9th Jul 2026 10:36
(Alliance News) - Playtech PLC on Thursday said it expects 2026 results to beat market expectations, with its first half supported by an "excellent performance in the US".
Playtech shares jumped 18% to 378.60 pence each in London on Thursday morning. It is up around 3% over the past 12 months but had been around 10% lower prior to Thursday's surge.
The Douglas, Isle of Man-based gambling software firm now expects adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of EUR270 million, "significantly above the current analyst consensus". It puts the current consensus range at EUR205 million to EUR225 million.
Playtech's current forecast represents a 37% rise from the EUR197.0 million achieved in 2025.
"Playtech's trading has delivered results significantly ahead of market expectations, driven by excellent performance in the US and continued strength in Mexico, Colombia and certain European markets. The performance in the Americas, as consistently flagged since the start of the year, continued to accelerate through May and June," the firm said.
It expects a first half adjusted Ebitda of over EUR155 million, rising at least 69% from EUR91.6 million a year prior.
Chief Executive Officer Mor Weizer commented: "We achieved an excellent performance in the first half of 2026, reflecting continued momentum in regulated markets, notably the Americas and certain European markets. Performance in the US, driven by our partnership with Hard Rock Digital, has been exceptionally strong, and we are delighted to see returns on our investments over recent years accelerate and contribute significantly to profitability and cash flow.
"Playtech continues to further establish itself in regulated and regulating markets going into the second half of the year, and we are pleased with the progress towards our medium-term targets."
Playtech releases half-year results on September 10.
Looking ahead, it expects second half earnings to decline from the first, with UK regulatory measures partly to blame.
"Hard Rock Digital has become one of Playtech's largest customers and is expected to remain so going forward, albeit Playtech's revenue with the operator is likely to continue at a lower but more sustainable level in H2 2026 and into 2027. Elsewhere, the company has been investing into a significant partnership in Brazil, ahead of expected signing and launch, which is likely to begin contributing to growth in 2027. In addition, in H2 2026 Playtech will also absorb the full impact of increased remote gaming duty in the UK, which became effective in April 2026," the firm explained.
From April 2026 there was an increase in UK remote gaming duty 40% from 21%. Remote gaming duty is a levy applied on online casino offerings, poker and slots.
By Eric Cunha, Alliance News news editor
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