Tencent Announces 2020 Fourth Quarter and Annual Results

 
 

Tencent Holdings Limited (" Tencent " or the "Company", 00700.HK), a leading provider of Internet value added services in China today announced the unaudited consolidated results for the fourth quarter of 2020 ("4Q2020") and the audited consolidated results for the year ended December 31, 2020 ("FY2020").

 

   4Q2020     Key Highlights   

 

   Revenues: +26% YoY, non-IFRS   [1] profit attributable to equity holders of the Company: +30% YoY   

 
  •   Total r   evenues were RMB133,669 million ( USD20,486 million   [2] ), an increase of 26% over the fourth quarter of 2019 ("YoY").
  •  
  •   On a   n   on-IFRS basis   , which is intended to reflect core earnings by excluding certain one-time and/or non-cash items:
  •  

- Operating profit was RMB38,084 million ( USD5 ,837 million), an increase of 26% YoY. Operating margin was broadly stable at 28%.
- Profit for the period was RMB34 ,454 million ( USD5,280 million ), an increase of 29% YoY. Net margin was broadly stable at 26%.
- Profit attributable to equity holders of the Company for the quarter was RMB33 ,207 million ( USD5,089 million ), an increase of 30% YoY.
- Basic earnings per share were RMB3.494 . Diluted earnings per share were RMB3.413 .

 

  •   On an IFRS basis :
  •  

- Operating profit was RMB63,713 million ( USD9,765 million ), an increase of 123% YoY. Operating margin increased to 48% from 27% last year.
- Profit for the period was RMB59,369 million ( USD9,099 million ), an increase of 165% YoY. Net margin increased to 44% from 21% last year.
- Profit attributable to equity holders of the Company for the quarter was RMB59,302 million ( USD9,089 million ), an increase of 175% YoY.
- Basic earnings per share were RMB6.240 . Diluted earnings per share were RMB6.112 .

 
  •   Total cash were RMB259,507 million ( USD39,772 million ) at the end of the quarter.
  •  

   FY2020     Key Highlights   

 

   Revenues: +28%, non-IFRS profit attributable to equity holders of the Company: +30%   

 
  •   Total r   evenues were RMB482,064 million ( USD73,881 million ), an increase of 28% over 2019.
  •  
  •   On a   n   on-IFRS basis   , which is intended to reflect core earnings by excluding certain one-time and/or non-cash items:
  •  

- Operating profit was RMB149 ,404 million ( USD22 ,898 million), an increase of 30% YoY. Operating margin was largely stable at 31%.
- Profit for the year was RMB126 ,983 million ( USD19,461 million ), an increase of 30% YoY. Net margin was stable at 26%.
- Profit attributable to equity holders of the Company for the year was RMB122 ,742 million ( USD18,811 million ), an increase of 30% YoY.
- Basic earnings per share were RMB12.934 . Diluted earnings per share were RMB12.689 .

 
  •   On an IFRS basis :
  •  

- Operating profit was RMB184 ,237 million ( USD28,236 million ), an increase of 55% YoY. Operating margin increased to 38% from 31% last year.
- Profit for the year was RMB160,125 million ( USD24,541 million ), an increase of 67% YoY. Net margin increased to 33% from 25% last year.
- Profit attributable to equity holders of the Company for the year was RMB159,847 million ( USD24,498 million ), an increase of 71% YoY.
- Basic earnings per share were RMB16.844 . Diluted earnings per share were RMB16.523 .

 
  • The Board has recommended a final dividend of HKD1.60 per share for FY2020 (2019: HKD1.20 per share), subject to the approval of the shareholders at the Annual General Meeting.
  •  
 
  
 

   [1] Non-IFRS adjustments (formerly referred as non-GAAP) excludes share-based compensation, M&A related impact such as net
(gains)/losses from investee companies, amortisation of intangible assets and impairment provision/(reversals), as well as income
tax effects.
 

 
 

   [2] Figures stated in USD are based on USD1 to RMB6.5249  

 
 
 

Mr. Ma Huateng, Chairman and CEO of Tencent , said, "While 2020 was a year of unprecedented challenges, solid results across all our businesses testify to our focus on user value, technology innovation and business sustainability. We extended our leading position in the consumer internet space with enriched content and innovations across our products, while making notable progress in international expansion, starting with games. We also further penetrated into industrial internet with our flagship SaaS products and upgraded cloud infrastructure. We will continue to implement Tech for Good and work with industry partners to bring value-enhancing products and services to users, enterprises and society as a whole."

 

  4Q   2020 Financial Review  

 

Revenues from VAS increased by 28% to RMB67.0 billion for the fourth quarter of 2020 on a year-on-year basis. Online games revenues grew by 29% to RMB39.1 billion , among which our international games revenues were RMB9.8 billion , up 43% on a year-on-year basis. The increase primarily reflected revenue contributions from our smart phone games including Peacekeeper Elite, Honour of Kings, PUBG Mobile and recently launched titles such as Moonlight Blade Mobile. Total smart phone games revenues (including smart phone games revenues attributable to our social networks business) were RMB36.7 billion and PC client games revenues were RMB10.2 billion for the fourth quarter of 2020. Social networks revenues increased by 27% to RMB27.9 billion . The increase was mainly driven by revenue growth from digital content services including the consolidation impact of HUYA's live broadcast services, our music and video subscription services, as well as from in-game virtual item sales.

 

Revenues from Online Advertising increased by 22% to RMB24.7 billion for the fourth quarter of 2020, as a result of rising demand from advertiser categories such as education, eCommerce platforms and fast-moving-consumer-goods, as well as consolidation of Bitauto's advertising revenue. Social and others advertising revenues grew by 25% to RMB20.4 billion . The increase primarily reflected more advertiser demand for Weixin Moments inventory, and for customised in-app advertising solutions offered by our mobile advertising network. Media advertising revenues increased by 8% to RMB4.3 billion . The increase was mainly driven by our music streaming apps, as well as contributions from Tencent Video due to airing of popular drama series.

 

Revenues from FinTech and Business Services increased by 29% to RMB38.5 billion for the fourth quarter of 2020 on a year-on-year basis. The increase was primarily due to revenue growth from commercial payment and wealth management services resulting from increased volume of transactions and value per transaction. Our Business Services revenues experienced robust year-on-year growth as we deepened our market presence in verticals such as municipal services, financial services and Internet services, and as we began to consolidate Bitauto's Business Services revenue during the fourth quarter of 2020.

 

  Other Key Financial Information for   4Q   2020  

 

EBITDA was RMB42,872 million , up 20% YoY. Adjusted EBITDA was RMB46,533 million , up 21% YoY.

 

Capital expenditures were RMB9,659 million, down 43% YoY.

 

Free cash flow* was RMB27,664 million , down 11% YoY.

 

As at December 31, 2020 , net cash position totalled RMB11,063 million . Fair value of our stakes in listed investee companies (excluding subsidiaries) totalled RMB1,204.9 billion , compared to RMB890.7 billion as at September 30, 2020 .

 

  * Starting from 2020, free cash flow was adjusted by subtracting payments for media content and lease liabilities, in addition to subtracting payments for capital expenditure from the operating cash flow. Restated free cash flow was RMB16.8 billion in 1Q2019, RMB12.6 billion in 2Q2019, RMB28.1 billion in 3Q2019, and RMB31.3 billion in 4Q2019, respectively.  

 

  Operating Metrics  

 
 
                                      
 
 

   As at   

 

   31 December   

 

   2020   

 
 

  As at  

 

  31 December  

 

  2019  

 
 

  Year-  

 

  on-year  

 

  change  

 
 

  As at  

 

  30 September  

 

  2020  

 
 

  Quarter-
on-quarter
 

 

  change  

 
 
 

  (in millions, unless specified)  

 
 

  Combined MAU of
  Weixin and WeChat  

 
 

   1,225.0   

 
 

  1,164.8  

 
 

  5.2%  

 
 

   1,212.8   

 
 

  1.0%  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

  Smart device MAU of QQ  

 
 

   594.9   

 
 

  647.0  

 
 

  -8.1%  

 
 

   617.4   

 
 

  -3.6%  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

  Fee-based VAS registered
subscriptions
 

 
 

   219.5   

 
 

  180.1  

 
 

  21.9%  

 
 

   213.4   

 
 

  2.9%  

 
 
 

  Business Review and Outlook  

 

While 2020 was an unprecedentedly challenging year, we believe our solid operational and financial results testify to our focus on user value and technology innovation. Below are some highlights from our key products and business lines:

 

  Communication and Social  

 

Throughout the past decade, Weixin has evolved from an instant messaging app to a service meeting the digital needs of over 1.2 billion users. Each day, more than 120 million users post in Moments, 360 million users read Official Accounts articles and 400 million users access Mini Programs. SMEs and brands increasingly connect with users via Mini Programs and Weixin Pay , and annual transaction volume generated from Mini Programs more than doubled year-on-year in 2020.

 

Users are increasingly uploading personal videos, and sharing them with friends, in Weixin Moments and chats. They can now share informative videos publicly through our product innovation - Video Accounts. Video Accounts also enable brands and enterprises to broaden their audience reach and drive transactions, especially via links to Mini Programs.

 

Within QQ, we focused on enhancing interactive experiences in vertical communities. We increased stickiness among young users by enriching communal experiences such as playing AI-powered social games and watching Tencent Video together in video calls. QQ's video and image feed services, Mini World, increased its user engagement as we added hashtag feature and initiated trending topics that resonate with Generation Z. We launched joint promotions and celebrity eSports events for our popular games such as Honour of Kings and Call of Duty Mobile. We provided interactive learning experiences such as quiz challenges through partnering with educational institutions.

 

Looking forward, we will seek to provide lively chat experiences and to facilitate users in sharing content with broader communities. We will enrich interest-based community experiences for young QQ users, while delivering a better social commerce experience within the Weixin ecosystem for consumers, SMEs and brands.

 

  Online Games  

 

We strengthened our global leadership in mobile and PC games via self-developed franchises and IP collaboration with partners and investee companies. Our leadership spans multiple genres, including MOBA, shooter and MMORPG, as well as multiple platforms, including mobile and PC.

 

Honour of Kings was the top-grossing mobile game worldwide for the second consecutive year and continued as the most popular mobile game in China by MAU. In January 2021 , we released the biggest-ever update for Honour of Kings with a new hero, skins and user interface. We upgraded our rendering technology, which enhanced visual effects with minimal performance overhead, enabling more compelling content and game experience in future upgrades.

 

The launch of Call of Duty Mobile in China drew hardcore players with a fast-paced and competitive first-person-shooting experience, complementing Peacekeeper Elite and CrossFire Mobile within the shooter genre.

 

The release of Moonlight Blade Mobile demonstrated our capabilities in the MMORPG genre. Aurora Studio extended this IP from PC to mobile while retaining its distinctive oriental style and semi-sandbox open world design. Moonlight Blade Mobile ranked as the top grossing MMORPG on iOS in China during the fourth quarter of 2020.

 

Our partnership with Nintendo extended our home entertainment offerings to consoles. By the end of 2020, we have distributed over 1 million Switch consoles and published a dozen popular Switch titles in China .

 

To maintain a healthy gameplay environment for teenagers in China , we made ongoing upgrades to the Healthy Gameplay System, which aims to help parents manage younger users' in-game play time and spending. During the fourth quarter of 2020, minors aged under 18 accounted for 6.0% of our China online game gross receipts. Among which, minors aged under 16 accounted for 3.2% of our China online game gross receipts.

 

League of Legends attracted over 45 million peak concurrent viewers for its 2020 World Championship Finals, setting a record viewership for a games eSports event. The rollout of League of Legends' mobile version, Wild Rift, further expanded its franchise user base.

 

PUBG Mobile ranked as the most popular mobile game in international markets by MAU for the second consecutive year, according to App Annie . The PUBG Mobile Global Championship became the most viewed eSports tournament of mobile games.

 

  Digital Content  

 

Our fee-based VAS subscriptions grew 22% year-on-year to 219 million. We are the leader in the long form video industry with 123 million video subscriptions, benefitting from the release of popular anime IPs and drama series. We have extended our IP value across literature, anime, games and long form video services to create appealing content and attract paying users. We are also building vibrant short form video communities to encourage interaction between viewers and creators, and to deliver knowledge-based video content. The mini drama series we showed on Weishi gained great popularity, generating billions of video views and social media posts. We sustained music subscription growth with the pay-for-streaming model. At China Literature, we have sought to enrich free and paid content, community features and an IP-centric ecosystem.

 

  Online Advertising  

 

We integrated our advertising platforms, strengthening our own properties as well as mobile advertising network as preferred choices for advertisers.

 

In Weixin Moments, we enabled performance-oriented advertisers to link their advertisements to Mini Programs, boosting their sales conversion. Our mobile advertising network offered customised in-app advertising solutions, ramping up in-game advertising revenue from third-party game companies and Internet services providers.

 

Looking forward, we will continue to strengthen our recommendation algorithms and analytic services to increase user acquisition efficiency and sales conversion for advertisers.

 

  FinTech  

 

The strategic focus for our FinTech business is to work closely with regulators and collaborate with industry partners to deliver compliant and inclusive FinTech products, while prioritising risk management over scale.

 

As consumption rebounded and payment digitalisation accelerated, our payment transaction volume increased healthily year-on-year, driven by more daily active consumers and higher payment frequency in multiple verticals, such as retail, public services and groceries. Our commercial take rates remained stable. For wealth management service, aggregated customer assets grew robustly year-on-year.

 

  Cloud and Other Business Services  

 

We invested in IaaS technology, including our customised " Star Lake " cloud server solutions and self-developed data centre technology "T-block", to enhance our Cloud Services' performance and cost efficiency. We developed a new generation Star Lake SA3 server powered by the latest generation AMD EPYC processors, enhancing AI, security, storage and network capabilities with better energy efficiency.

 

In the area of SaaS products, Tencent Meeting has become the largest standalone app for cloud conferencing in China . The recently released enterprise version of Tencent Meeting penetrated the energy, healthcare and education industries. We rolled out new conference room solutions, Tencent Meeting Rooms and Connector, which are compatible with customers' existing audiovisual equipment and facilitate high-quality interactive communication. WeCom, the enterprise version of Weixin, has become an integral communications tool for remote workplaces, serving over 5.5 million enterprise customers, better connecting them internally and to over 400 million Weixin users.

 

We will continue to invest in cloud computing infrastructure and technology, leverage our communication and productivity strengths while working with partners to upgrade our PaaS and SaaS solutions.

 

  Environmental, Social and Governance ("ESG") Initiatives  

 

Sustainability is vital to the development of the Company's strategy and operations, and we strive to integrate social responsibility into our products and services.

 

  Environmental  

 

We recently announced our commitment in moving towards carbon neutrality to help tackle climate change, and are exploring renewable energy solutions for the operation of our office buildings and data centres. We also leverage our expertise in AI, big data, and cloud computing with the mission of helping manage sustainability problems for the planet, such as smart agriculture solutions. TiMi Studios, the developer of Honour of Kings, has recently joined the Playing for the Planet Alliance, a collective effort initiated by the United Nations Environment Programme to decarbonise and integrate environmental activations into games.

 

  Social  

 

User privacy and data security are top priorities at Tencent . We focus on user experience and adhere to a "privacy by design" approach. We deploy advanced technologies such as data encryption, data masking, de-identification and quantum cryptography, to safeguard users' data security.

 

We have upgraded our Balanced Online Entertainment System in China to help parents prevent excessive use of online services by minors.

 

  Tencent Health Code has facilitated domestic travel during the COVID-19 period. We also assisted enterprises to maintain business continuity through Weixin Pay , Mini Programs and other digital solutions.

 

We have built Tencent Charity Platform into an efficient fundraising platform, while also providing technology for the digitalisation of charitable organisations to engage with supporters. In 2020, our flagship charity event, 99 Giving Day, engaged over 18 million users and 10,000 charities, raising over RMB3 billion within three days. Through Weixin and QQ, we bridge the digital divide for the elderly and the disadvantaged. We support rural vitalisation through our WeCounty initiative, connecting over 16,000 villages and 2.5 million villagers.

 

  Governance  

 

We have established stringent risk management and internal controls to maintain the highest standards in corporate governance. Anti-fraud and whistleblowing policies are also in place in order to identify and prevent fraud and corruption. We believe diversity is key to effective governance and are dedicated to enhancing board diversity in gender, background and expertise.

 

Looking into the future, with our vision "Value for Users, Tech for Good", we will continue to harness the power of technology in developing innovative products and services, and creating value for all stakeholders.

 

  For other detailed disclosure, please refer to our website   https://www.tencent.com/en-us/investors.html     https://www.tencent.com/ir   , or follow us via Weixin Official Account (Weixin ID: Tencent _IR).   

 

  About Tencent   

 

  Tencent uses technology to enrich the lives of Internet users.

 

Our communication and social services, Weixin and QQ, connect users with each other and with digital content and services, both online and offline, making their lives more convenient. Our targeted advertising service helps advertisers reach out to hundreds of millions of consumers in China . Our FinTech and business services support our partners' business growth and assist their digital upgrade.

 

  Tencent invests heavily in talent and technological innovation, actively promoting the development of the Internet industry. Tencent was founded in Shenzhen, China , in 1998. Shares of Tencent (00700.HK) are listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong .

 

  Non-IFRS Financial Measures  

 

To supplement the consolidated results of the Group prepared in accordance with IFRS, certain additional non-IFRS financial measures (in terms of operating profit, operating margin, profit for the period, net margin, profit attributable to equity holders of the Company, basic EPS and diluted EPS), have been presented in this press release. These unaudited non-IFRS financial measures should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for, measures of the Group's financial performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. In addition, these non-IFRS financial measures may be defined differently from similar terms used by other companies.

 

The Company's management believes that the non-IFRS financial measures provide investors with useful supplementary information to assess the performance of the Group's core operations by excluding certain non-cash items and certain impact of M&A transactions. In addition, non-IFRS adjustments include relevant non-IFRS adjustments for the Group's major associates based on available published financials of the relevant major associates, or estimates made by the Company's management based on available information, certain expectations, assumptions and premises.

 

  Forward-Looking Statements  

 

  This press release contains forward-looking statements relating to the business outlook, forecast business plans and growth strategies of the Company. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to the Company and are stated herein on the basis of the outlook at the time of this press release. They are based on certain expectations, assumptions and premises, some of which are subjective or beyond our control. These forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect and may not be realised in future. Underlying the forward-looking statements is a lot of risks and uncertainties. Further information regarding these risks and uncertainties is included in our other public disclosure documents on our corporate website.   
 

 

 

 

 

 
 
                                                                                                                                                                                           
 

   CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT   

 
 

  RMB in million, unless specified  

 
 
 
 

   Unaudited   

 
 
 

   Audited   

 
 
 

   4Q2020   

 
 

   4Q2019   

 
 
 

   2020   

 
 

   2019   

 
 

   Revenues   

 
 

   133,669   

 
 

  105,767  

 
 
 

   482,064   

 
 

  377,289  

 
 

  VAS  

 
 

   66,979   

 
 

  52,308  

 
 
 

   264,212   

 
 

  199,991  

 
 

  Online Advertising  

 
 

   24,655   

 
 

  20,225  

 
 
 

   82,271   

 
 

  68,377  

 
 

  FinTech and Business Services  

 
 

   38,494   

 
 

  29,920  

 
 
 

   128,086   

 
 

  101,355  

 
 

  Others  

 
 

   3,541   

 
 

  3,314  

 
 
 

   7,495   

 
 

  7,566  

 
 

   Cost of revenues   

 
 

   (74,788)   

 
 

  (59,659)  

 
 
 

   (260,532)   

 
 

  (209,756)  

 
 

   Gross profit   

 
 

   58,881   

 
 

  46,108  

 
 
 

   221,532   

 
 

  167,533  

 
 

    Gross margin    

 
 

   44%   

 
 

  44%  

 
 
 

   46%   

 
 

  44%  

 
 

  Interest income  

 
 

   1,708   

 
 

  1,580  

 
 
 

   6,957   

 
 

  6,314  

 
 

  Other gains, net  

 
 

   32,936   

 
 

  3,630  

 
 
 

   57,131   

 
 

  19,689  

 
 

  Selling and marketing expenses  

 
 

   (10,033)   

 
 

  (6,712)  

 
 
 

   (33,758)   

 
 

  (21,396)  

 
 

  General and administrative expenses  

 
 

   (19,779)   

 
 

  (16,002)  

 
 
 

   (67,625)   

 
 

  (53,446)  

 
 

   Operating profit   

 
 

   63,713   

 
 

  28,604  

 
 
 

   184,237   

 
 

  118,694  

 
 

    Operating margin    

 
 

   48%   

 
 

  27%  

 
 
 

   38%   

 
 

  31%  

 
 

  Finance costs, net  

 
 

   (2,253)   

 
 

  (2,767)  

 
 
 

   (7,887)   

 
 

  (7,613)  

 
 

  Share of profit/(loss) of associates and joint ventures  

 
 

   1,618   

 
 

  (1,328)  

 
 
 

   3,672   

 
 

  (1,681)  

 
 

   Profit before income tax   

 
 

   63,078   

 
 

  24,509  

 
 
 

   180,022   

 
 

  109,400  

 
 

  Income tax expense  

 
 

   (3,709)   

 
 

  (2,137)  

 
 
 

   (19,897)   

 
 

  (13,512)  

 
 

   Profit for the period   

 
 

   59,369   

 
 

  22,372  

 
 
 

   160,125   

 
 

  95,888  

 
 

    Net margin    

 
 

   44%   

 
 

  21%  

 
 
 

   33%   

 
 

  25%  

 
 

   Attributable to:   

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

  Equity holders of the Company  

 
 

   59,302   

 
 

  21,582  

 
 
 

   159,847   

 
 

  93,310  

 
 

  Non-controlling interests  

 
 

   67   

 
 

  790  

 
 
 

   278   

 
 

  2,578  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

  Non-IFRS profit
  attributable to equity holders of the Company  

 
 

   33,207   

 
 

  25,484  

 
 
 

   122,742   

 
 

  94,351  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

   Earnings per share for profit attributable to
equity holders of the Company
 
   (in RMB per share)   

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

  - basic  

 
 

   6.240   

 
 

  2.278  

 
 
 

   16.844   

 
 

  9.856  

 
 

  - diluted  

 
 

   6.112   

 
 

  2.248  

 
 
 

   16.523   

 
 

  9.643  

 
 
 

 

 

 

 
 
                                                        
 

   CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME   

 
 

  RMB in millions, unless specified  

 
 
 
 

   Audited   

 
 
 

   2020   

 
 

  2019  

 
 

   Profit for the year   

 
 

   160,125   

 
 

  95,888  

 
 

   Other comprehensive income, net of tax:   

 
 
 
 

   Items that may be subsequently reclassified to profit or loss   

 
 
 
 

  Share of other comprehensive income of associates and joint ventures  

 
 

   334   

 
 

  125  

 
 

  Transfer of share of other comprehensive income to profit or loss upon
disposal and deemed disposal of associates
 

 
 

   (3)   

 
 

  (3)  

 
 

  Currency translation differences  

 
 

   (7,262)   

 
 

  3,089  

 
 

  Other fair value losses  

 
 

   (1,552)   

 
 

  (2,139)  

 
 

   Items that will not be subsequently reclassified to profit or loss   

 
 
 
 

  Net gains from changes in fair value of financial assets at fair value
through other comprehensive income
 

 
 

   130,525   

 
 

  23,119  

 
 

  Currency translation differences  

 
 

   (1,285)   

 
 

  -  

 
 

  Other fair value gains/(losses)  

 
 

   291   

 
 

  (178)  

 
 
 

   121,048   

 
 

  24,013  

 
 

   Total comprehensive income for the   year   

 
 

   281,173   

 
 

  119,901  

 
 

   Attributable to:   

 
 
 
 

  Equity holders of the Company  

 
 

   277,834   

 
 

  116,670  

 
 

  Non-controlling interests  

 
 

   3,339   

 
 

  3,231  

 
 
 

 

 

 

 
 
                                                 
 

   O   THER FINANCIAL INFORMATION   

 
 

  RMB in millions, unless specified  

 
 
 
 

   Unaudited   

 
 
 

   Audited   

 
 
 

   4Q2020   

 
 

   4Q2019   

 
 
 

   2020   

 
 

   2019   

 
 

  EBITDA (a)  

 
 

   42,872   

 
 

  35,675  

 
 
 

   170,680   

 
 

  137,268  

 
 

  Adjusted EBITDA (a)  

 
 

   46,533   

 
 

  38,572  

 
 
 

   183,314   

 
 

  147,395  

 
 

  Adjusted EBITDA margin (b)  

 
 

   35%   

 
 

  36%  

 
 
 

   38%   

 
 

   39%   

 
 

  Interest and related expenses  

 
 

   1,766   

 
 

  2,348  

 
 
 

   7,449   

 
 

  7,690  

 
 

  Net cash/ (debt) (c)  

 
 

   11,063   

 
 

  (15,552)  

 
 
 

   11,063   

 
 

  (15,552)  

 
 

  Capital expenditures (d)  

 
 

   9,659   

 
 

  16,869  

 
 
 

   33,960   

 
 

  32,369  

 
 
 

 

 
 
     
 

   Note:   

 
 

  (a) EBITDA is calculated as operating profit minus interest income and other gains/losses, net, and adding back depreciation of property, plant and equipment,
investment properties as well as right-of-use assets, and amortisation of intangible assets. Adjusted EBITDA is calculated as EBITDA plus equity-settled
share-based compensation expenses.
 

 
 

  (b) Adjusted EBITDA margin is calculated by dividing Adjusted EBITDA by revenues.  

 
 

  (c) Net cash/(debt) represents period end balance and is calculated as cash and cash equivalents, plus term deposits and others, minus borrowings and notes
payable.
 

 
 

  (d) Capital expenditures consist of additions (excluding business combinations) to property, plant and equipment, construction in progress, investment
properties, land use rights and intangible assets (excluding video and music content, game licences and other content).
 

 
 
 

 

 

 

 
 
                                                                                                                                           
 

   CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION   

 
 

  RMB in millions, unless specified  

 
 
 
 

   Audited   

 
 
 

   As at December 31   

 
 
 

   2020   

 
 
 

   2019   

 
 

   ASSETS   

 
 
 
 
 

   Non-current assets   

 
 
 
 
 

  Property, plant and equipment  

 
 

   59,843   

 
 
 

  46,824  

 
 

  Land use rights  

 
 

   16,091   

 
 
 

  15,609  

 
 

  Right-of-use assets  

 
 

   12,929   

 
 
 

  10,847  

 
 

  Construction in progress  

 
 

   4,939   

 
 
 

  3,935  

 
 

  Investment properties  

 
 

   583   

 
 
 

  855  

 
 

  Intangible assets  

 
 

   159,437   

 
 
 

  128,860  

 
 

  Investments in associates  

 
 

   297,609   

 
 
 

  213,614  

 
 

  Investments in joint ventures  

 
 

   7,649   

 
 
 

  8,280  

 
 

  Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss  

 
 

   165,944   

 
 
 

  128,822  

 
 

  Financial assets at fair value through other  

 

  comprehensive income  

 
 

   213,091   

 
 
 

  81,721  

 
 

  Prepayments, deposits and other assets  

 
 

   24,630   

 
 
 

  23,442  

 
 

  Other financial assets  

 
 

   4   

 
 
 

  -  

 
 

  Deferred income tax assets  

 
 

   21,348   

 
 
 

  18,209  

 
 

  Term deposits  

 
 

   31,681   

 
 
 

  19,000  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

   1,015,778   

 
 
 

  700,018  

 
 
 
 
 
 

   Current assets   

 
 
 
 
 

  Inventories  

 
 

   814   

 
 
 

  718  

 
 

  Accounts receivable  

 
 

   44,981   

 
 
 

  35,839  

 
 

  Prepayments, deposits and other assets  

 
 

   40,321   

 
 
 

  27,840  

 
 

  Other financial assets  

 
 

   1,133   

 
 
 

  375  

 
 

  Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss  

 
 

   6,593   

 
 
 

  7,114  

 
 

  Term deposits  

 
 

   68,487   

 
 
 

  46,911  

 
 

  Restricted cash  

 
 

   2,520   

 
 
 

  2,180  

 
 

  Cash and cash equivalents  

 
 

   152,798   

 
 
 

  132,991  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

   317,647   

 
 
 

  253,968  

 
 
 
 
 
 

   Total assets   

 
 

   1,333,425   

 
 
 

  953,986  

 
 
 

 

 

 

 
 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
 

   CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION   (continued)   

 
 

  RMB in millions, unless specified  

 
 
 
 
 

   Audited   

 
 
 
 

   As at December 31   

 
 
 
 

   2020   

 
 
 

   2019   

 
 

   EQUITY   

 
 
 
 
 
 

   Equity attributable to equity holders of the Company   

 
 
 
 
 
 

  Share capital  

 
 
 

   -   

 
 
 

  -  

 
 

  Share premium  

 
 
 

   48,793   

 
 
 

  35,271  

 
 

  Shares held for share award schemes  

 
 
 

   (4,412)   

 
 
 

  (4,002)  

 
 

  Other reserves  

 
 
 

   121,139   

 
 
 

  16,786  

 
 

  Retained earnings  

 
 
 

   538,464   

 
 
 

  384,651  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

   703,984   

 
 
 

  432,706  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

   Non-controlling interests   

 
 
 

   74,059   

 
 
 

  56,118  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

   Total equity   

 
 
 

   778,043   

 
 
 

  488,824  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

   LIABILITIES   

 
 
 
 
 
 

   Non-current liabilities   

 
 
 
 
 
 

  Borrowings  

 
 
 

   112,145   

 
 
 

  104,257  

 
 

  Notes payable  

 
 
 

   122,057   

 
 
 

  83,327  

 
 

  Long-term payables  

 
 
 

   9,910   

 
 
 

  3,577  

 
 

  Other financial liabilities  

 
 
 

   9,254   

 
 
 

  5,242  

 
 

  Deferred income tax liabilities  

 
 
 

   16,061   

 
 
 

  12,841  

 
 

  Lease liabilities  

 
 
 

   10,198   

 
 
 

  8,428  

 
 

  Deferred revenue  

 
 
 

   6,678   

 
 
 

  7,334  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

   286,303   

 
 
 

  225,006  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

   Current liabilities   

 
 
 
 
 
 

  Accounts payable  

 
 
 

   94,030   

 
 
 

  80,690  

 
 

  Other payables and accruals  

 
 
 

   54,308   

 
 
 

  45,174  

 
 

  Borrowings  

 
 
 

   14,242   

 
 
 

  22,695  

 
 

  Notes payable  

 
 
 

   -   

 
 
 

  10,534  

 
 

  Current income tax liabilities  

 
 
 

   12,134   

 
 
 

  9,733  

 
 

  Other tax liabilities  

 
 
 

   2,149   

 
 
 

  1,245  

 
 

  Other financial liabilities  

 
 
 

   5,567   

 
 
 

  5,857  

 
 

  Lease liabilities  

 
 
 

   3,822   

 
 
 

  3,279  

 
 

  Deferred revenue  

 
 
 

   82,827   

 
 
 

  60,949  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

   269,079   

 
 
 

  240,156  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

   Total liabilities   

 
 
 

   555,382   

 
 
 

  465,162  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

   Total equity and liabilities   

 
 
 

   1,333,425   

 
 
 

  953,986  

 
 
 

 

 

 

 
 
                                                                                                 
 

   RECONCILIATIONS OF IFRS TO NON-IFRS RESULTS   

 
 
 
 

   As   

 

   reported   

 
 

   Adjustments   

 
 

   Non-IFRS   

 
 
 

   RMB in million,   

 

   unless specified   

 
 

   Share-based   

 

   compensation   (a)   

 
 

   Net (gains)/losses from
investee companies (b)
 
 

 
 

   Amortisation of   

 

   intangible assets (c)   

 
 

   Impairment   

 

   Provision/(reversals) (d)   

 
 

   Income   

 

   tax effects (e)   

 
 
 

   Year ended December 31, 2020   

 
 

   Operating profit   

 
 

   184,237   

 
 

   13,745   

 
 

   (63,299)   

 
 

   3,299   

 
 

   11,422   

 
 

    

 
 

   149,404   

 
 

   Profit for the year   

 
 

   160,125   

 
 

   17,089   

 
 

   (69,348)   

 
 

   7,723   

 
 

   12,684   

 
 

   (1,290)   

 
 

   126,983   

 
 

   Profit attributable to equity
 
   holders   

 
 

   159,847   

 
 

   16,228   

 
 

   (69,473)   

 
 

   6,387   

 
 

   10,673   

 
 

   (920)   

 
 

   122,742   

 
 

    Operating margin    

 
 

    38%    

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

    31%    

 
 

    Net margin    

 
 

    33%    

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

    26%    

 
 
 

   Year ended December 31, 2019   

 
 

  Operating profit  

 
 

  118,694  

 
 

  10,500  

 
 

  (19,650)  

 
 

  1,051  

 
 

  4,006  

 
 

  

 
 

  114,601  

 
 

  Profit for the year  

 
 

  95,888  

 
 

  12,774  

 
 

  (20,818)  

 
 

  5,781  

 
 

  5,202  

 
 

  (1,238)  

 
 

  97,589  

 
 

  Profit attributable to equity
  holders  

 
 

  93,310  

 
 

  12,309  

 
 

  (20,720)  

 
 

  5,362  

 
 

  5,185  

 
 

  (1,095)  

 
 

  94,351  

 
 

   Operating margin   

 
 

   31%   

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

   30%   

 
 

   Net margin   

 
 

   25%   

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

   26%   

 
 
 

 

 
 
      
 

  Note:  

 
 

   (a)   Including put options granted to employees of investee companies on their shares and shares to be issued under investee companies' share-based incentive plans which can be acquired by the Group, and other incentives   

 
 

   (b)   Including net (gains)/losses on deemed disposals/disposals of investee companies, fair value changes   arising from investee companies, and other expenses in relation to equity transactions of investee companies   

 
 

   (c)   Amortisation of intangible assets resulting from acquisitions   

 
 

   (d)   Impairment provisions/(reversals) for associates, joint ventures, goodwill and other intangible assets arising from acquisitions   

 
 

   (e)   Income tax effects of non-IFRS adjustments   

 
 
 

 

 

 

 
 
                                                                                                                                                               
 

   RECONCILIATIONS OF IFRS TO NON-IFRS RESULTS   

 
 
 
 
 

   As   

 

   reported   

 
 

   Adjustments   

 
 

   Non-IFRS   

 
 
 

   RMB in millions,   

 

   unless specified   

 
 

   Share-based   

 

   compensation   (a)   

 
 

   Net (gains)/losses from
investee companies (b)
 
 

 
 

   Amortisation of   

 

   intangible assets (c)   

 
 

   Impairment   

 

   Provisions/(reversals) (d)   

 
 

   Income   

 

   tax effects (e)   

 
 
 
 

   Unaudited three months ended December 31, 2020   

 
 
 

   Operating profit   

 
 

   63,713   

 
 

   3,744   

 
 

   (34,652)   

 
 

   885   

 
 

   4,394   

 
 

    

 
 

   38,084   

 
 
 

   Profit for the period   

 
 

   59,369   

 
 

   4,896   

 
 

   (36,149)   

 
 

   2,260   

 
 

   4,407   

 
 

   (329)   

 
 

   34,454   

 
 
 

   Profit attributable to equity
 
   holders   

 
 

   59,302   

 
 

   4,735   

 
 

   (36,928)   

 
 

   1,926   

 
 

   4,407   

 
 

   (235)   

 
 

   33,207   

 
 
 

    Operating margin    

 
 

    48%    

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

    28%    

 
 
 

    Net margin    

 
 

    44%    

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

    26%    

 
 
 
 

   Unaudited three months ended September 30, 2020   

 
 
 

  Operating profit  

 
 

  43,953  

 
 

  3,059  

 
 

  (8,703)  

 
 

  905  

 
 

  (1,098)  

 
 

  

 
 

  38,116  

 
 
 

  Profit for the period  

 
 

  38,899  

 
 

  3,770  

 
 

  (10,099)  

 
 

  2,005  

 
 

  (973)  

 
 

  (277)  

 
 

  33,325  

 
 
 

  Profit attributable to equity
  holders  

 
 

  38,542  

 
 

  3,517  

 
 

  (10,133)  

 
 

  1,620  

 
 

  (1,026)  

 
 

  (217)  

 
 

  32,303  

 
 
 

   Operating margin   

 
 

   35%   

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

   30%   

 
 
 

   Net margin   

 
 

   31%   

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

   27%   

 
 
 
 

   Unaudited three months ended December 31, 2019   

 
 
 

  Operating profit  

 
 

  28,604  

 
 

  3,269  

 
 

  (2,340)  

 
 

  701  

 
 

  72  

 
 

  

 
 

  30,306  

 
 
 

  Profit for the period  

 
 

  22,372  

 
 

  3,965  

 
 

  (1,412)  

 
 

  1,667  

 
 

  140  

 
 

  (93)  

 
 

  26,639  

 
 
 

  Profit attributable to equity  

 

  holders  

 
 

  21,582  

 
 

  3,756  

 
 

  (1,403)  

 
 

  1,406  

 
 

  133  

 
 

  10  

 
 

  25,484  

 
 
 

   Operating margin   

 
 

   27%   

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

   29%   

 
 
 

   Net margin   

 
 

   21%   

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

   25%   

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
      
 

  Note:  

 
 

   (a)   Including put options granted to employees of investee companies on their shares and shares to be issued under investee companies' share-based incentive plans which can be acquired by the Group, and other incentives   

 
 

   (b)   Including net (gains)/losses on deemed disposals/disposals of investee companies, fair value changes   arising from investee companies, and other expenses in relation to equity transactions of investee companies   

 
 

   (c)   Amortisation of intangible assets resulting from acquisitions   

 
 

   (d)   Impairment provisions/(reversals) for associates, joint ventures, goodwill and other intangible assets arising from acquisitions   

 
 

   (e)   Income tax effects of non-IFRS adjustments   

 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 Cision View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tencent-announces-2020-fourth-quarter-and-annual-results-301254728.html  

 

SOURCE Tencent  

 
 

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NorthStar Gaming Reports Year-End 2024 Results

 

Annual Revenue Growth of 57%, Gross Margin up 91%

 

NorthStar Gaming Holdings Inc. (TSXV: BET) (OTCQB: NSBBF) ("NorthStar" or the "Company") today announced its financial results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2024. The Company also announced that it will discuss the results on an investor webinar to be held Thursday, May 15, 2025 at 11:00am (please see below for details). All dollar figures are quoted in Canadian dollars.

 

"We delivered strong financial results in 2024, highlighted by 57% growth in revenue and a 91% increase in gross margin. At the same time, we held marketing expense to a 10% increase and reduced G&A expense, demonstrating the continually improving operating leverage built into our business model," said Michael Moskowitz, Chair and CEO of NorthStar. "Equally important, our team rolled out innovations in both our sportsbook and casino that have further differentiated NorthStar Bets as a premium offering and helped drive the retention of, and engagement with, our loyal customers."

 

Restatement of Results

 

The comparative results for the three months and twelve months ended December 31, 2023 have been restated in the financial statements and management's discussion & analysis ("FY2024 MD&A") for the year ended December 31, 2024 to include additional merchant fees and player bonus expenses which were not captured in the previously published financial statements (note 2 of the Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2024). The Company's payment processor deducted the additional merchant fee from the daily remittances to the Company, and the deductions were not accounted for by the Company. These additional fees were identified as part of the year-end reconciliation of the amount due from the payment processor, and the financial statements and FY2024 MD&A have been adjusted accordingly. These restatements did not impact the cash balances reported for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2023, or 2024. However, they did result in adjustments to the reported current asset balances for those periods.

 

Financial Highlights for the Fourth Quarter Ended December 31, 2024 ("Q4 2024"):

 
  •  Total Wagers1 at Northstarbets.ca were $303.0 million in Q4 2024, a 42% increase compared to $213.3 million in Q4 2023.
  •  
  •  Gross Gaming Revenue2 at Northstarbets.ca was $10.0 million in Q4 2024, a 31.6% increase from $7.6 million in Q4 2023.
  •  
  •  Revenue2 was $9.5 million in Q4 2024, a 51% increase from $6.3 million in Q4 2023. Revenue in Q4 2024 includes $1.5 million of managed services revenue, which compares to $0.2 million in Q4 2023.
  •  
  •  Gross Margin was $3.6 million, a 71% increase from $2.1 million in Q4 2023, while the Gross Margin percentage increased to 38.1%, up from 33.6% in Q4 2023.
  •  
  •  Profit/(loss) before marketing and other expenses1 was $0.6 million in Q4 2024 compared to a loss of $2.5 million in Q4 2023, indicating that gross margin is now sufficient to cover the Company's overhead expenses.
  •  

Financial Highlights for the Year Ended December 31, 2024 ("FY 2024"):

 
  •  Total Wagers2 at Northstarbets.ca were $980.0 million in FY 2024, a 51% increase compared to $648.8 million in the year ended December 31, 2023.
  •  
  •  Gross Gaming Revenue2 at Northstarbets.ca was $34.0 million in FY 2024, a 51% increase from $22.5 million in FY 2023.
  •  
  •  Revenue2 was $29.6 million in FY 2024, a 57% increase from $18.8 million in FY 2023. Revenue in FY 2024 includes $2.3 million of managed services revenue, which compares to $0.5 million in FY 2023.3
  •  
  •  Gross Margin was $10.5 million, marking a 91% increase from $5.5 million in FY 2023, with the Gross Margin increasing to 35.7%, up from 29.3% in FY 2023.
  •  
  •  Profit/(loss) before marketing and other expenses1 was $0.1 million in FY 2024 compared to a loss of $6.7 million in YTD 2023, an improvement of $6.8 million.
  •  

"Early in 2025, we completed our most significant fund-raising to date, with a $43.4 million debt financing. This capital gives us a long runway on which to continue our trajectory of growth in wagering, gross margins and improving operating leverage. This was a milestone event for our business," added Mr. Moskowitz.

 

2024 Operating Highlights:

 
  • Completed the inaugural Blackjack Championship tournament, an innovative online competition that helped drive the acquisition of new high-value players and engagement for existing customers while increasing Blackjack wagering activity.
  •  
  • Implemented a series of enhancements to the NorthStar Bets platform, highlighted by streamlined navigation in both the Casino and Sportsbook sections, a doubling of Casino game selection since the start of 2024, personalized prop bets and intelligent parlay suggestions.
  •  
  • Introduced the "NorthStar Elite" program and branded tables to help secure the loyalty and satisfaction of our most active players and reinforcing the Company's positioning as a premium offering.
  •  
  • Launched "Sports Insights 2.0," a robust suite of enhancements to our content vertical that includes a redesigned home page, comprehensive team and player statistics, injury and player news feeds, added coverage of popular sports and strengthened casino content.
  •  
  • Gained significant traction outside the Ontario market with managed services revenue from Northstarbets.com site, owned by the Abenaki Council of Wolinak, increasing from $0.5 million in FY 2023 to $2.3 million in FY 2024.
  •  
  • Outpaced the industry growth rates reported by iGaming Ontario in 2024 in both Total Wagers (51% for NorthStar vs. 33% for the industry) and Gross Gaming Revenue (51% for NorthStar vs. 31.5% for the industry).
  •  

Outlook

 

"We expect our consistent pattern of year-over-year revenue increases to continue throughout 2025, based on our ongoing success in attracting and engaging high-value players," said Mr. Moskowitz. "We will maintain disciplined control over costs so that incremental gross margin falls primarily to the bottom line. As we continue to focus on operational excellence, we remain confident that we have the capital necessary to reach profitability based on our current business platform."

 

FY 2024 Corporate Update Webinar

 

On May 15, 2025, Michael Moskowitz will present an in-depth Corporate Update, including a discussion of the Company's FY 2024 Earnings, current operations and strategic priorities. All investors and other interested parties are invited to register for the webinar at the link below.

 

Date: Thursday, May 15, 2025
Time: 11:00 am EDT
Register: Webinar Registration

 

Management will be available to answer your questions following the presentation on the webinar platform. You may also submit your question(s) beforehand in the registration form linked above.

 

Extension of Strategic Marketing Agreement

 

The Company also announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, NorthStar Gaming (Ontario) Inc. ("NorthStar Ontario"), has extended its strategic partnership with Playtech Software Limited ("Playtech Software") through the renewal of their previously announced strategic marketing agreement. Under the agreement, Playtech Software contributes services designed to accelerate NorthStar Ontario's player acquisition strategy in the province. The agreement was first implemented in June 2023 and has since been renewed several times. Pursuant to the latest renewal, Playtech Software will reimburse marketing expenses valued at a total of up to $1.5 million over a 3-month period through to March 31, 2025. Playtech Software will be compensated through a share of revenue from the income generated in connection with the marketing initiatives to which it contributes. The Transaction between Playtech and NorthStar Ontario is exempted from Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Securityholders in Special Transactions.

 

"We are very pleased to renew the marketing services agreement with Playtech Software," said Michael Moskowitz, Chair and CEO of NorthStar. "The agreement serves to extend our marketing budget and has contributed to our tremendous growth in Ontario. Playtech plc continues to be a valuable strategic partner and we look forward to further collaboration."

 

Continuous Disclosure

 

Further to a review by the staff of the Ontario Securities Commission (the "OSC") of the Company's continuous disclosure, the FY2024 MD&A includes enhanced disclosures with respect to:

 
  • the Company's regulatory framework, licensing regimes applicable to its business operations and the legal authorizations necessary to conduct its business operations;
  •  
  • specific risk factors relating to the Company's business operations which include risks relating to operating in a heavily regulated industry, cyber security risks and risks relating to conflicts of interest with respect to directors and officers of the Company; and
  •  
  • the relationship between the Abenaki Council of Wolinak and the Company as well as its subsidiary, Slapshot Media Inc.
  •  

Such amended disclosure is being included in the FY2024 MD&A to address comments received from the OSC on its management's discussion & analysis, for the period ended September 30, 2024, and to improve the Company's disclosure.

 

As a result of having to include such enhanced disclosure after the OSC review, the Company will be placed on the public list of Refilings and Errors in accordance with OSC Staff Notice 51-711 (Revised) - Refilings and Corrections of Errors for a period of three (3) years.

 

Additional Information

 

For additional information, please refer to the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024, and the corresponding FY2024 MD&A. These documents are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca, and on the Company's corporate website at www.northstargaming.ca.

 

About NorthStar

 

NorthStar proudly owns and operates NorthStar Bets, a Canadian-born casino and sportsbook platform that delivers a premium, distinctly local gaming experience. Designed with high-stakes players in mind, NorthStar Bets Casino offers a curated selection of the most popular games, ensuring an elevated user experience. Our sportsbook stands out with its exclusive Sports Insights feature, seamlessly integrating betting guidance, stats, and scores, all tailored to meet the expectations of a premium audience.

 

As a Canadian company, NorthStar is uniquely positioned to cater to customers who seek a high-quality product and an exceptional level of personalized service, setting a new standard in the industry. NorthStar is committed to operating at the highest level of responsible gaming standards.

 

No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

 

Non-IFRS Financial Measures [/ Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Measures to IFRS Measures]

 

Throughout this document, management uses certain non-IFRS financial measures and supplementary financial measures to evaluate the performance of the Company. The terms "Gross Gaming Revenue" "Total Wagers" and "Profit/(Loss) before marketing and other expenses" are non-IFRS financial measures. These measures are not recognized measures under International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") and do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and are, therefore, not necessarily comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Rather, these measures are provided as additional information to complement those IFRS measures by providing further understanding of our results of operations from management's perspective and to discuss NorthStar's financial outlook. Accordingly, these measures should not be considered in isolation nor as a substitute for analysis of the Company's financial information reported under IFRS. We believe that securities analysts, investors and other interested parties frequently use non-IFRS measures, including industry metrics, in the evaluation of companies in our industry. Management also uses non-IFRS measures and industry metrics in order to facilitate operating performance comparisons from period to period, the preparation of annual operating budgets and forecasts and to determine components of executive compensation.

 

Total Wagers

 

Total Wagers are calculated as the total amount of money bet by customers in respect of bets that have settled in the applicable period. Total Wagers does not include free bets or other promotional incentives, nor money bet by customers in respect of bets that are open at period end. Total Wagers is used to provide investors with supplemental measures of our operating performance and thus highlight trends in our business that may not otherwise be apparent when relying solely on IFRS measures.

 

Gross Gaming Revenue

 

Gross Gaming Revenue is calculated as dollar amounts bet by customers less the dollar amounts paid out to the customers in respect of such bets which have settled in the applicable period.

 

Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Measures to IFRS Measures

 
                                
 In Q4 2024, the Company reported $10.0 million of Gross Gaming Revenue ($34.0 million in FY 2024) and has provided a reconciliation to the most comparable IFRS financial measure (Revenue) as follows:
$ Millions (unaudited)
Unaudited Three
months ended
Year ended
 Dec 31,
2024 
 Dec 31,
2023 
 Dec 31,
2024 
 Dec 31,
2023 
Gross gaming revenue from wagered games$10.0$ 7.6$ 34.0$22.5
Bonuses, promotional costs and free bets(2.0)(1.5)(6.7)(4.2)
Sub-total Gaming revenue8.06.127.318.3
Other revenue from managed services1.50.22.30.5
Revenue$ 9.5$ 6.3$ 29.6$ 18.8
 

 

 

Operating Results

 

Marketing expenses are a key driver of the business but are completely discretionary. Management considers "Profit/(Loss) before marketing and other expenses" to be a good indication of the extent to which the business' Gross Margin is in excess of its overhead costs, and therefore offsetting some portion of marketing expenses, reflecting improving economies of scale.

 
                                                    
$ Millions (unaudited) Unaudited Three 
months ended 
Year ended
 Dec 31,
2024 
 Dec 31,
2023 
 Dec 31,
2024 
 Dec 31,
2023 
Revenue$ 9,478$ 6,275$ 29,556$ 18,845
Cost of Revenues5,8684,16719,01313,317
Gross Margin3,6102,10810,5435,528
General and administrative expenses3,0334,45210,45312,277
 Profit/(Loss) before marketing and other expenses (1) 577(2,344)90(6,749)
Marketing5,2495,47215,45614,094
Loss before other expenses (1) (4,672)(7,816)(15,366)(20,843)
Other expenses(1,070)1493,6456,547
Net loss$ (3,602)$ (7,965)$ (19,011)$ (27,390)
 

 

 

(1) These measures are not defined by IFRS, do not have standard meanings and may not be comparable with other industries or companies.

 

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information and Statements

 

This communication contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws in Canada ("forward-looking statements"), including without limitation, statements with respect to the following: expected performance of the Company's business, the Company's growth plans being fully funded, expansion into new markets and future growth opportunities, and expected benefits of transactions. The foregoing are provided for the purpose of presenting information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future and allowing investors and others to get a better understanding of the Company's anticipated financial position, results of operations, and operating environment. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "continues", "forecasts", "projects", "predicts", "intends", "anticipates" or "believes", or variations of, or the negatives of, such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "should", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. This information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. This forward-looking information is based on management's opinions, estimates and assumptions that, while considered by NorthStar to be appropriate and reasonable as of the date of this press release, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others, the following: risks related to the Company's business and financial position; risks associated with general economic conditions; adverse industry risks; future legislative and regulatory developments; the ability of the Company to implement its business strategies; and those factors discussed in greater detail under the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's most recent annual information form, which is available under NorthStar's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Many of these risks are beyond the Company's control.

 

If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if the opinions, estimates or assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results or future events might vary materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, there may be other risk factors not presently known to the Company or that the Company presently believes are not material that could also cause actual results or future events to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. No forward-looking statement is a guarantee of future results. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information, which speaks only as of the date made. The forward-looking information contained in this press release represents NorthStar's expectations as of the date specified herein, and are subject to change after such date. However, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities laws.

 

All of the forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified by the foregoing cautionary statements.

 
 

For further information:

 

Company Contact:

 

Corey Goodman
Chief Development Officer 647-530-2387
investorrelations@northstargaming.ca

 

Investor Relations:
RB Milestone Group LLC (RBMG)
Northstar@rbmilestone.com

 
 

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