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Playtech reported a stronger start to 2026 than expected after four months of trading, with the Americas, live casino and parts of Europe helping the supplier offset pressure elsewhere.
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A UK tax issue still hangs over Playtech, but the latest trading update focused more on growth abroad. The group said its Americas business kept outperforming expectations, led by the US and Mexico.
Mor Weizer called the start of 2026 “excellent” after the post-AGM update on Wednesday. He pointed to regulated market growth, technology scale and long-term partner deals as reasons for confidence.
He said:
“Despite the ongoing sector headwinds, the combination of Playtech’s strong expansion in regulated markets, diversified footprint, highly scalable technology and deep partner relationships, leaves the group well positioned to capture the significant market opportunity ahead.”
Mexico has become a major part of that story. Playtech renewed its Caliente agreement in September 2024 for the Caliplay joint venture, and that partnership continues to support revenue in the region.
Weizer said:
“Our partnership with Caliente Interactive in Mexico continues to perform strongly, with the upcoming World Cup representing a significant opportunity to further strengthen Caliente’s leadership position in the market.”
US investment also started feeding more clearly into profit.
“Performance in the US, in particular, has been encouraging, as returns on our investments over recent years continue to accelerate and contribute meaningfully to profitability.”
Away from the Americas, Playtech said certain European markets helped the opening months of 2026. Live casino also delivered a solid result, giving the group another useful growth line in regulated online gaming.
The upbeat start follows a harder FY25, when group revenue fell 10% to €763.6 million. In the UK, Playtech continues to review Sun Bingo after Remote Gaming Duty rose from 21% to 40% on April 1. CFO Chris McGinnis previously said the new rate made Sun Bingo unprofitable, though he also said the business could still fit the group over time because it has more B2B traits than a normal customer-facing brand.
Playtech also confirmed a board change. Ian Penrose will step down after FY2026 results, while remaining as non-executive director, senior independent director and Audit and Risk Committee chairman until then.
John Gleasure said:
“We are grateful that he has agreed to remain with us until spring 2027 to ensure a smooth transition of his roles.”
“Ian has brought deep global industry experience to Playtech, and has always shown total commitment and dedication during what will have been almost nine years of service to Playtech. We wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”