Entain’s David: ‘We Already Pay Our Fair Share, More Tax Won’t Raise More Revenue’

_{Entain's CEO is calling on the UK Government to reconsider any tax hikes. (Image; Entain)}

Stella David, chief executive of the FTSE 100 gambling operator Entain plc, has issued a warning to the UK government: a steep rise in gambling taxes could undermine the regulated sector, push customers toward unlicensed operators and weaken investment in UK sport and high-street jobs.

Entain plc, formerly GVC Holdings, is an international sports betting and gambling company. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. It owns brands such as bwin, Coral, Ladbrokes, PartyPoker, and Sportingbet.

David says the company already carries a substantial tax burden. “There’s a lot of talk at the moment about whether taxes should go up on gambling in the UK,”. 

“My argument would be one of, follow the maths, and the maths would say we already pay a very large amount of tax.”

Entain Among UK's Top Taxpayers

She noted that Entain ranks among the UK’s “top 20 taxpayers” and contributed “over half a billion pounds in various taxes to the government as it stands.” 

"The company employs about 14,000 people in the UK. A large share work in retail betting shops, and others are in technical roles supporting innovation", she said.

David stressed the role she believes the business plays in the UK sports ecosystem: “We have 14,000 people who work in the UK, we bring innovation into the landscape. We are a success story operating in a growth market. 

"The relationship of companies like ourselves with sports is really important, so whether it’s football, snooker, rugby and including horse racing, it is a great ecosystem.”

Enatin Could Cut Investments in Sports

Looking ahead to the proposed tax rises, she warned of the broader knock-on impacts. 

“Clearly if taxes go up, our bandwidth to do that goes down and across the board we would have to look at cutting our investment whether it’s in sponsorship or marketing or other forms of engagement, horse racing and other sports.”

On the growing threat from unlicensed operators, she said: “When you look at the black market, 500 plus sites are already there. When taxes go up, they get their bigger competitive advantage because they can put better odds, better bonuses and therefore customers without even realising, it can be lured away to these black market sites. They have no player protections. They have no restrictions in terms of appropriate advertising."

"Over 50% of the Netherlands is black market, probably 70% is black market in Germany, which means none of the tax comes in because it is going to the black market.”

She concluded that “increasing taxes does not create increased revenues by government” if the activity shifts to unregulated operators. She called on regulators, payment services providers and the Advertising Standards Authority to act together to stem the leakage into the black market.

How Valid is the Argument?

David’s remarks come as the UK government prepares for the autumn Budget, amid growing pressure to raise taxes on the gambling sector. Her argument centres on the risk that higher duties could shrink the regulated market, prompt job losses or shop closures, hamper investment in UK sport and drive more punters into the unlicensed sector. Whether policymakers accept the trade-offs she identifies remains to be seen.