Cirsa reports €195 million Q3 operating profit as online wagers rise 43%
Spanish gaming group Cirsa reported Q3 2026 operating profit of €195 million, up 6.8%, on revenue of €628 million. Online gaming and sports betting grew fastest, and a 30 November shareholder meeting will consider the merger with Lottomatica.
Cirsa and Lottomatica do not operate for South African players, so this is background on how big gaming groups are consolidating. It matters mainly as a signal of where listed operators are putting their growth, with online the fastest growing part. It says nothing about the safety or payouts of any casino open to South Africans.
The results
Cirsa reported operating profit of €195 million for the third quarter of 2026, up 6.8% on a year earlier, as revenue rose 12% to €628 million. The company said profit would have been €203 million, up 11.1%, without costs linked to the proposed Lottomatica merger. It also extended its stated run of quarterly operating profit growth to 73 quarters. Over nine months, revenue rose 10% and operating profit 7.8%.
Online grows fastest
Online gaming and sports betting was the fastest growing division. Amounts wagered rose 43.4% in the quarter, net revenue rose 19% and deposits rose 39.4%. The company did not say how much of that translated into profit. Cirsa expects to finish the year at the upper end of its earlier guidance range but did not state the range in its announcement.
It also opened a casino in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, and entered Paraguay with two casinos and two gaming halls.
The Lottomatica merger
Cirsa has called an extraordinary shareholders' meeting for 30 November in Terrassa. The two companies announced the plan in September. Lottomatica would absorb Cirsa through an EU cross-border merger and survive as the legal entity, with listings in Spain and Italy. They describe the combined group as the second largest listed gaming and sports betting operator in the world, with an addressable market of up to €34 billion.
What to watch
The 30 November vote is the next step. For South African readers there is no direct effect, but consolidation among large operators often shapes the games and platforms that reach offshore casinos later. Treat any gambling as entertainment with real risk.