Playtech lifts 2026 adjusted EBITDA guidance to over €300m on Americas

In a trading update, Playtech lifted its guidance for 2026 adjusted EBITDA to above €300m, citing continued strong performance in the Americas. The update covers 1 July to 30 September. The company also flagged that Brazil's market shutdown and higher UK gambling tax could weigh on growth in 2027.

What happened

Playtech had previously guided to adjusted EBITDA of €250m to €300m for the year ending 31 December 2026, against an initial forecast of €270m. It now says the total is likely to land above that range. The new outlook is also higher than the €271m to €285m range of analyst estimates, and above the €279m consensus figure, according to NEXT.io's report on the update.

The company cited several drivers for the upgrade:

• Its past motor racing (PMR) product kept generating strong revenue after benefiting from being first to market with Hard Rock Digital.
• Performance in the US, driven by the Hard Rock Digital partnership, contributed significantly to profitability and cash flow, according to CEO Mor Weizer.
• Weizer said Mexico and Colombia benefited from tailwinds after the Men's FIFA World Cup.

Playtech also set out headwinds. Competing third-party suppliers have arrived in the PMR segment, which the company expects to affect its market share more significantly in 2027.

Playtech also continues to face higher costs from the UK Remote Gaming Duty (RGD) increase, with the full-year impact due in 2027. The company noted increased taxation in other European markets as well.

Analysts' consensus for 2027 adjusted EBITDA sits at roughly €266m. Playtech did not publish its own guidance for the year. Playtech's share price rose by more than 4% at the time NEXT.io published its report.

Why it matters

Operators and affiliates working with Playtech content could check how exposed their own revenue is to the same factors the supplier has flagged. The PMR product, which gained from an early start with Hard Rock Digital, is likely to face more competition from rival suppliers in 2027, so operators may find more choice and room to negotiate on comparable content.

On the cost side, the full-year effect of the higher UK Remote Gaming Duty arrives in 2027. UK-facing operators and affiliates paid on revenue share could need to check how the higher tax affects margins and commercial terms. Increased taxation in other European markets could add to the pressure on the supplier.

The guidance upgrade suggests how much of Playtech's profit may now rest on the Americas, with the US partnership and the Mexico and Colombia markets named as contributors. Partners could expect the supplier's commercial focus to remain on regulated and regulating markets.

What's next

Playtech has not issued guidance for 2027. Analyst consensus for that year's adjusted EBITDA stands at around €266m, and the full-year impact of the UK duty increase falls in 2027.