Playtech has reported a return to bottom-line profitability for the first half of 2026, with group revenue up 10% to €425.1m and adjusted EBITDA climbing 77% to €162.5m, as the London-listed supplier confirmed it is targeting a Brazil launch around the start of 2027.
The results mark a significant turnaround for the gambling technology group, which has leaned heavily on its US and Latin American commercial partnerships to drive growth. Group pre-tax profit from continuing operations reached €113m, compared with a €58.8m loss in the same period last year.
What happened
Corporate accounts for H1 2026 saw Playtech achieve growth across all core metrics as group revenues stood at €425m, up 10% on 2025 comparatives of €387m.
Commercial activities across North and Latin America were identified as Playtech’s principal growth drivers, with revenue from the US and Canada rising by 161% to €57m, while Latin American revenue increased by 14% to €100m
, equivalent to roughly 29% growth on an underlying basis.
Group adjusted EBITDA increased by 77% to €162m, in comparison with €91m in H1 2025.
Net profit was also up, to €98.1m, in line with an earlier trading update published in July.
Management confirmed the U.S. business achieved profitability during the first half, ahead of the company’s original timeline.
Playtech underscored its roster of exclusive iGaming partnerships, further supported by Caliente Interactive in Mexico, which generated €36m in net cash contribution during the period.
In the U.S. and Canada specifically, revenue increased 161%, with Playtech citing its relationship with Hard Rock Bet and launches in additional states, as the company expanded its regulated U.S. iGaming operations to six states during the period.
On Brazil, chief executive Mor Weizer told analysts the group had been progressing a long-awaited deal but had been asked to wait until after the country’s election period before moving ahead.
Brazil remains a key strategic market for the group, which has already established a presence in the country through the launch of a live casino studio in São Paulo.
Playtech has invested heavily in a partnership with state-owned bank Caixa Economica Federal, which plans to launch its own betting brand, with Weizer previously predicting the tie-up could be one of the most significant opportunities for Playtech in the coming years.
Caixa had anticipated launching in November last year, but after political pressure its go-live date has now been pushed back to 2027 at the earliest.
Why it matters
The results confirm that Playtech’s pivot toward regulated Americas markets is paying off financially, at a time when several UK-facing suppliers and operators are absorbing higher domestic taxes.
Playtech also expects to absorb the full impact of the near-doubling of Remote Gaming Duty in the UK from 1 April 2026, further weighing on adjusted EBITDA for the rest of the year.
That the group still raised guidance despite this headwind signals that its US and Latin American partnerships are now large enough to offset UK regulatory drag.
For suppliers and platform providers watching market entry timing, the Brazil delay is instructive. Political sensitivity around gambling ahead of national elections can push back commercial launches by a year or more, even for well-capitalised players with local infrastructure already in place. Playtech’s decision to keep investing through the delay, rather than pull back, suggests confidence that Brazil’s regulatory environment will stabilise once the election cycle concludes.
The performance also carries implications for affiliate and marketing partners tied to Playtech-powered brands. Growth concentrated in the Americas points to where operator marketing budgets and player-acquisition activity are likely to expand next, particularly in Mexico and Colombia, both of which benefited from World Cup-driven customer acquisition during the period.
The bigger picture
Colombia revenue increased over 100% year-on-year in H1, supported by the continued evolution of the regulatory environment, after the Constitutional Court temporarily suspended a 19% VAT on player deposits in January and the government introduced a National Consumption Tax of 16% on operators’ gross gaming revenue in March.
That regulatory shift, taxing operator revenue rather than player deposits, illustrates how quickly Latin American frameworks are moving toward structures more familiar to European operators, and how suppliers positioned early in these markets can benefit disproportionately.
Playtech said it remains on track to deliver 2026 adjusted EBITDA of more than €270 million, within the medium-term target range of €250 million to €300 million set in early 2025.
Chief financial officer Chris McGinnis told investors there is no immediate plan for M&A, though the company will remain open to selective investments that strengthen its core B2B technology operations.
That stance suggests Playtech intends to consolidate its current Americas momentum organically before pursuing further acquisitions, a contrast to the more acquisitive strategies pursued by some rival suppliers.
The results follow a period of broader consolidation and partnership activity across the supplier segment, including Tenstar Media’s recent look at how operators approach new-market entry, a theme Playtech’s Brazil timeline reinforces directly.
Sources
- SBC News – Playtech nets €113m profits on exceptional Americas trading
- Gambling News – Playtech Posts H1 2026 Results, Teases Brazil Launch in 2027
- NEXT.io – Playtech H1: Americas growth drives revenue up 10% as profit holds firm
- iGaming Expert – Playtech ‘well-positioned to invest’ but there’s a catch
- NEXT.io – Playtech targets early 2027 for Brazil launch
