Face Off

What is Face Off?

A pro-gaming political action committee has launched a campaign to persuade Allen County voters to approve a casino referendum on the November ballot.

Vote Yes for Allen County Casino recently unveiled a 90-second advertisement that promotes the possible economic benefits of bringing a gaming resort to Indiana’s third-most populous county.

The campaign claims that a casino in or near Fort Wayne, the second-largest city in the Hoosier State, could create 2,000 new permanent jobs and generate more than $100 million annually in new government revenue without raising taxes.

What is Face Off?

Analysts remain bullish on the operator’s future following its H1 earnings report. A Goodbody note dated 13 August hailed “another positive update, with H1 adjusted EBITDA landing comfortably ahead of expectations”.

UK&I continues to be a “standout performance” said the note, as Entain sits comfortably ahead of its peers and appears to be seizing market share, amid fallout from the UK’s remote gaming duty tax hike in April.

In a 14 August note from UBS, the investment bank reiterated its buy rating for Entain. “Overall, we believe Entain shares offer the highest theoretical upside potential within the European gaming sector, albeit with a risk profile that remains elevated relative to peers,” the note went on to say.

About Face Off

Sun International attributed the land-based growth to investments in product and marketing, with land-based casino GGR growing 4.4%. The company launched 876 new slot machines and stadium games during the period.

Bengtsson said the land-based growth reflected Sun International’s “strong execution and sound investment decisions”.

Despite the revenue growth, land-based gross profit dipped 0.7% to R2 billion, largely due to the heightened investment in marketing.