Olympic Entertainment revenue up despite shrinking footprint

Eastern European gaming operator Olympic Entertainment Group (OEG) reported a modest bump in Q1 revenue despite a shrinking retail footprint.

Figures released Thursday by the Estonia-based OEG show revenue in the three months ending March 31 rising 1.8% year-on-year to €52.4m, while earnings improved 11% to €10.9m and net profit gained nearly one-third to €7.4m.

The gains came despite OEG’s total number of casinos falling to 115 from 120 at the end of Q1 2017 and betting points falling by six to 25. OEG currently operates in six European markets and also operates online using its Malta-licensed OlyBet brand, which recently announced plans to establish an Italian-licensed site to complement its land-based operations in The Boot.

Latvia remains OEG’s core market, although local revenue declined 1.5% to €16.3m in Q1. This market will likely face further declines in future, as Latvian authorities have taken an increasingly hostile approach to some of OEG’s casinos in the capital Riga.