Entain appointed Stella David as its permanent chief executive with immediate effect, replacing Gavin Isaacs, who left the role in February. David had served as interim CEO since his departure; the company also issued a Q1 trading update reporting a 9% increase in net gaming revenue. Interim chairman Pierre Bouchut welcomed the appointment.
The appointment confirms Entain’s permanent leadership following David’s interim tenure and Isaacs’s departure.
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Entain said it appointed Sheila Bangalore as an independent non-executive director with immediate effect. The company said the appointment takes its board to 11 members and was made under UK Listing Rules.
Entain said the UK Machine Games Duty rate on machines with a stake of at least £1 will rise from 20% to 25% on 1 April 2027. The group estimates an annual cost of about £25m for its UK&I Retail division before mitigation, while keeping its 2026 guidance unchanged and aiming to offset the impact by the end of 2028.
Entain has estimated an additional annual cost of about £25m from changes to UK gambling taxation, the company said in a notice published through the London Stock Exchange's RNS service. The estimate covers the group's UK&I Retail division, which includes its shop operations in the UK and Ireland, and was made before any mitigation measures. Entain said its guidance for 2026, issued on 15 October, is unchanged.
Entain maintained its full-year 2026 guidance after reporting a 2% rise in third-quarter group net gaming revenue, the company said. Online NGR increased 3% year on year in the three months to 30 September, while the company forecast full-year online growth of 4% to 6% on a constant-currency basis. It kept underlying EBITDA guidance, excluding parent fees, at £910m to £960m, with results expected at the lower end.
Entain chief executive Stella David told analysts she expects Brazil’s betting market to reopen in some form and said Entain would return. Her remarks were presented as her best guess.
New Zealand's Department of Internal Affairs confirmed on Tuesday that 11 operators received rights to apply for online casino licences after an auction. The process involved 32 bidders over 10 rounds and ended at NZ$15 million per licence; Baytree Interactive Limited (Betway) received three rights, while Playvia Gaming (NZ) Limited (Entain) received two. Formal licences remain subject to applications and regulatory assessment, with awards expected in early 2027.
New Zealand's Department of Internal Affairs confirmed on Tuesday that 11 operators have secured rights to apply for online casino licences following an expression of interest auction. The auction ended at a final price of NZ$15m per licence, with 32 bidders competing over 10 rounds for 15 available licences. The department granted 15 rights to apply to the 11 successful participants, and some companies secured more than one right, allowing them to submit separate applications.