Although Intralot experienced a dip in earnings for 2023, the company remains assured about future expansion.
Intralot asserts that while income decreased for the year, the lessened net debt in 2023 will enable it to pursue substantial business prospects worldwide.
Home > Finance > Annual Results > Intralot anticipates future expansion despite a 7.3% revenue drop in 2023
Despite a 7.3% decrease in income in 2023, Intralot maintains a positive outlook on future expansion. Income for the 12 months ending December 31, 2023, was €364 million (£311.3 million/$390.5 million), down 7.3% year-over-year. Intralot attributed this primarily to the termination of its license in Malta.
Intralot also observed an increase in expenditures during the year. This, coupled with the decline in income, resulted in a decrease in net profit, although EBITDA rose year-over-year.
Chairman and CEO Sokratis Kokkalis expressed optimism about the full-year results. He cited the “consistent growth” in operating profitability and highlighted the reduction in debt – which decreased by 32.1% to €332 million.
Kokkalis further stated that the lower debt would empower Intralot to pursue new opportunities to bolster its future growth strategies.
“2023 was a year of consistent growth in operating profitability, robust cash flow, and the attainment of our strategic objectives of margin expansion, deleveraging, and debt reduction,” Kokkalis remarked.
Intralot achieved a significant accomplishment with a successful capital expansion and debt restructuring plan, enabling them to seize global opportunities with their updated technology.
However, their financial performance in 2023 was negatively affected by a considerable reduction in consumer revenue. This decrease was primarily attributed to the termination of their Maltese permit in early July 2022, leading to a loss of €43.9 million. Furthermore, economic changes in Argentina and the depreciation of the peso resulted in a €17 million decline in consumer revenue there.
Despite these obstacles, Intralot witnessed growth in both business-to-business segments: management and technology, and support services. Consumer management revenue rose by 43.2% to €72.4 million, driven by expansion in Turkey’s online gambling and sports betting markets. Revenue from Morocco and the United States also exhibited positive growth.
Intralot’s core operations, technology and support services, experienced a 4.1% increase in revenue, reaching €263.3 million. While this growth was positive, it was insufficient to counterbalance the decrease in consumer revenue, leading to an overall reduction in revenue for the company.
Intralot witnessed a rise in its earnings due to expansion in the Croatian market, and the firm also observed some growth in the American market.
Income in other areas also increased by 9.8%, driven by a new partnership accord signed with Taiwan’s Public Lottery in the middle of 2023. However, Intralot also observed a slight decrease in earnings in Australia, attributed to unfavorable foreign exchange rate changes.
The Americas remain Intralot’s main market
Continuing the geographical breakdown, Intralot stated that the Americas remain its primary source of income. In 2023, revenue from the region reached €210.3 million, although this represented a 10.6% decrease compared to 2022.
Earnings in Europe also declined by 6.0% in the year, reaching €116.1 million. However, income from other markets grew by 30.7%, reaching €91.4 million, partially offsetting the declines in other areas. Intralot deducted €53.7 million in intersegment revenue, resulting in a final total of €364 million.
In terms of gambling types, lottery games accounted for 53.4% of all total income in 2023. Sports betting accounted for 20.5%, while video lottery terminals contributed 11.8%. An additional 14.3% came from IT products and services.
Net profit decreased by 7.6%
On the cost side, operating expenses increased by 14.3% in 2023, reaching €114.1 million. However, not all was bad news on the expenditure front, as costs in other areas decreased.
This included depreciation and amortization, which fell by 3.1% to €67.9 million, and interest and related expenses, which declined by 2.9% to €35.7 million.
As a result, profit before tax amounted to €33.6 million, representing a 12% decrease.
Intralots growth rate achieved an 8% increase in the preceding year. Although they did not reveal the precise amount of taxes paid, they did disclose that their net income after taxes and minority interests (NIATMI) experienced a 7.6% decrease, settling at €5.8 million.
However, not all the news is negative. EBITDA saw a 5.4% rise, reaching €129.5 million, and profit before taxes increased by 19.3% to €61.6 million.
Intralot encountered a loss in the final quarter. During the last quarter of the year, Intralots performance was less than ideal. Revenue declined by 7.7% to €84 million, primarily attributed to fluctuations in the Argentine economy.
Operating costs saw a 27.2% increase, reaching €37.6 million, and depreciation and amortization expenses rose by 18.8% to €19.4 million. However, interest and related costs experienced a slight decrease to €7.7 million.
This resulted in a pre-tax profit of €1.4 million, a decline of 86.1% compared to the same period in the previous year. While Intralot stated that their fourth-quarter NIATMI decreased by 125.9% to €3.2 million, details regarding taxes were not disclosed.
EBITDA for the quarter also decreased by 18.3% to €28.4 million, while profit before taxes fell by 50.7% to €9.1 million.
Looking ahead, Intralot expresses optimism about the start of 2024, fueled by recent contract announcements with existing partners.
These include a renewed agreement with Magnum Corporation, a Malaysian gaming company. The deal, finalized in March, extends their partnership for over 17 years. Other recent agreements include a renewed contract with La Marocaine des Jeux et des Sports in Morocco.
During the year 2023, Intralot secured a number of agreements, including a new sports betting partnership with the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC). Kokkalis’s comments about seeking “substantial business opportunities” imply that Intralot may have more deals in the works.
Intralot recently finalized the merger of its wholly-owned subsidiary, “Betting Company Single Member S.A.”
However, there are inquiries about how the group reflects accounts receivable in its financial reports. Accounts receivable are a method of recognizing revenue before a business actually earns it.
When detailing accounts receivable for 2023, Intralot mentioned that they increased by €18.5 million compared to €6.8 million in the prior year. Trade and other short-term accounts receivable were also higher, at €119.9 million, compared to €109.9 million in 2022.
To address its capital concerns, Intralot resolved them by repaying the 5.250% senior notes due in September of this year. This was accomplished through the issuance of €130 million in bonds and a €100 million bond loan from a group of five Greek banks.
On the same day as the bond transaction, Kokkalis purchased 400,000 common registered shares and another 420,000 the following day. This suggests his confidence in the company’s future.
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