Entain Announces 500 Job Cuts and Calls for Ban on Unlicensed Sponsorships
Entain has confirmed plans to eliminate approximately 500 positions, representing about 2% of its global workforce. The layoffs are part of the company’s broader strategy to counteract significantly increased UK gambling taxes and come in the same week that Entain publicly urged the Premier League to prohibit sponsorship agreements with unlicensed operators.
The information was initially reported by Bloomberg on Thursday, 16 July, and was later verified by an Entain spokesperson. The staff reductions impact corporate departments as well as product and technology teams, with the process already underway.
According to Bloomberg, the layoffs are designed to help offset the financial impact of rising UK gambling duties and intensifying competition from prediction markets. Notably, the Remote Gaming Duty (RGD) increased from 21% to 40% on 1 April 2026, with a new 25% remote betting duty scheduled to take effect on 1 April 2027 up from 15%. Certain exclusions apply, including bets on UK horse racing, spread betting, pool bets, and self-service terminals.
In a statement issued on 26 November 2025, Entain estimated that these tax hikes would, before any mitigations, add approximately £200 million annually to its UK and Ireland online operations.
Alongside its cost-cutting measures, Entain has been actively restructuring its balance sheet. In late June, the company agreed to sell a 20% stake in its Central and Eastern European joint venture to EMMA Capital for around €425 million. The proceeds are intended to reduce debt.
The company did not issue a new statement regarding the layoffs. The cuts follow the tax mitigation strategy outlined by CEO Stella David during the group’s FY25 results presentation in March, where she emphasized the need for Entain to be “fighting fit” to absorb the increased tax burden and to “accelerate our pace” in its ongoing restructuring efforts. Entain’s first-quarter results in April showed a 5% rise in online net gaming revenue, mainly driven by the UK and Ireland. The layoffs place Entain among a growing list of operators reducing staff in 2026.
In a separate development, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) announced an eight-week consultation on 15 July regarding a ban on sponsorship and advertising deals between British sports organizations and unlicensed gambling operators. The consultation, which closes at 11:59 pm on 9 September, will examine kit sponsorships, pitchside advertisements, and venue naming rights. The government’s current timeline suggests that the ban could be introduced no earlier than August 2027, ahead of the 2027/28 season.
Entain responded positively to the consultation, taking a step further by writing directly to Premier League chief executive Richard Masters and to David Kogan OBE, chair of the Independent Football Regulator, urging a voluntary ban for the 2026/27 season instead of waiting for legislation. This initiative forms part of Entain’s ongoing campaign, which has already involved prompting six Premier League clubs to reconsider their unlicensed sponsorships.
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“Unlicensed gambling operators are often little more than fronts for organised crime. They target vulnerable consumers, pay no UK tax, and ignore safeguards licensed operators must provide,” said David in Entain’s official statement on 15 July. The company cited analysis from the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) and the World Advertising Research Centre, which projects unlicensed operators will account for 47.7% of UK gambling advertising spend in 2026/27. It also referenced H2 Gambling Capital data indicating that the illegal market’s turnover grew from £5 billion to £16.6 billion between 2019 and 2025.
David emphasized that restrictions on sponsorship alone will not suffice, calling for tougher actions against social media platforms, payment providers, and affiliate networks that facilitate unlicensed operators. Entain has also published research mapping an illegal gambling network operating on UK social media.
These developments highlight the mounting pressure on licensed operators, who are bearing the brunt of increased taxation while an unlicensed market continues to expand, often without contributing to the UK Treasury. For Entain, the key question remains whether the Premier League and the football regulatory bodies will act proactively before the 2026/27 season or whether the government’s statutory ban, scheduled for August 2027, will be the only course of action. Entain 500 Positions
