman, CEO and co-founder of LeoVegas, stated that the company “has decided to set clear ambitions, targets and measures for sustainability based on environmental, social and governance factors”
Sylwan moved on to offer an update to progress made in this area: “We recently published our annual sustainability report and our continuous and increased focus on responsibility and sustainability is well reflected in the high targets that we’ve set out in that report. Today approximately 10 per cent of the group’s employees work specifically in roles coupled to compliance and responsible gaming.
“Expertise in responsible gaming was also further strengthened earlier this year with the addition of new board member Mathias Hallberg. Hallberg conducts research in the field of addiction and is also a Professor in molecular addiction research at Uppsala University.”
The most recent manoeuvre undertaken saw LeoVegas eye an expanded Nordic footprint via its GoGoCasino igaming entity, with a strategic international expansion plan said to be in place following its March 2019 launch in Sweden.
Operating under the collective name ‘Brands of Leo,’ the first brand to launch on LeoVegas’ proprietary multi brand platform saw Finland targeted as the first stage of larger expansion plans.
“GoGoCasino combines the best functions in casino with a high level of user friendliness and innovative design,” Sylwan said of the ambitions for the entity.
“Just like in Sweden, we believe that there is an audience group in need of a customer oriented ‘swipe & play’ casino brand also in the Finnish market.”
“The heart of our operations will continue to be built around being King of Casino”
Before moving on to address the wide benefits of the group’s proprietary multi brand platform: “It gives us great possibilities to offer customised brands that appeal to selected target groups.
“Another example is the LiveCasino.com brand that was recently launched. The ambition with LiveCasino.com is to take the leading position in the live casino niche, which is the fastest growing product category in the gaming market at the moment.”
To conclude, Sylwan took a tentative glance to expectations heading into 2021 and a continuation of the group’s concerted effort to maximise the impact from current trends: “The transformation from offline to online gaming is currently happening even faster than anticipated, and we will continue to maximise this growth opportunity.
“The heart of our operations will continue to be built around being ‘King of Casino’, meaning that we offer our customers the greatest gaming experience while working in a completely data driven way.
“We will continue to use data to decide our marketing investments, new brands and product roadmap and perhaps most importantly use our data in real time to monitor potential problem gambling. While we’ve had good achievements in 2020 we will never be satisfied but always strive to improve in everything we do.”
