German sports-betting licences

RNS Number : 7101B

GVC Holdings PLC

12 October 2020

 

12 October 2020

GVC Holdings PLC

("GVC" or the "Group")

German sports-betting licences

GVC Holdings PLC (LSE: GVC), the global sports-betting and gaming Group, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded four sports-betting licences in Germany.

On 9 October the German regulator issued licences for the bwin, SportingBet, Ladbrokes and Gamebookers brands to enable each of them to offer sports-betting products to customers across Germany.  This is a significant milestone for GVC coming swiftly after the Tolerance Policy for gaming that was announced on 1 October 2020 and brings further clarity and certainty in Germany. 

An outline of the licence terms are:

· Wagering limit of €1,000 euros per month that can be increased to €10,000 subject to certain criteria being met as well as certain loss limits

· The ability to increase this further to €30,000 for 1 per cent of customers subject to enhanced due diligence and certain loss limits

· Deposit limits until customer verification processes are complete

· Maximum annual bonus per customer of €100

· The inclusion of certain responsibility requirements by the licence holder

The licences have been issued with immediate effect.  However, the timing for implementation of the terms attached to the licences are yet to be formally agreed and GVC is working with the regulator on an implementation plan with terms expected to be in place in the early part of 2021.  The granting of the licences to GVC's four sports brands in Germany is in-line with GVC's strategic ambition of operating in regulated markets and will enable it to build on its leading position in the German market.  Following implementation, GVC estimates that Group EBITDA will be reduced by up to £40m¹ on an annualised basis.

Shay Segev, CEO of GVC commented:

" The award of these licences is great news for GVC, bringing the clarity and certainty that we have long sought for sports-betting in Germany.  Combined with the recent Tolerance Policy we can now look confidently to the future, building on our position as a market leader by delivering an unparalleled, innovative experience for our German customers.  The much-anticipated regulation of online gaming in Germany re-enforces GVC's position as the most globally regulated and responsible operator in our industry."

Enquiries:

Investor Relations GVC Holdings PLC David Lloyd-Seed, Director of Investor Relations & External Communications Jennifer Spencer, Investor Relations Manager

Tel: [phone] [e-mail]

Media GVC Holdings PLC Tessa Curtis, Head of Media Relations Jay Dossetter, Head of ESG and Press Office	Tel: [phone] [e-mail] or [e-mail]
Powerscourt
Rob Greening / Elly Williamson	Tel: [phone] [e-mail]

Notes:

1.  The reduction of EBITDA of up to £40m per annum relates to the issuance of the four sports-betting licences.  This is incremental to the impact from the Tolerance Policy, as announced on 1^st October 2020, of approximately £70m for the FY2021.

Forward-looking statements

This document contains certain statements that are forward-looking statements. They appear in a number of places throughout this document and include statements regarding our intentions, beliefs or current expectations and those of our officers, directors and employees concerning, amongst other things, results of our operations, financial condition, liquidity, prospects, growth, strategies and the business we operate. These forward-looking statements include all matters that are not historical facts. By their nature, these statements involve risks and uncertainties since future events and circumstances can cause results and developments to differ materially from those anticipated. Any such forward-looking statements reflect knowledge and information available at the date of preparation of this document . Other than in accordance with its legal or regulatory obligations (including under the Market Abuse Regulation (596/2014), the Listing Rules, the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules and the Prospectus Rules), the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements. Nothing in this document should be construed as a profit forecast. The Company and its directors accept no liability to third parties in respect of this document save as would arise under English law.

About GVC Holdings PLC

GVC Holdings PLC (LSE:GVC) is a FTSE100 company and is one of the world's largest sports-betting and gaming groups, operating both online and in the retail sector. The Group owns a comprehensive portfolio of established brands; Sports Brands include bwin, Coral, Crystalbet, Eurobet, Ladbrokes, Neds and Sportingbet; Gaming Brands include CasinoClub, Foxy Bingo, Gala, Gioco Digitale, partypoker and PartyCasino. The Group owns proprietary technology across all of its core product verticals and in addition to its B2C operations provides services to a number of third-party customers on a B2B basis. The Group has also entered into a joint-venture with MGM Resorts to capitalise on the sports-betting and gaming opportunity in the US. The Group is tax resident in the UK with licenses in more than 20 countries, across five continents.

For more information see the Group's website:   www.gvc-plc.com  

LEI: 213800GNI3K45LQR8L28

 

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