## Scaling Up in the B2B Arena – Finance – iGB
In this second part of our series, Tom Waterhouse of Waterhouse VC contends that Evolution’s substantial presence in live casino makes it a key component of the Waterhouse VC investment portfolio.
**Home > Finance > Scaling Up in the B2B Arena**
**Scaling Up in the B2B Arena**
As gambling companies have traditionally faced challenges in setting themselves apart through their offerings, we believe that those able to acquire customers at the lowest cost will emerge as the leading players in the US market.
Several companies operating exclusively within the US have significantly decreased their marketing expenditures, prioritizing profitability. In contrast, companies with a broad reach in markets outside the US, such as Flutter and 888 Holdings, are able to fund their US marketing initiatives using profits generated from their global operations.
For instance, in 2021, Flutter’s group EBITDA reached $1.23 billion (£1.02 billion/€1.18 billion), including a $300 million EBITDA loss in the US. Conversely, DraftKings (a company operating solely in the US) incurred a loss of $676 million and will require continued capital infusions. Considering the current valuations of rapidly growing businesses, this is likely to result in substantial dilution for existing shareholders.
Churchill Downs is a recent example of a company that not only curtailed its marketing efforts but also made the decision to completely withdraw from the sports betting sector in February.
The internet sports wagering and internet gambling marketplace is incredibly cutthroat, with a growing number of enterprises entering the arena. Many are focused on seizing the largest share of the market in each state, with less emphasis placed on short-term or even long-term financial success. This is according to William Carstanjen, the chief executive officer of Churchill Downs.
The advantages of scale in gaming and betting aren’t just for businesses that sell directly to consumers (B2C). While we’re focused on the most innovative smaller businesses that sell to other businesses (B2B) like Voxbet, some sectors of the industry need to be large to thrive.
**The Ascent of Live Casinos**
One sector of the industry that needs to be large is live casinos. In live casinos, games like poker or blackjack are displayed in real-time from casino tables using live video feeds. Live casino providers then sell this product to companies like Flutter and DraftKings.
The initial live casinos began in the mid-2000s, and the industry has expanded rapidly since smartphones gained popularity and technology for streaming and text/voice chat improved. The global live casino market is expanding quickly at 31% per year, compared to 15% for games that use random number generators (RNG) and an 8% decline for conventional casinos (according to the Malta Times). We believe live casinos will continue to be one of the fastest-growing segments of the gaming and betting industry as technology and player experience continue to enhance.
**Evolution Persists**
The process of natural selection, listed on the Swedish stock exchange (ticker: EVO), has two primary areas of operation: live dealer and random number generator. In the initial three months of 2023, the live dealer operation generated income of €264.5 million, a 44% increase from the same period last year, while the random number generator operation generated income of €62.3 million, a 1.8% increase from the same period last year. The enterprise, with a market value of €19 billion, boasts nearly all major online gambling operators as clients. Its income is distributed as follows: Nordic 7%, UK 7%, Rest of Europe 33%, Asia 32%, North America 11%, and Other 10%. There are 41 live dealer providers globally, with the company dominating the market with a share of roughly 70%.
The live dealer operation faces numerous obstacles, including: global latency-free live streaming, maintaining technological leadership, ongoing training of on-screen staff, constructing complex multi-functional studios, maintaining multilingual customer support and chat moderation, and risk and monitoring. (Click here to listen to the company’s Chief Product Officer, Todd Haushalter, discuss “Why is Live Dealer So Hard?”). By overcoming these obstacles daily, the company has established a significant advantage over its rivals.
The company is one of the top suppliers in the industry. We have spoken to many of the company’s clients, and they unanimously agree that the company is at the forefront of the industry in both live dealer and random number generator. The company’s exceptional product and service levels have driven the enterprise’s extraordinary income and profit growth.
Digital gambling houses are a vast and highly lucrative sector due to the fact that fixed operational expenses are substantial, but variable costs to support extra players are minimal. For instance, due to multi-player scalability, Evolution’s “Lightning Roulette” online gambling product can be utilized by nearly an unlimited number of players at the same time.
Consequently, Evolution’s EBITDA profit margin has increased from 45.3% in the initial quarter of 2019 to 70.3% in the first quarter of 2022. As Evolution continues to expand in the thriving North American market, the enterprise will benefit from significant economies of scale and margin growth in the area.
In 2021, Evolution’s North American operations produced €114.5 million in income, representing 10.7% of group revenue. Evolution has seven studios in Europe, three in the United States, and one in Canada. In 2022, two more studios will be launched in Europe, as well as a new studio in Connecticut, USA. The enterprise is expanding at a rate of 70% annually in North America. Evolution is a core holding in our portfolio, reflecting our focus on high-quality B2B providers.
Since its beginning in August 2019, Waterhouse VC has generated a total return of 1,997% as of May 31, 2022, assuming all distributions are reinvested.
Kindly note that the information above concerning Flutter, 888 Holdings, Churchill Downs, DraftKings, Voxbet, and Evolution is based on publicly accessible information about the companies and should not be considered or interpreted as financial product advice.
Waterhouse Venture Capital makes investments in Flutter, 888 Holdings, Voxbet, and Evolution. This document is purely for informational purposes and should not be taken as investment guidance. It is essential to consult with a financial expert for personalized advice that aligns with your requirements.
Subscribe to the iGaming newsletter.