Entain has begun consultation on plans to remove about 400 customer-care roles, or one-fifth of the 2,000 jobs in that function, as the Ladbrokes and Coral owner cites a tougher operating environment and higher UK gambling taxes.
The proposed reductions span 11 countries, including the UK, although Entain has not disclosed how many British posts would be affected. Stella David, the chief executive, said the decision had not been made lightly and that the company’s immediate priority was supporting colleagues affected by the transition.
The group said the changes were intended to keep it competitive and financially resilient. The announcement came weeks after Entain reported underlying operating profit of £479 million for the six months to the end of June, ahead of expectations.
Entain has linked the restructuring partly to the cost of higher gambling duties. Taxes on remote gaming rose from 21% to 40% in the last Budget, while the levy on online sports betting increased from 15% to 25%, according to This is Money. The House of Commons Library estimates the wider gambling-tax measures announced in the 2025 Budget will raise £810 million in 2026-27, increasing to £1.16 billion by 2030-31.
The consultation follows Entain’s earlier plan to eliminate about 500 technology and corporate roles worldwide, as covered in July. That programme was described at the time as an efficiency drive rather than a direct response to UK tax rises.
David also wrote to Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Sept. 11 opposing a possible increase in the standard rate of Machine Games Duty from 20% to 40%. She said such a change would add about £100 million a year to the cost of operating Entain’s UK retail business, which employs more than 13,000 people and runs 2,300 betting shops.
Her letter cited EY modelling commissioned by the Betting and Gaming Council that projected a 40% rate could lead to as many as 1,470 betting-shop closures and 15,900 job losses across the UK, alongside a £120 million net loss to the Exchequer.
The proposed machine-duty rise remains under consideration. The Guardian reported that Chancellor John Healey was examining an increase aimed at betting shops and adult gaming centres for his Oct. 28 Budget. Separately, the Social Market Foundation estimated that doubling duty on Category B £2-a-spin machines could raise between £275 million and £458 million above the roughly £600 million already paid.
Entain warned that heavier taxation of legal operators could make it harder to sustain shops, jobs and local investment, and could divert customers to unlicensed gambling providers that pay no UK tax. David urged the government to consider the wider consequences for employment and investment rather than focusing only on the headline duty rate.
