Layoffs at SciPlay as parent company cites tough social casino market

Social casino game-maker SciPlay has cut a “limited number of roles” shortly after it posted a 7% year-on-year revenue drop.

“As part of a strategic review of our game portfolio, we recently made the difficult decision to eliminate a limited number of roles,” SciPlay told us.

“Decisions affecting employees are never taken lightly, and we are committed to supporting those affected. Our focus remains on our people and delivering great experiences for our players, and we have nothing further to add at this time.”

According to LinkedIn posts it appears the layoffs were related to Bingo Showdown, but SciPlay did not confirm the number of staff affected or where in the company the cuts were made.

Parent company Light & Wonder reported its Q126 earnings earlier this month, and noted that SciPlay’s revenues remain “challenged amid a mature social casino market”.

SciPlay revenue was down 7% year-on-year to $187m for Q126, though its direct-to-consumer revenue and active users grew sequentially. The revenue drop reflected “continued Jackpot Party Casino softness”, the company said.

D2C revenues were $50m for the quarter, 27% of total SciPlay revenue, and there was an increase in average monthly revenue per paying user, up 8% year-over-year to $126.30.

Appmagic’s IAP estimates suggest SciPlay’s top five earners in the last 30 days were Jackpot Party Casino Slots ($11.1m), Quick Hit Casino ($5.7m), 88 Fortunes ($3.8m), Gold Fish Casino ($3.2m) and Monopoly Slots ($2.1m).

Bingo Showdown, the game that appears to have suffered team cuts, sits just outside the top five with an estimated $803k earned in the last 30 days.