About this app
About Scarab Treasure
Before moving to the private sector, Rodano served as the director of remote gaming at Italy’s regulator, Agenzia Dogane e Monopoli, for almost a decade.
He played a significant part in establishing Italy’s national online gaming framework and liaised with international regulatory bodies.
During his time in the role he also acted a member of an EU-formed group for gaming experts. Overall Rodano has spent 20 years in the sector.
How to play Scarab Treasure
I’ll start with a story. Once I had a job I didn’t like. I was an affiliate manager at some jewelry company. I’m not a marketer. I’m a thinker, trader, investor, writer. I was there for two years, marketing. After two years I decided I had to move on because I hated marketing. I wanted to go into finance. So I submitted a financial article somewhere and it was accepted. Then on my birthday in 2012, I decided with my wife I was going to quit and focus on finance. That morning, we went out for a birthday breakfast. We share the same birthday. It makes things easier, more convenient. I was going to show up late to work after breakfast and then announce I would be leaving.
After breakfast, before I got in the office, I get a call from my manager. He tells me the company decided to close up shop suddenly so there is no need for me to show up. Well, that’s convenient. I showed up anyway, said goodbye to my friends there, and I went off home, a burden lifted from my shoulders.
Two years later, I see a post from my friend Robbie Strazynksi of CardPlayerLifestyle, about this guy Bill Beatty looking for a new financial writer for some gambling website called CalvinAyre.com. I said I was interested, didn’t know much about gambling, but I know about finance. I could swing it. Bill gave me a shot, trusted me, and in March 2014, I wrote my first article. Macau stocks were at all time highs, and I wrote that they were about to implode. They did, for the next two years. But not for the reason I thought.
What is Scarab Treasure?
“On the numbers GiG has disclosed it looks cheap,” he says. “€16.4 million for 80% implies an EV of €20.5 million against roughly $50 million of run-rate NGR, 30% year-on-year growth and positive cash generation. €6m of cash on day one for a business generating $50 million of NGR tells you who needed the deal.”
Although Bally’s takeover of Evoke may have prompted a slightly discounted price and a quick decision for GiG to buy 888Africa, the continent has been part of GiG’s plans for a while Richards insists. “We received the information memorandum in Q2 2026,” Richards adds. “Africa has long been a market that our CEO Richard Carter has admired and his insight enabled us to move quickly to be able to announce the principal commercial terms at our results at the end of August.”
Both Richards and Ahlberg state this acquisition doesn’t reflect a turnaround story for 888Africa, with a management team led by industry veteran Christopher Coyne and a footprint in some of the continent’s fastest-growing markets.
