Why the Owner of Ladbrokes Might Cut 400 Jobs
Entain, the company that owns Ladbrokes and Coral, plans to cut up to 400 jobs from its 2,000-person customer support team.
The plan was announced on 16 September 2026, according to The Guardian. That is one in five jobs. The jobs are based across the UK, according to SBC News.
Entain blames higher gambling taxes, according to Reuters. These are fees betting firms pay the government. Boss Stella David wrote to Andy Burnham and said doubling the tax on betting-shop machines from 20% to 40% would add about £100m to the cost of its UK shops. No final tax decision has been made.
The plan came after Entain reported £479m profit from normal business for the six months to June. That was 2% down from last year but better than expected.
Shares were down about 36% this year as of 16 September 2026. Entain will drop from the FTSE 100 to the FTSE 250 on 21 September. Think of it like relegation from the top league of London-listed firms. It is based in London, employs over 28,000 people worldwide, and started as GVC Holdings in 2004.
Entain says it only works in regulated and regulating markets, according to company materials. That means places with gambling rules or ones writing them. It named Dafne Guisard as Chief Operations Officer to lead planning, customer service and joining new firms together. In May, it asked the Football Regulator to stop clubs taking cash from illegal betting firms.
The broader context here is good results mixed with rising costs. Earnings beat hopes, but shop costs could jump if tax doubles. Cutting support saves money without closing shops now, but leaves fewer staff to answer calls and help customers.
In my view, much depends on the government and on service. Shops still pay rent and wages even if tax rises, so profits would shrink fast. Investors will watch if a smaller team can keep service steady through the change.
