Playtech Q1 revenue jumps nearly one-third but poker continues to lag

Online gambling software outfit Playtech saw revenue jump nearly one-third in Q1, although its poker product continues to languish.

Overall revenue grew 31% to €134.9m, with Playtech’s core casino vertical rising 28% to €70.9m and services revenue up 27% to €37.8m. The biggest percentage gain came from Playtech’s land-based operations, which rose 198% to €8.3m, eclipsing both sports (€7.3m, +31%) and bingo (€5m, +24%). As has become a pattern, poker was Playtech’s lone negative vertical, falling 17% to €3.2m.

Playtech says the proportion of its overall revenue derived from regulated markets rose to 40% from 34% in Q1 2014. Playtech believes the recent acquisition of the TradeFX financial betting business, which operates under the Markets.com brand, will push that regulated revenue slice to 50%. Playtech believes it can convince most of its current licensees to add TradeFX’s binary options and contract for difference markets.

Playtech claimed to have increased the majority of its regulated market contribution to total European revenue but the trading update issued on Monday didn’t break out regional revenue. The most significant performer in Playtech’s 2014 revenue was its Philippine-licensed operations, which serve many Asian grey- and black-market jurisdictions.