PAF ALLOCATES EURO 20M TO PUBLIC GOOD
Targets growth areas to continue momentum.
The board of directors of Åland-based gaming company Paf has proposed Euro 20 million of its profit be allocated to local government for distribution to public good.
The company made a profit of Euro 22.7 million in the 2015 financial year, with its revenue amounting to Euro 110.0 million.
“After a period of decreasing revenue, Paf returned to growth during the second half of 2015. The total revenue amounted to €110 million, the highest in the 50-year history of Paf. The acquisition of the Italian online gaming company Winga at the end of 2014 was a strong contributing factor in the revenue growth,” Johan Rothberg, acting chief executive officer for PAF said.
Revenues from online gaming amounted to Euro 76.4 million, an increase of 17 per cent compared with the previous year. Revenue from Land and Ship based gaming amounted to Euro 33.6 million, an increase of 2 per cent.
The Group’s total revenue during the financial year increased by 12 per cent compared with the previous year and amounted to Euro 110.0 million. Total profit increased from Euro 17.2 million to Euro 22.7 million, which includes a one-time payment of Euro 2.5 million.
The Group’s operating profit increased by 19 per cent, from Euro 16.8 million to Euro 20.0 million. The operating margin was 18.2 per cent.
Rothberg attributes the rise in development costs to “substantial investments made during the financial year in the continued development of our own games and online operation and in the development of a new, fully responsive gaming site which was launched in December.”
In addition to the profits that Paf allocates as a dividend, the Åland local government will receive Euro 11.1 million in repaid gaming tax arrears from the Finnish state.
Company strategies include direct buy-outs, increased marketing efforts and additional investment in existing and new technical equipment to continue its momentum throughout 2016.