Caliente Adds €30.1M to Playtech as Colombia Revenue More Than Doubles

Sep 19, 2026

Playtech recorded €30.1 million as its share of income from Caliente Interactive in the first half of 2026. At the same time, revenue from Colombia increased by more than 100% year on year, giving the supplier two separate growth engines in Latin America.

Latin American B2B revenue reached €99.9 million in H1, up from €87.7 million a year earlier, according to Playtech's half-year filing. That equals reported growth of 14%. Playtech puts underlying growth at 29% after removing the effect of the revised Caliente agreement from the comparison.

Caliente Paid €37.4M in Dividends

Mexico remains the largest identifiable part of Playtech's Latin American business. The company recognised €30.1 million as its share of income from Caliente Interactive, in which it owns 30.8%. Caliente also distributed €37.4 million in dividends to Playtech before tax during the half.

The two figures have different accounting treatment:

The €30.1 million is income from an associate and contributes to adjusted investment income;
The dividend is a cash distribution and is not added to Adjusted EBITDA for a second time.

One way to measure the weight of the Mexican investment is against Playtech's wider portfolio. 15M’s calculation shows that the €30.1 million Caliente contribution alone was equal to about 88% of the group's €34.2 million adjusted investment income in H1.

Playtech said Caliente's sports and iGaming revenue both increased. The operator also spent more on customer acquisition around the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with management expecting some of that activity to support volumes in the second half.

Colombia Revenue Increased More Than 100%

Colombia produced the other notable LatAm move. Playtech said revenue there increased by more than 100% year on year. Its business in the country is largely linked to a structured agreement with Wplay.

The increase came during a changing tax environment. Playtech said the previous 19% VAT regime was suspended early in 2026, before a 16% national consumption tax on GGR was introduced in March. The company described the revised structure as more sustainable for the industry than taxing deposits directly.

Playtech also noted that a proposal submitted in July would restore the 19% deposit VAT from 2027 if approved.

LatAm Added €12.2M in Reported Revenue

The regional headline percentage also looks different in absolute terms. Playtech's Latin American B2B revenue increased by €12.2 million between H1 2025 and H1 2026, from €87.7 million to €99.9 million.

The underlying 29% growth rate is higher because the 2025 comparison still contained €10 million of additional Caliente B2B service fees that disappeared under the revised agreement.

For Playtech, the first half therefore shows two different forms of Latin American exposure: direct B2B growth through markets such as Colombia, and investment income from its equity position in Caliente in Mexico.