- 888’s online poker traffic doubled from April to May.
- Today, traffic is back down to pre-pandemic levels, though it remains up 20% year-over-year.
- 888’s online poker revenue has been falling every year for the last eight.
- However, the second half of 2019 actually showed positive growth of 6.5%, the best-performing half in six years.
Online gaming giant 888 Holdings has reported average daily revenue year to date up 34% on the same period last year thanks to increased customer acquisition and a shift from live to online.
While no other figures were released in the pre-close trading update published on Friday, online poker was highlighted as delivering “particularly encouraging performance.”
“[This] reflects the strength of our product and ongoing focus on providing a safe and entertaining destination for recreational poker players,” said Itai Pazner, CEO of 888.
The operator highlighted that it “remained mindful of the ongoing uncertainty and restrictions facing many consumers … as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” and that its priority remained “preventing gambling-related harm by proactively communicating with customers regarding safe gambling.”
Still, with revenue up more than a third in the period between January 1 and June 23, the operator informed investors that it expected to achieve “an adjusted EBITDA outcome for 2020 significantly ahead of its prior expectations.”
