Kenneth Morton, Group Chief Financial Officer of Allwyn International, is adamant that the business's track record on cash generation can not be matched by competitors after the closure of the OPAP merger today.

The management of Allwyn International thinks that it has actually crafted the greatest investment case in international gaming, following its change into a publicly listed company through its combination with OPAP.

By market close on Tuesday 24 March, Allwyn was trading as the world's second-largest lotteries and video gaming business, sealing its position among the top tier of listed gaming operators.

The transaction will unite Allwyn International with OPAP, the enduring steward of the Greek nationwide lottery and retail betting franchise - marking the culmination of a six-month tactical effort to improve the group's financial and business identity.

Creating worth in a new-look Allwyn

At its core, the brand-new Allwyn profile is specified by money generation, scale and consistency, while strengthening its status as one of the largest factors to excellent causes throughout its markets.

However, for Group CFO, Kenneth Morton, who spoke specifically to SBC News following closure of the merger, the story extends well beyond scale to among trust, distinction and sustainable value creation.

"We're not new to this market," Morton stated, pointing to Allwyn's historic partnership with Athens-listed OPAP. "OPAP financiers currently know what we've done. Total investor returns have actually exceeded 500% because 2013."

He included that this efficiency has actually been driven by disciplined execution, including the doubling of OPAP's EBITDA over the past 5 years.

Crucially, that performance history has actually equated into strong financier self-confidence in the freshly combined entity, with more than 93% of OPAP investors remaining invested.

"We have actually made them a lot of money - and that credibility matters as we inform the Allwyn story worldwide," he kept in mind.

Redefining lotto

Morton has positioned Allwyn as an unique outlier amongst other listed gambling business.

From its origins in the Czech Republic with SAZKA, the group has actually progressed into what he describes as a special entity within the sector - one that has efficiently produced a new classification of operator by scaling and modernising the lottery design throughout numerous jurisdictions.

"What we have is a quite differentiated service," he said. "We have actually built something that didn't truly exist before - a scaled, lottery-led platform."

This distinction is rooted in a combination of retail strength, digital ability, proprietary technology and increasing content combination. All of this aims to extend the importance of lottery games within a modern entertainment landscape.

A main pillar of Allwyn's financial investment case is its capability to deliver both growth and shareholder returns - a balance that Morton argued is unequaled in the sector.

He continued: "Since 2019, we've pretty much tripled the size of the organization across every metric. At the exact same time, we've created a lot of money and paid considerable dividends."

For Morton, this double efficiency underpins Allwyn's appeal in equity markets: "That's a truly compelling and attractive proposition."

In his conversation with SBC, he described the company as a rare example of a video gaming organization that is capable of scaling, while likewise maintaining financial discipline and providing consistent returns.

Diversification is strength

Diversification is another defining strength of Allwyn's new PLC profile, particularly in the context of unsure and cyclical market conditions.

"If you take a look at video gaming stocks, we are among the most varied," Morton said. "That's a huge positive - both from a downside point of view and in regards to development optionality."

Unlike operators heavily exposed to single markets or product verticals, Allwyn's multi-market, multi-channel structure offers a more durable earnings base while using versatility to pursue new development chances.

A new-look Allwyn

Looking ahead, the business's ambitions extend well beyond Europe. While OPAP and other continental properties provide a strong foundation, Morton determined The United States and Canada as a crucial tactical frontier for the operator, along with emerging chances in South America.