The Lottomatica Group has published its results for the first nine months of 2026: revenue rose 5% to €1.718 billion. The board approved the interim report on November 2, and the results conference call took place on November 3, according to the company's financial calendar.
Online drove most of the growth. Online revenue for the nine months rose 13% to €780.8 million. The sports betting franchise fell 1% to €376.7 million, even though stakes grew 11%. The company blames the decline on less favourable sports betting payouts.
Adjusted EBITDA rose 8% to €665.5 million. The 2026 forecast stays unchanged: the figure is expected to land in the upper part of the €940–980 million range.
Lottomatica's share of Italy's online market reached 31.7% in the third quarter, up 0.9 percentage points from the same period of 2025.
The land-based segment faces a different outlook. Italy's 2027 budget bill raises the PREU tax on AWP slot machines from 24% to 25%, and on VLT video lottery terminals from 8.6% to 9.6%, starting January 1, 2027. For machines that return at least 70% of stakes to players as winnings, the rate will be 20%. The maximum stake per slot doubles from €1 to €2, and the maximum prize rises from €100 to €200.
Online gambling is not affected by this bill, which does not introduce a new tax on online gambling. Land-based halls and machine networks will carry the burden. The PREU increase is forecast to be the main contributor, bringing in €334 million.
The bill has been sent to parliament, which can amend it.
Meanwhile, the group is preparing a merger with Cirsa. In September, Lottomatica proposed a deal worth €2.8 billion, and completion is planned for the second quarter of 2027.
