(Reuters) -British betting and gaming firm Evoke reported a 5% year-on-year rise in second-quarter revenue on Tuesday, driven by growth in its core international markets and tight cost controls.
The company, which owns and operates brands like William Hill and 888, has doubled down on expansion plans, including rolling out 5,000 new gaming cabinets, even as the industry faces stricter sector-wide regulations in the United Kingdom.
Evoke’s retail segment returned to growth in the reported quarter, countering the softer performance of its sports segment, which had benefitted from the Euros championship last year.
The firm forecast half-year core profits in the range of 163 million-167 million pounds ($219.6 million-$225 million), a 43% year-on-year jump at the mid-point.
Evoke reaffirmed its full-year revenue and profit guidance, with analysts at Jefferies and Peel Hunt expecting profit to come in ahead of their estimates.
($1 = 0.7423 pounds)
(Reporting by Raechel Thankam Job and Yamini Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Sumana Nandy)
