BetGoodwin weighs £80m London AIM flotation, Sky News reports

Sky News has reported that the online bookmaker BetGoodwin may pursue an initial public offering on London's AIM market, with a possible valuation of roughly £80m. Independent investment bank Allenby Capital has reportedly been engaged to advise on any listing. According to the source, "The company has not confirmed the plans and declined to comment on the reports."

Goodwin Racing, a long-established bookmaker, operates BetGoodwin as its online betting arm. The telephone betting operation was set up a quarter of a century before the online brand arrived on the market in 2022. In the Blask Index, BetGoodwin holds 74th place among UK gambling operators and 66th place in Ireland. Liquid cash reserves at Goodwin Racing grew by over 122 per cent in 2024, finishing the year at £6.08m.

According to Sky News, the Heads — chief executive Julian Head and chief operating officer Ben Head — might look to offload roughly a fifth of their stake if a listing goes ahead. The source adds: "Any BetGoodwin flotation remains speculative."

News of the possible listing arrives while many big gambling groups are seeing their share values slide in 2026. Flutter Entertainment gave up its London listing this year and now trades solely on the New York Stock Exchange; its shares stand at about $81, a drop of 62 per cent so far this year. Entain, whose stock has lost over 40 per cent in 2026 and sat at £4.49 at the time of writing, was moved out of the FTSE 100 in September after six years and now sits in the FTSE 250. Rank Group stock is roughly 18 per cent lower this year, trading below 80p.

Evoke plc, owner of the William Hill and 888 brands, was the exception, with its share price up by almost 90 per cent during 2026, an increase largely driven by its agreed acquisition by Bally's Intralot and its forthcoming departure from the London market.

Tax changes are another headwind for the sector. Under plans set out in last year's Autumn Budget, Remote Gaming Duty is due to climb from 21 per cent to 40 per cent starting April 2026, and General Betting Duty is set to go from 15 per cent to 25 per cent in April 2027. As this year's Budget approaches, just a week away, there is growing talk that Machine Games Duty may be in line for a rise too.