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Inspired Entertainment, Inc.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 7 May 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 raised, 2 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Comparable revenue rose 15%: Revenue excluding the divested UK holiday parks and restructured pubs businesses rose 15%. Reported revenue fell 5% to $57.2 million, which the company tied to the divestiture and pubs restructuring. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA up 29%: Adjusted EBITDA reached $23.7 million, up from $18.4 million, with margin at 41% against 30%. The company attributed the gain to portfolio optimization and the higher-margin Interactive segment. Source
  • Interactive revenue and EBITDA rose: Interactive revenue rose 38% to $16.7 million and Adjusted EBITDA rose 53% to $11.8 million. In functional currency, segment revenue rose 29% and Adjusted EBITDA rose 42%. Source
  • Retail Solutions EBITDA up 30%: Retail Solutions revenue fell 20% to $31.8 million, or 25% in functional currency, while its Adjusted EBITDA rose 30% to $14.3 million. Source
  • Share gains in UK and Greece: The company said it gained market share in the UK and Greece, with upgraded terminals driving cash box growth ahead of the market. Source
  • Free cash flow of $15.8 million: Free cash flow was $15.8 million, which the company defined as cash flow from operating activities less investing activities less finance lease repayments. Source

“Our first-quarter results reflect the execution of our strategy and the quality of our underlying business,”

Brooks Pierce, President and CEO of Inspired Entertainment

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Adjusted EBITDA Sourcefull year 2026$112 million to $118 millionKept
Adjusted EBITDA margin Sourcefull year 2026up to 45%Raised from approximately 43%
Free cash flow conversion Sourcefull year 2026exceed 20%Kept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Full-year 2026 Adjusted EBITDA margin target raised to up to 45%, from approximately 43%. Source
  • Guidance kept: Full-year 2026 Adjusted EBITDA target range of $112 million to $118 million reiterated. Source
  • New: Gaming and Leisure to be combined into one Retail Solutions segment from the first quarter of 2026; the first quarter table reports on that basis.
  • New: Long-term contract extension signed as exclusive provider of gaming terminals and content to Paddy Power, a UK and Ireland bookmaker within Flutter Entertainment. Source
  • New: SaaS distribution agreement with Playtech to deliver Virtual Sports content and cloud-native platform across Playtech's global operator network. Source
  • New: Genting Casino ordered 300 Velos electronic table games after a 100-terminal trial, with units expected in the second half of 2026. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Comparable revenue rose 15%: Revenue excluding the divested UK holiday parks and restructured pubs businesses rose 15%. Reported revenue fell 5% to $57.2 million, which the company tied to the divestiture and pubs restructuring. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA up 29%: Adjusted EBITDA reached $23.7 million, up from $18.4 million, with margin at 41% against 30%. The company attributed the gain to portfolio optimization and the higher-margin Interactive segment. Source
  • Net loss of $0.5 million: Net operating income was $9.2 million against $1.6 million a year earlier. Net loss was $0.5 million, or $0.02 per diluted share, and adjusted net loss was $0.7 million. Source

Segments and regions

  • Interactive revenue and EBITDA rose: Interactive revenue rose 38% to $16.7 million and Adjusted EBITDA rose 53% to $11.8 million. In functional currency, segment revenue rose 29% and Adjusted EBITDA rose 42%. Source
  • Retail Solutions EBITDA up 30%: Retail Solutions revenue fell 20% to $31.8 million, or 25% in functional currency, while its Adjusted EBITDA rose 30% to $14.3 million. Source
  • Virtual Sports EBITDA slightly lower: Virtual Sports revenue was flat at $8.7 million and Adjusted EBITDA fell 3% to $6.1 million. The company said the decline was slight. Source
  • Corporate costs up 29%: Corporate Adjusted EBITDA cost was $8.5 million against $6.6 million in the prior-year quarter, a 29% increase as shown in the table. Source
  • Pubs revenue basis adjusted: Revenue comparisons adjust the pubs business for a structural change in the company's operating model, according to the footnote to the release. Source

“believe we are well positioned to sustain this momentum and deliver on our 2026 targets”

Brooks Pierce, President and CEO of Inspired Entertainment

Products, customers and content

  • Interactive slots ranked fourth: Inspired rose to number four supplier in the April 2026 slot index, with three themes in the Top 25 slots, based on a sample from five US states. Source
  • BetMGM and Borgata expansion: Virtual Sports was expanded to BetMGM and Borgata's New Jersey sportsbook, described as the first US Tier One operator to integrate Virtual Sports into its sportsbook tab. Source
  • Jenningsbet installation completed: Installation of Jenningsbet in the UK LBO market was completed, with 120 Vantage terminals installed in the first quarter for a total of 574 terminals. Source
  • Multi-year extensions with two operators: The company said it secured multi-year extensions with key operators bet365 and Entain in the first quarter. Source
  • Share gains in UK and Greece: The company said it gained market share in the UK and Greece, with upgraded terminals driving cash box growth ahead of the market. Source
  • Content cited as key differentiator: Management said content remains its key differentiator, driving continued share gains and outperformance across Interactive and Retail Solutions. Source

Costs and interest

  • Cost of service and SG&A fell: Cost of service fell to $8.6 million from $15.0 million, excluding depreciation and amortization. Selling, general and administrative expenses fell to $24.3 million from $30.3 million. Source
  • Depreciation and amortization rose: Depreciation and amortization rose to $12.5 million from $10.6 million in the first quarter. Source
  • Net interest expense rose: Interest expense, net rose to $10.5 million from $7.0 million, and total other expense, net was $10.4 million. Source

“We are gaining share, expanding profitability, and increasing financial flexibility; creating greater optionality as we deploy capital to the highest-return opportunities.”

Lorne Weil, Executive Chairman of Inspired

Capital, cash and returns

  • Free cash flow of $15.8 million: Free cash flow was $15.8 million, which the company defined as cash flow from operating activities less investing activities less finance lease repayments. Source
  • Senior notes principal repaid: The company repaid $13.3 million (£10.0 million) of senior secured note principal in the first quarter. Source
  • Shares repurchased for $2.6 million: The company repurchased 387,230 shares of common stock for $2.6 million in the first quarter. Source
  • Net leverage down to 3.0x: Net leverage fell to about 3.0x from 3.3x at year-end 2025, per the company's calculation using pro forma LTM Adjusted EBITDA. Source
  • Cash held near year-end level: Cash remained consistent with fourth quarter 2025 levels despite discretionary capital deployment, the company said. Source

Strategy and portfolio

  • Retail runs capital-light: Management said Retail Solutions operates under a capital-light model, delivering growth, improved efficiency and higher margin alongside Interactive. Source
  • Earnings to be less seasonal: Following the holiday parks divestiture, management expects earnings to be more streamlined and less seasonal on a comparable basis. Source
  • Confidence in 2026 targets: Management said it remains confident in its strategic direction and its ability to deliver profitable growth in 2026. Source

Coming up, as management said on 7 May 2026

  • Virtual Sports second-half improvement: Management expects Virtual Sports results to improve in the second half, citing broader distribution and the Virtual Soccer rollout before the World Cup. Source
  • Alberta iGaming launch planned: The company secured an Alberta iGaming supplier license and plans a launch in the third quarter of 2026. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Regulatory: UK remote gaming duty nearly doubled in April 2026, which management noted while reporting continued share gains. Source
  • External: The full-year target assumes GBP:USD exchange rates remain broadly in line with current levels. Source
  • Financial: Quarterly free cash flow is expected to fluctuate, mainly because of the timing of semi-annual interest payments. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Earlier expectation for first-quarter Adjusted EBITDA growth; the reported quarter is covered in the results section.
  • Not stated: Earlier plan to roll out the Virtual Soccer BetBuilder across the estate ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
  • Not stated: Earlier expectation that earnings build through the year.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.