Revenues for the year increased 30% year-over-year to £670 million. All segments contributed to the revenue growth. Betting revenue for the year was £407 million, or an increase of 37% year-over-year, primarily the result of increased Stakes and Betting Net Win Margin.

Stakes growth was primarily driven by product enhancement and innovation, with Betting Net Win Margin primarily influenced by a sustained run of operator-favorable sporting results, particularly with respect to European football. SBG betting revenue includes revenue from real-money online sports betting products.

Gaming revenue for the year was £239 million, or an increase of 19% year-over-year, primarily the result of ongoing product innovation as noted below, continued strong promotions, and further exclusive content launches. SBG gaming revenue includes revenue from real-money online poker, casino and bingo products.

Adjusted EBITDA for the year was £209 million, or an increase of 43% year-over-year. The increase was primarily driven by increased total revenue as noted above, which was partially offset by a 25% year-over-year increase in total operating costs (excluding depreciation, amortization and transaction-related costs). Adjusted EBITDA Margin for the year increased by 2.8 percentage points year-over-year to 31%, primarily the result of improvements related to the increased scale of the business, including more efficient payment processing and content sourcing, as well as the flow-through of revenues from the sustained run of operator-favorable sporting results to Adjusted EBITDA.

Staff costs increased broadly in line with revenue as the business continued to invest in technology, product and content, while marketing costs increased by 23%, below revenue growth, with the marketing to revenue ratio decreasing from 23% to 22% as a result of more efficient marketing spend and the impact of the operator-favorable sporting results in the period.

“The 2018 fiscal year was another strong year for SBG, with continued product leadership and innovation,” said Richard Flint, Chief Executive Officer of SBG. “We enjoyed another year of growth, extending our leadership as the UK’s most popular online betting and gaming brand. We also continued our investment in brand, technology and people, and continued delivering innovative products that meet the needs of our customers, all of which we believe combined to drive strong operating results,”

“I am also particularly pleased with the progress we made to deliver a safer gambling environment to our customers and to continue our record of job creation and investment in Yorkshire, as well as our contribution to regional and national taxation in the UK,”

“The transaction with The Stars Group will allow us to offer our best-in-class products to a truly global audience. We enter the rest of 2018 and head into 2019 as part of one of the world’s largest publicly listed online gaming companies, and I am excited about the opportunities that this combination presents,” concluded Mr. Flint.