SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Stella David believes that 2025 is the platform for Entain to return to profit and restore its PLC status and investor trust.
This morning, David made her first statement since accepting the duties of leading the FTSE gambling group as permanent CEO.
Prior to presenting Q1 results, David reflected on taking on the CEO role: “Entain is a business with great potential. We are honest about our challenges and have faced brutal truths… and, importantly, we have acted.
“We are starting to see real results — a return to growth and stronger momentum. Entain is getting stronger, faster, and fitter every day. The strategy is working, and we will deliver on our potential by elevating and accelerating our performance.”
A positive start to the year saw Entain’s Group Net Gaming Revenue (NGR) increase by 9%, with growth reported across all core brands. Notably, Q1 trading saw BetMGM return to profitability, generating €22m in underlying EBITDA.
Trading during the period also saw Entain report strong results in its home market, with UK & Ireland NGR up 10%cc. This was driven by a 23%cc increase in Online NGR — supported by strong volume growth of 21%, which is expected to outperform the wider market — while Retail declined slightly by 1%cc.
Commenting on the results, Group CFO and Deputy CEO, Rob Wood, said: “We are pleased, since our growth is driven by volume, which was up by 21% across our online channel. Most importantly, we are outperforming the market.”
Of significance, Entain benefits from regulatory changes, as wood commented: “A levelling of the playing field brought on by regulatory adjustments has seen Entain make critical adaptations to ride the tailwinds against competitors.
Entain also delivered a solid performance in international markets. Group International NGR rose +5%cc, with Online up +4%cc and Retail up +11%cc.
Brazil stood out with 31%cc growth, continuing to perform strongly as it adapted effectively to the newly licensed market regime.Wood noted “We believe we are outperforming the market. Our localised product and partnerships are resonating with consumers.”
When questioned by investors on whether the company would pivot to a new strategy, leadership was clear:
“Absolutely not,” David replied. “I believe fundamentally that continuity is the mandate.”
“Continuity and stability are what have driven us to focus on the things that matter.”
“If 2024 was about facing brutal truths and stopping losses,” David concluded, “2025 will be about one thing – starting to win again, and in the right way.”
