Entain reported first-half 2025 total EBITDA growth of 32%, while its 50% stake in BetMGM recorded a 35% revenue increase. CEO Stella David said the company’s international portfolio could help protect revenues if UK gambling taxes rise; the increase remains proposed.
Entain’s international portfolio and BetMGM growth may help operators assess exposure to a proposed UK gambling tax rise.
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Flutter Entertainment will cut up to 1,400 jobs in its UK and Ireland division to absorb higher UK gambling taxes, the company said. The restructuring, committed to on 20 October 2026, affects staff in Leeds, Dublin, Porto and Cluj-Napoca and remains subject to consultation. Flutter employs 28,500 people worldwide; around 240 of the redundancies are expected in Ireland, according to The Currency.
It was reported that provisional figures show UK remote gaming tax receipts increased by 108% following the tax rise announced last autumn. Industry figures said they needed further data before drawing conclusions.
According to provisional HMRC figures issued on 2 October 2026, remote gaming duty collected in July came to almost £590m, compared with £283m a year earlier — a jump of over 108%. The rate change had been introduced in April 2026, having been set out in the previous autumn budget.
Entain and Evoke reported lower profits amid the UK increase in Remote Gaming Duty, according to the companies’ statements cited in the report. Entain’s underlying profit fell 2% to £479m, while Evoke’s adjusted profit declined 10% to £150.2m and it reported £46m in additional gaming taxes during the period. The tax rate rose from 21% to 40% in April.
The Betting and Gaming Council said more than 540 betting shops had closed in Britain since last year’s Budget, with about 4,500 jobs lost. It warned that further tax increases could bring more closures and job losses; the Treasury said gambling duty rates for high-street shops had not changed.
Flutter Entertainment said higher UK gambling taxes could let its scale win market share as smaller rivals pull back. The tax rise, effective in April, contributed to a 45% fall in second-quarter adjusted EBITDA, the company said. Flutter reported Sky Betting & Gaming recovered strongly in June after its April platform migration.