Listen to this article:After warning that the recent increase in Remote Gaming Duty will make it unprofitable from this month, Sun Bingo is under review by Playtech.
The update came in Playtech’s FY2025 earnings call, during which CFO Chris McGinnis said the business is not expected to remain profitable now that the new 40% tax rate has come into effect. The announcement is sure to make the online bingo industry take note, as Sun Bingo is one of the best-known brands in the UK market.
It also highlights the contrast in the treatment of online bingo and land-based venues. Land-based halls have just had a tax break through the abolition of Bingo Duty, while online bingo sites are now dealing with a large tax increase.
Sun Bingo, and indeed all other online operators, fall under the wider remote gaming tax framework. This means that they are being affected by the same increase that is hitting online casino operators.
McGinnis did not say that they were closing Sun Bingo, but they are carrying out an operational review. Furthermore, McGinnis said he believes there is still a place for Sun Bingo within Playtech in the long term, which suggests this is not necessarily the start of an exit. However, it is a clear sign that the business is under pressure.
He also said Sun Bingo has more B2B than B2C characteristics despite being customer-facing. That may be relevant from Playtech’s point of view; however, the more important point for players is that a major online brand is now being reviewed because the new tax rate makes operations unprofitable.
Playtech had already noted that Sun Bingo and its other B2C operations were affected by tighter regulation in the UK. In its Q2 2025 results, the company said enhanced regulatory requirements contributed to a 17% drop in revenue and lower adjusted EBITDA.
Therefore, Playtech was already under pressure before the tax increase was introduced, and the introduction of the 40% Remote Gaming Duty appears to have made things even more difficult.
The review carries added weight as Sun Bingo is one of Playtech’s larger projects. The company took over as the brand’s supplier from Gamesys in 2015, so it has been part of the business for a long time.
While land-based venues may have been singled out for preferential treatment, online bingo is being treated in the same way as other forms of remote gambling. Even though bingo is often seen as a softer product, businesses operating bingo sites are still exposed to the same taxes as a full-on online casino.
This raises questions about how easy it will be for online brands to remain competitive in the UK. Sun Bingo is still operating, and the outcome of Playtech’s review is yet to be determined, but the industry is sure to be watching closely.
It is also worrying for players. While there may not yet be any changes, it suggests that bingo operators will either have to push up ticket prices or find ways to cut costs, such as by reducing promotions and loyalty rewards.
Last year, Playtech’s group revenue was 10% lower than the previous year at €763.6 million, and EBITDA fell 9% to €197 million. Furthermore, B2B revenue was down 9% year-on-year at €688.3 million, and adjusted EBITDA dropped 36% to €141.4 million.
However, Playtech said that these falls were expected and were a result of the new Caliente Interactive agreement, and the company has said that it expects FY26 results to be better than expected. While Sun Bingo is under review by Playtech and there is no information on when the outcome will be announced, there do seem to be reasons to be optimistic about the future of the online bingo operator.
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