Gambling.com For Just $2.5 Million After Generating $13.2 Million Over Last Six Years & Paying $20 Million

2011 April 28
by Michael H. Berkens

According to a Press Release by the UK Seller of the domain name Gambling.com, Media Corp,  the domain was sold for just $2.5 Million.

When the domain was placed under exclusive contract at Sedo.com, reports at the time said the asking price was $9 million.

I wrote a post also at the time noting the Seller of the Gambling.com had paid $20 Million for it meaning that this sales price is only about 10% of what the Seller paid.

Not often do you see a domain selling for just a fraction of what it previously sold for.

The owner was carrying the value of the domain at $4.25 Million on its books, so the domain even sold for below book value.

 

Here is the press release:

“”"The Board of Media Corp, a leading advertising network and online gaming group, is pleased to announce that it has successfully completed the sale of www.gambling.com for $2.5 million (£1.5 million) in cash.

Following an extensive auction process that was handled by Sedo, the World’s leading domain marketplace, the transaction formally completed on 27 April with the receipt of funds and transfer of the domain name.

Since its acquisition, Gambling.com has generated significant revenues and earnings as set out below:

Search Focus Ltd (a wholly owned subsidiary and the owner of Gambling.com), Profit and Loss accounts. (USD’s)

Audited Audited Audited Audited Audited Unaudited Total
Year ended
Sep
Year ended
Sep
Year ended
Sep
Year ended
Sep
Year ended
Sep
Year ended
Sep
Year 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
$’000 $’000 $’000 $’000 $’000 $’000
Turnover 2,490 5,771 2,096 817 833 1180 13,187
EBITDA 1,772 5,308 1,687 (308) (605) (40) 7,814

“Overall, considering the impact on both the profitability and the value of Gambling.com resulting from the US online gaming ban, to have generated $13.2 million (£8 million) in revenues and a further $2.5 million (£1.5 million) for the sale of the domain, taken together the Directors consider the sale and realization of cash to be a satisfactory result.”

“As at 30 September 2010 Gambling.com was valued on the Group’s balance sheet at $4.25 million (£2.6 million), meaning that the sale will result in a one off loss in the profit and loss account for the current financial year of $1.75 million (£1.1 million).”

“The transaction includes only the Gambling.com domain name and website. ”

“The Group has retained ownership of a number of significant assets relating to the business of Gambling.com including intellectual property, customer databases and infrastructure. It is anticipated that these assets will be of significant economic benefit to www.purplelounge.com, the Group’s online gaming business.”

Justin Drummond, CEO, Media Corporation plc, commented:

“The sale of Gambling.com brings a significant boost to the Group’s already substantial cash reserves; we have recently seen a number of exciting acquisition opportunities in the online gaming and online advertising space. The successful sale of www.gambling.com has given the Group more than adequate financial resources to pursue these acquisition opportunities aggressively.”

Liesbeth Mack-de-Boer, CSO at Sedo, commented,

“The high sale price paid for Gambling.com is a real confidence booster for the global domain name industry and demonstrates the value companies are still prepared to place on their digital assets.”

Really?

I don’t think this is a great sale nor do I think its proof of “real confidence booster for the global domain name industry”

The domain sold below book value, well below the previous sale and for just about 20% of the asking price.

The results are far from great.

 

14 Responses leave one →
  1. 2011 April 28
    Ms Domainer permalink

    *

    Looks like someone is dumping gambling domains–fast.

    :)

    *

  2. 2011 April 28

    Never liked that domain anyways. It suits more the needs of a Gambling organization or Commission. Like giving away gambling permits etc…
    Such domains selling for millions will always be an eye catcher for all domainers, however looking at the details like you said, it’s not a great sale at all.

    Cheers

  3. 2011 April 28

    it was a no brainer for the buyer.

  4. 2011 April 28
    MHB permalink

    Don’t understand why the Seller sold the domain for this price since they are remaining in the gambling business.

    “The Group has retained ownership of a number of significant assets relating to the business of Gambling.com including intellectual property, customer databases and infrastructure. It is anticipated that these assets will be of significant economic benefit to http://www.purplelounge.com, the Group’s online gaming business.””"

  5. 2011 April 28

    I don’t like this domain, the word ‘gambling’ has a negative connotation IMHO.

  6. 2011 April 28

    I think your logic is slightly flawed. You can not base what the company paid and how they accounted its value for evaluting the overall domain market. Just because this company listed its book value at 4.25 million does not mean its real value is that and sold cheaply. I mean, who would have paid 20 mil to begin with? The 13 mil was revenue and not profit…HUGE differance.

  7. 2011 April 28
    MHB permalink

    Steven

    All I’m saying is if you buy something for $20M, then put it up for sale for $9M and wind up taking $2.5M for it, well its not a great sale

  8. 2011 April 28
    Tim permalink

    I think it was a great buy also nice will the website and revenue included, Some big investors would call it a steal.

  9. 2011 April 28
    MHB permalink

    Tim

    The business. clients etc were NOT included in the sale:

    “The Group has retained ownership of a number of significant assets relating to the business of Gambling.com including intellectual property, customer databases and infrastructure. It is anticipated that these assets will be of significant economic benefit to http://www.purplelounge.com, the Group’s online gaming business

  10. 2011 April 28

    so goes with sex….another lackluster domain name.

    online sex is boring.

    any word with sex/gambling will be banned anyway, so it is kinda of “useless”-take a big chunk of the market share

  11. 2011 April 28

    proof positive that money is flowwing into:

    .CO

    domains

  12. 2011 April 28

    @ Robert

    And yet Gambling.co did not even get an opening bid for $37,000 @ TRAFFIC last October.

    Brad

  13. 2011 April 28
    Dean permalink

    Silly no? considering Slots sold for $5 mill. It’s a bad climate to be selling gambling related domains, but… that is about to change…

  14. 2011 April 28

    How can they retain the executives at the company for losing them more than $6million ? Looks like an executive change is necessary.
    They should be fired, not patted on the back.

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