Hard Rock deal drives Playtech’s H1 profit surge

• Playtech expects H1 2026 adjusted EBITDA of over €155 million, which Reuters calculates as a rise of roughly 70% year-on-year.
• Full-year 2026 adjusted EBITDA guidance now stands at least €270 million, above an analyst consensus ranging from €205 million to €225 million.
• Playtech will report interim results for the six months to 30 June 2026 on 10 September.

Playtech expects first-half 2026 adjusted EBITDA of over €155 million, in a trading update issued on 9 July, citing accelerating momentum in the United States and Latin America.

The London-listed supplier said the Americas performance strengthened further through May and June, pushing results significantly ahead of market expectations.

Hard Rock deal fuels growth

The bulk of the upgrade traces back to Playtech’s relationship with Hard Rock Digital, which the supplier said has become one of its largest customers. The two companies were first to market with a wagering product built around Past Motor Racing results, a format that determines outcomes from historical race data rather than a random number generator.

The product went live with Seminole Hard Rock Digital in Florida during Q4 2025, according to Playtech’s own annual report, following an extended development period the supplier flagged in its update. Playtech said revenue from Hard Rock Digital is expected to continue at a lower but more sustainable level in H2 2026 and into 2027, after an unusually strong first half.

Beyond the Hard Rock partnership, Playtech pointed to sustained strength in Mexico and Colombia, where its equity stake in Caliente Interactive continues to generate income, alongside select European markets.

According to Reuters, shares in the company surged close to 19% to 375.60 pence by 0750 GMT following the announcement.

Mor Weizer, chief executive of Playtech, 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.”

H2 normalisation expected

Playtech expects H2 2026 adjusted EBITDA to land below H1 levels, a pattern management attributed to 3 distinct pressures rather than a single cause. Alongside the Hard Rock Digital normalisation, Playtech is funding a build-out ahead of its expected signing and launch of a significant partnership in Brazil.

Management said that investment is likely to begin contributing to earnings only from 2027, a timeline that puts Playtech behind rivals already generating revenue in the market.

A 3rd drag comes from the UK, where the Remote Gaming Duty rose to 40% under measures that took effect in April 2026. Playtech will absorb the full-year impact of that increase for the first time in H2.

Even accounting for those headwinds, Playtech raised its full-year adjusted EBITDA guidance to at least €270 million, comfortably clear of the analyst range of €205 million to €225 million, which averaged €219 million across seven analysts.

The figure also sits within reach of the top end of the operator’s medium-term target range of €250 million to €300 million, and builds on a 2025 base of €197 million, which included €61.8 million in investment income from Hard Rock Digital and Caliente Interactive.

Interims land in September

Playtech will publish results for the six months ended 30 June 2026 on 10 September. Weizer and chief financial officer Chris McGinnis will host an in-person presentation at Chartered Accountants’ Hall in London, alongside a live webcast.

The upgrade extends a run of positive updates through 2026, following strong Q1 trading flagged in May and a beat on 2025 full-year profit reported in March. The Americas push has also shown up on the product side, with Playtech’s iPoker network going live with FanDuel on 11 June across 4 regulated markets.