Brightstar Q1 2026 Shows $63M Profit With Italy and US Leading Performance

Brightstar Lottery PLC opened 2026 with a strong first quarter, reporting income from continuing operations of $63 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $287 million.

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Revenue reached $587 million, lifted by Italy’s same‑store sales growth, a favorable US sales mix, and foreign currency translation. These gains were partly offset by higher service revenue amortization tied to the Italy Lotto license and the ongoing U.K. transition.

CEO Vince Sadusky said, “We delivered a solid start to the year, with first‑quarter results reflecting the strength of our global portfolio and disciplined execution against our strategic priorities.”

The company also returned more than $70 million to shareholders and now has its eyes set on expanding more into online casino and sports betting markets. 

Adjusted EBITDA rises 15% year‑on‑year

Italy and the US were key to Brightstar’s growth in the first quarter of the year. Italy posted a 3.1% increase in same‑store sales, while the U.S. benefited from a positive mix in multi‑state jackpots and draw games.

Together, these regions helped push overall revenue higher despite challenges in the U.K. and service amortization costs. Adjusted EBITDA rose 15% year‑on‑year, supported by profit flow‑through from Italy’s performance, OPtiMa cost savings, and administrative recoveries.

“During the quarter, we continued to deliver OPtiMa cost savings while maintaining a disciplined approach to discretionary spend, carefully balancing cost control against strategic priorities, to sustain our profitable growth trajectory,” said Max Chiara, CFO of Brightstar.

Brightstar ended the quarter with $1.2 billion in cash and total liquidity of $2.8 billion. It also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.23 per share, payable in June, and completed the final Italy Lotto license payment of $1.67 billion in April. 

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Management reaffirmed its full‑year 2026 outlook, projecting revenue between $2.50 and $2.55 billion and Adjusted EBITDA of $1.16 to $1.19 billion. Sadusky emphasized Brightstar’s focus on long‑term growth, stating, “We are investing in exciting long-term growth initiatives… We’re on track with our multi-year goal of delivering accelerated sales and profit growth that we expect to create compelling, incremental value.”

Brightstar looking at igaming and sports betting for the future 

On the company’s Q1 earnings call, Sadusky spoke about more than just the strong quarter. He explained that while lottery will remain Brightstar’s foundation, the business sees room to grow by keeping players inside its own digital ecosystem.

Instead of sending users to outside platforms, Brightstar wants to offer them more options alongside lottery. Sadusky pointed directly to online casino and sports betting as natural extensions that could help build long‑term digital growth, especially in regulated markets where Brightstar already has a lottery presence. 

He noted, “A lot of the growth we have had so far has been around the iLottery market and our market share. That primarily drives our success – but so does, to a lesser extent, also offering consumers the ability to play iCasino games and sports betting [on the app].”

He added that the most exciting part of this opportunity is working with Brightstar’s retail network and using the daily traffic from players who already check winnings online. 

With its existing digital lottery systems, player data, and CRM tools, Sandusky said Brightstar is well placed to expand into these areas as more regulated markets open up to online gaming.

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