Playtech’s shares as of this morning, 9 July, have gone up 18% to 377.7p per share after the firm revealed an unexpected H1 trading performance.
The FTSE 250 company lauded “continued strength in Mexico and Colombia” and “excellent performance” in the US, driving an above-expectations performance for the firm overall.
Estimated FY26 guidance places Adjusted EBITDA at “at least €270m”, outperforming projections prior to the trade update which estimated a range of between €205m-€225m. The full H1 results will be presented on 10 September.
Leadership expects Adjusted EBITDA for H1 to come in at over €155m (£132.1m). This includes share of income generated from associates, including the 30.8% shareholding in Mexico’s Caliente Interactive under the 2025 revised agreement – most likely also boosted by the country’s co-hosting of the World Cup.
The figure includes the operating loss of German-facing HAPPYBET, which was sold to Pferdewetten in 2025 as part of Playtech’s strategy to transform into a pure-play B2B entity. The planned wind-down is expected to conclude in 2026.
Playtech sees H1 as biggest contributor for FY26
Elsewhere, Adjusted EBITDA figures in H1 also saw dividends from equity investments headlined by Playtech’s B2B client agreement with Hard Rock Digital.
Still, while Hard Rock Digital remains one of Playtech’s marquee clients, the latter expects revenue from the agreement to “continue at a lower but more sustainable level” through H2 2026 and into 2027.
A partnership in Brazil that is still in the works is expected to start contributing to growth, but only in 2027. H2 will also see Playtech absorb the full impact of the increase in Remote Gaming Duty to 40% in the UK, effective since April. As such, Playtech expects Adjusted EBITDA for the second half of the year to be lower than H1.
Mor Weizer, Playtech Chief Executive Officer, said: “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. We look forward to publishing our interim results in a few weeks.”