Gambling operator/technology supplier Playtech says its full-year 2020 results will come in better than expected, as different divisions shone at different points during the pandemic-impacted year. 

On Tuesday, the London-listed Playtech alerted investors that its FY20 performance was “expected to be ahead of consensus,” with adjusted earnings projected to be “at least €300m.” That’s only about 78% of 2019’s total, but investors still pushed the stock up 4.3% by the end of the day. Official results will be released on March 11. 

Playtech noted that its various divisions took turns holding the fort during the pandemic’s uneven progression. The first half of the year saw Playtech’s TradeTech financials division shine as gamblers left high-and-dry by halted sports play chose to investigate financial betting options. But the financial product surge faded as sports returned, leaving TradeTech to endure a “challenging” H2.

Since the new year began, Playtech rebranded TradeTech as Finalto, an odd move considering Playtech said Tuesday that it “continues to be in discussions regarding the possible sale” of its B2B/B2C financial unit. You’d think they’d leave any remodelling up to the new owner, but whatever.