A weak Q416 left final results a tad below our forecasts despite good results in Mecca venues and Grosvenor digital. However, cash generation was strong and the dividend was lifted by 16%. The organic growth strategy (focusing on multi-channel development) remains intact and while the failure to progress what would have been a transformational acquisition of William Hill (with 888) was a disappointment, it demonstrates the scale of management’s ambitions. We suspect that future accretive opportunities will arise within the consolidating online gambling space.
